Pacific oyster

Pacific oysters currently living in the wild in Norway have likely originated from domestic cultivation and through ocean currents. While the Pacific oyster poses a challenge to the coastal ecosystem, it also provides us with seafood.

There is a pressing need for more knowledge about foreign substances, algal toxins, and norovirus in Pacific oysters. In terms of foreign substances, cadmium is particularly challenging. Wild-harvested Pacific oysters are taken from various habitats, and it's necessary to examine how the content of unwanted substances varies with geography and different sources of pollution.

We need to determine which algal toxins accumulate in Pacific oysters. Additionally, it's essential to obtain data to set advisory danger limits for algae concentrations that could lead to accumulation.

Norovirus, which causes gastrointestinal infections in humans, is a major concern with Pacific oysters, especially since they are often eaten raw. Hence, it's crucial to start systematic work on how we can detect norovirus in Pacific oysters so that both the industry and consumers can be advised.

Read more about Pacific oysters on the topic page.