Oysters possess the innate ability to absorb contaminants from their immediate environment. When runoff from heavy rainfall reaches estuaries in which commercial oyster beds are situated, harvesting must be stopped until the oysters are free of health-threatening contaminants. Such shutdown decisions are often made based on the determination of weather stations distant from the oyster farms with no actual water samples to analyze.
Lack of the right data at the right time to accurately assess actual contamination creates considerable frustration for oyster farming operations in Australia. Currently accessed weather data frequently fails to reflect real onsite environmental conditions, resulting in unnecessary shutdowns causing financial losses of up to AUS$100k per day. As well, hands-on onsite analysis to support decision making, including water sample acquisition with subsequent salinity/contaminant testing, in vitro contamination measurement, and others, is time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Lack of the right data at the right time to accurately assess actual contamination creates considerable frustration for oyster farming operations in Australia. Currently accessed weather data frequently fails to reflect real onsite environmental conditions, resulting in unnecessary shutdowns causing financial losses of up to AUS$100k per day. As well, hands-on onsite analysis to support decision making, including water sample acquisition with subsequent salinity/contaminant testing, in vitro contamination measurement, and others, is time-consuming and labor-intensive.
