[Caitlin]

"Perfecting the Pearl
http://www.abc.net.au/northqld/stories/s1343522.htm
Tuesday, 12 April 2005
Presenter: David Cussons
While the pearl is one of the most beautiful and lucrative ocean products, scientists know remarkably little about how a perfect specimen is formed.

That's something James Cook University Senior Lecturer Dr Dean Jerry hopes to change.
World wide, the pearl oyster industry is worth an estimated one billion dollars, of which Australia currently contributes about 300 million.

While pearls come in all shapes and sizes, the most valuable are those with a perfect roundness and a high lustre. The problem for pearl breeders is that no-one really knows why oysters will produce such perfection on one occasion and at other times, not.

Dean Jerry thinks that this dearth of information may be, in part, the fault of the industry itself. Pearls have been so lucrative that producers have not had to invest in the kind of R & D that now underpins beef or grain production.

But as pearl farming becomes more competetive, research is looking increasingly attractive and James Cook University is amongst the first in the field.

Dean Jerry says his research is about identifying the most basic genetic characteristics of oysters and their relationship with pearl production - foundation science that has not yet been undertaken in this field.

If he and his commercial partners succeed, the rewards could be substantial not just for them but for the Australian balance of trade figures as well.""

Attached is lovely photo of a pearl oyster from Australia that accompanied the article