After reading the article, I to am unclear why they are giving them the "Akoya" designation. I wonder if it is not more a marketing manuever than anything else. "Akoya" are well established in the marketplace. By calling them "Akoya" and by producing 8-10mm pearls, they instantly gain credibility and high market values.

But can they get away with that if the only similarities is the nucleation process and the use of a saltwater oyster?

I didn't notice in the article any reference to the type of oyster they are using.