As the seafood industry develops in Western Australia, aquatic diseases and other health problems that require immediate attention will inevitably appear. To address this, the WA Government committed $1.2 million in 2017 to build a state-of-the-art Aquatic Animal Health Research Laboratory at the collaborative Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre (IOMRC) facility at Watermans Bay.
The health laboratory has boosted fish health capability to support the aquaculture industry. Researchers at the Aquatic Animal Health Research Laboratory provide the WA aquaculture industry with research services and specialist advice on medium to long-term health and productivity issues in aquatic animals.
Research
Through the health laboratory, the aquaculture team develops applied research projects in line with the needs of the seafood industry. The team leads research projects on abalone and pearl oyster health, with the ultimate objective of lifting the productivity of these industries. Research has included the effect of seismic surveys on pearl oysters, management of summer mortality of abalone, developing rapid diagnostic test for the detection of the shellfish parasite Perkinsus olseni, investigating pearl oyster health and epidemiology, and the biosecurity risk potential of recycling mollusc shell for shellfish reef restoration.
Co-locators
The co-location of the laboratory with strategic IOMRC partners — the University of Western Australia (UWA), the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) — fosters collaboration on applied research projects focused on supporting expansion of the WA seafood industry including shellfish.
Contact
For more information on the facilities and R&D opportunities available at the Aquaculture Health Laboratory please contact:
P: +61 1300 374 731 (1300 DPIRD1)
E: enquiries@dpird.wa.gov.au