Louis Burnett and Karen Burnett–both biology professors at the College of Charleston and partially supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF)–are currently helping to answer that question. Specifically, the Burnetts are studying how crustaceans respond to bacterial exposures and how these responses may change in waters that are characterized by low oxygen, high acidity or pollution by heavy metals from pesticides and other sources.
http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=121887&org=NSF
