With the growth of the oyster aquaculture industry in the region, government agencies are charged with regulating this new industry in a way ensures that consumers and the environment are protected while allowing the industry to thrive. In Alabama, specifically, with concerns that routine desiccation might pose a public health risk, public health officials initially imposed a 30-day required resubmersion period prior to harvest. This created challenges for the industry and farmers requested applied research to provide better data to regulators. This research, conducted collaboratively by academia and federal agencies, allowed a reduction in the required resubmersion period to two weeks and one week for certain types of culture methods. Panelists will discuss what worked well in this process and what could work better, as well as challenges.