A wet-mateable connector assembly comprising: a receptacle having a front and a longitudinal axis extending inwardly from the front; a plug having a front, at least a portion of the plug adapted to be releasably received in the receptacle in a mating and de-mating fashion along the receptacle longitudinal axis; the receptacle further comprising: a receptacle housing forming an interior; a receptacle manifold movably disposed within the receptacle housing interior and having a first optical fiber mating path (215A, 215C) disposed therein extending inwardly from the front of the receptacle; a receptacle primary seal having a second optical fiber mating path disposed therein; and a receptacle optical fiber having a receptacle fiber contact end proximate to the receptacle front; the plug further comprising: a plug manifold having a third optical fiber mating path (115A, 115C) disposed therein extending inwardly from the front of the plug; a plug primary seal member, the plug primary seal member having a fourth optical fiber mating path disposed therein; and a plug optical fiber having a plug fiber contact end proximate to the plug front; the receptacle housing comprising a cam member adapted to engage both of the receptacle primary seal and plug primary seal during the transition from an unmated position to a mated position, wherein in the unmated position the first optical fiber path and the second optical fiber path are misaligned and the third optical fiber path and the fourth optical fiber path are misaligned, and in the mated position the first optical fiber path and the second optical fiber path are aligned to form a first uninterrupted optical fiber mating path extending through the receptacle manifold and the receptacle primary seal, and the third optical fiber path and the fourth optical fiber path are aligned and form a second uninterrupted optical fiber mating path extending through the plug manifold and the plug primary seal; characterized in that: the assembly further comprises one or more of a tertiary seal (118, 218) adapted to substantially encapsulate one or both of the plug fiber contact end and the receptacle fiber contact end, wherein the one or more of a tertiary seal are adapted to open upon engagement of an external contact end during the mating process. a receptacle having a front and a longitudinal axis extending inwardly from the front; a plug having a front, at least a portion of the plug adapted to be releasably received in the receptacle in a mating and de-mating fashion along the receptacle longitudinal axis; the receptacle further comprising: a receptacle housing forming an interior; a receptacle manifold movably disposed within the receptacle housing interior and having a first optical fiber mating path (215A, 215C) disposed therein extending inwardly from the front of the receptacle; a receptacle primary seal having a second optical fiber mating path disposed therein; and a receptacle optical fiber having a receptacle fiber contact end proximate to the receptacle front; a receptacle housing forming an interior; a receptacle manifold movably disposed within the receptacle housing interior and having a first optical fiber mating path (215A, 215C) disposed therein extending inwardly from the front of the receptacle; a receptacle primary seal having a second optical fiber mating path disposed therein; and a receptacle optical fiber having a receptacle fiber contact end proximate to the receptacle front; the plug further comprising: a plug manifold having a third optical fiber mating path (115A, 115C) disposed therein extending inwardly from the front of the plug; a plug primary seal member, the plug primary seal member having a fourth optical fiber mating path disposed therein; and a plug optical fiber having a plug fiber contact end proximate to the plug front; a plug manifold having a third optical fiber mating path (115A, 115C) disposed therein extending inwardly from the front of the plug; a plug primary seal member, the plug primary seal member having a fourth optical fiber mating path disposed therein; and a plug optical fiber having a plug fiber contact end proximate to the plug front; the receptacle housing comprising a cam member adapted to engage both of the receptacle primary seal and plug primary seal during the transition from an unmated position to a mated position, wherein in the unmated position the first optical fiber path and the second optical fiber path are misaligned and the third optical fiber path and the fourth optical fiber path are misaligned, and in the mated position the first optical fiber path and the second optical fiber path are aligned to form a first uninterrupted optical fiber mating path extending through the receptacle manifold and the receptacle primary seal, and the third optical fiber path and the fourth optical fiber path are aligned and form a second uninterrupted optical fiber mating path extending through the plug manifold and the plug primary seal; characterized in that: the assembly further comprises one or more of a tertiary seal (118, 218) adapted to substantially encapsulate one or both of the plug fiber contact end and the receptacle fiber contact end, wherein the one or more of a tertiary seal are adapted to open upon engagement of an external contact end during the mating process.