News stories about the "Montauk Monster" recently found on Long Island have often mentioned that there is an animal research center near where the creature was found, the Plum Island center. So what exactly is Plum Island?

The Plum Island Animal Disease Center is an research facility that is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). According to the center's Web site (below), Plum Island works "to protect farm animals, farmers and ranchers, the nation's farm economy and export markets... and your food supply."

The Plum Island Animal Disease Center is located off the northeastern tip of Long Island, near the town of Montauk. The work done there is conducted by staff in the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

The Web site notes that "Not once in our nearly 50 years of operation has an animal pathogen escaped from the island." (No mention of live, alien monsters though.)

You can find out a lot more about the Plum Island Animal Disease Center at their Web site below, including what their mission is, the services they provide, news and events from Plum Island, and more.