Emerging pathogens, or infectious agents that have increased in incidence substantially in recent years, are a major concern for environmental health. Management of these pathogens requires a strong understanding of their baseline biology to assess the factors that contribute to population abundance, survivability, and transmission mechanisms. Vibrio alginolyticus is an autochthonous marine bacterium commonly found in coastal and estuarine waters worldwide. Long known as an opportunistic pathogen, this bacterium is an established agent of human and animal disease. Animal infections are widely associated with the aquaculture industry causing disease outbreaks in marine fishes and shellfishes that range from mild epidermal lesions to mass population mortality. Human infections are predominately concentrated to tropical/subtropical regions typically manifesting as mild opportunistic infections of wounds and ears following exposure to seawater. In recent years, the incidence of V. alginolyticus infections have increased substantially due to the combined effects of anthropogenically-induced climate change and coastal watershed modification facilitating increased in Vibrio spp. abundance and human interaction. Despite this increase fueling renewed interest in V. alginolyticus research, much of the foundational characterization of this bacterium was completed around its discovery in the 1960s-1980s and there is a substantial need to reevaluate these characterizations through a modern lens. The research presented here examines the physiological, chemical, and ecological characteristics of V. alginolyticus to better understand factors that mediate population abundance and transmission in the natural environment. Combined, these assessments improve our understanding of the baseline biology and disease ecology of this bacterium through the application of a one health approach. The results of these findings can be used to improve methods of risk assessment and the development of transmission barriers to reduce the incidence and severity of future V. alginolyticus outbreaks.