How Genomics Could Boost Resilience of Province’s Fragile Shellfish Industry

The shellfish industry is a salient component of British Columbia’s economy.

This is particularly true in the Comox and Deep Bay area, a region which produces two-thirds of the province’s oyster production.

But if fecal pollution is detected in BC waters, harvesting areas are shut down immediately.

It’s a problem, and one exasperated by the fact that traditional methods struggle to pinpoint sources of contamination, leading to lengthy closures of harvesting areas and public beaches.

Led by researchers from the University of British Columbia and the BC Centre for Disease Control, a new project aims to tackle this issue by using modern technology to help pinpoint sources of fecal pollution in water, thus protecting the shellfish industry and minimizing recreational beach closures.

“We need a better way to identify the sources of fecal pollution in marine waters,” says Dr. Natalie Prystajecky, a project co-lead from UBC. “Currently, when contamination is detected, harvesting areas are closed quickly. Often, the source of contamination is not known, which means there is no mechanism to prevent the contamination from happening again.”

Leveraging support from partners including the BC Shellfish Growers Association and the Malahat Nation, the project—dubbed “Genomic Ecological Microbial Source Tracking for Oceans Nature and the Environment,” or  GEMSTONE—aims to utilize genomics to create a two-step test that swiftly determines the source of fecal pollution in water.

GEMSTONE is being funded through Genome British Columbia’s GeneSolve Program.

“The real value here is consumer confidence in the industry,” says Suzanne Gill, chief executive officer of Genome BC. “The precision of these tests will serve as an early warning system so that we can improve the safety and viability of BC’s shellfish industry.”

By empowering communities with more precise testing, GEMSTONE seeks to “safeguard public health and the viability of BC’s shellfish industry against costly outbreaks,” according to a statement from the nonprofit Genome BC, which supports local genomics research and innovation toward globally competitive life sciences sector growth.

The project is slated for a two-year time period.