A novel application of nuclear techniques for characterising Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg, 1793) for aquaculture production

<p>The Pacific oyster (<em>Crassostrea gigas</em>) is increasingly providing a source of healthy nutrition in Australia, the Pacific region, and globally. As demand increases amidst climate uncertainties, there is a need for consistent development of a resilient oyster with improved quality to enhance marketability and sustain the industry. Subsequent to our earlier study, which revealed the quality indicators along the <em>C. gigas </em>aquaculture supply chain, we leverage the application of nuclear analysis techniques to investigate the contributions of environmental (oyster leases) and biological signatures for the development of an industry-preferred oyster. We used a rapid micro-X-ray fluorescence (uXRF) scanning through ITRAX Scanner for elemental profiling and the Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer (IRMS) for stable C and N isotope analyses to determine the contribution of sedimentary and dietary sources to <em>C. gigas</em> growth and development under variable environmental and biological conditions. My presentation will include preliminary results from the analysis of the data. The findings suggest that nuclear analysis is a useful tool for the selection of oysters with the best traits for aquaculture. This advanced characterisation represents an essential step in our longer-term goal of developing phenotyping tools to select shell traits in selective breeding programs.</p>