1. There are 30 oyster in a standard sample. They are scrubbed free of fouling organisms, separated from one another, and layed out on a tray.

2. Each oyster is measured from the hinge to the bill in millimeters, following the curve of the shell.

3. Oysters are shucked from the hinge to avoid damaging delicate tissues.

4. The oyster rectum is excised to culture for Perkinus marinus, which causes dermo-disease.

5. Tubes of Ray’s fluid thioglycollate medium with incubating recta.

6. A cross section containing mantle, gills, digestive system, and gonad is cut from the same location in each oyster.

7. Cross sections are fixed, dehydrated, infiltrated with molten paraffin, and embedded in blocks of paraffin.

8. Each tissue cross section is moved from its labeled cassette into a mold filled with molten paraffin.

9. The labeled cassette is placed atop the mold and it is placed on a chilling plate to solidify the paraffin block

10. Ribbons of 5-6 micron thick sections of the cross section are cut from the paraffin block on a specialized instrument called a microtome.

12. Unstained paraffin sections of razor clam tissues drying.

13. Paraffin is removed from the slides with solvents. The tissues are routinely stained with Mayer’s hematoxylin (purple) and eosin (orange).

14. A permanent protective glass coverslip is mounted over the stained section.

15. Finished microscope slides of oyster tissues stained with Mayer’s hematoxylin and eosin.