Shrimps are subject to great consumer demand in the United States. However, more than #1 billion worth of shrimp is now imported; more than twice the amount produced domestically. Domestic shrimp production, mostly from the trawler fleet in the Gulf of Mexico, is thought to be at its maximum sustainable yield of 91,000 MT (heads-off). Increased production of shrimp in the U.S. through mariculture has been motivated by the increasing demand for this product. The biology of penaeid shrimp and lack of technology for their culture present special problems in fisheries science, reproductive biology, endocrinology, nutrition, pathology, culture science and future research. The purpose of the Frontiers of Shrimp Research symposium was to assess the status of shrimp research in these areas and to further foster the scientific collaboration vital for significant research advances. The participants included representatives of the science funding agencies, the mariculture industry and representatives of both the scientific research and science policy communities. The subject matter should be of interest to a variety of readers.