Revolutionising Queensland’s oyster industry

When you step through the doors of the oyster hatchery at the Bribie Island Research Centre, you can hear the bubbling sound of success.

Our oyster researchers have achieved a string of breakthroughs that could help Queensland’s oyster industry grow and diversify while increasing its resilience to climate change, heat stress and QX disease.

“There is enormous potential to expand Queensland’s oyster industry through production of tropical oyster species,” lead researcher Max Wingfield said.

“Currently, all but one of Queensland’s oyster farmers rely on production of Sydney rock oysters, which can only be grown in the south-east corner and are impacted by climate change and ocean warming.

“We’re investigating other native oyster species which are more resistant to heat and QX disease, and can be farmed further north, bringing economic, environmental and community benefits.”

Max’s team has developed an innovative system for breeding blacklip rock oysters on a commercial scale – a pursuit that has long eluded hatcheries.

These Queensland sunshine oysters reached market size in just 15 months.

They were also the first in the world to produce commercial quantities of Queensland sunshine (or Lineage G) rock oysters in a hatchery. Early field trial results suggest these tropical rock oysters are far more resilient to heat stress and QX disease than Sydney rock oysters.

“Oysters stocked in our Pumicestone Passage trial site were subjected to a hot, wet summer and a QX disease outbreak,” Max said.

“Only 20% of the Sydney rock oysters survived, while 72% of the Queensland sunshine rock oysters and 95% of the blacklip rock oysters survived.

“This is a promising result for our oyster industry.”