Using genomic information to understand and improve the quality of the Australian South Sea Pearl

最近，来自亚洲的大规模生产的淡水珍珠的质量显著提高，并开始危及我们享有盛誉的南海珍珠市场。这给澳大利亚的珍珠养殖者带来了一项挑战，即通过提高珍珠质量和一致性来维持市场认同感。通过将基因组学添加到现有的澳大利亚珍珠产业宝库中，我们不仅将有助于保持澳大利亚南海明珠在市场上的首要地位，而且还将进一步推动其向前发展。珍珠形成的遗传学知识将促进一系列孵化场和养殖场实践，如选育和珍珠嫁接，这反过来又可以加强养殖场的运作和支持它们的偏远社区。

Recently, mass-produced freshwater pearls from Asia have markedly increased in quality and begun to compromise our prestigious South Sea Pearl market. This presents Australian pearlers with a challenge to maintain market identity by improving their pearl quality and consistency. By adding genomics to the existing Australian pearl industry armoury we will help not only to maintain the premier position of the Australian South Sea Pearl in the market, but also to move it further ahead. Knowledge of the genetics of pearl formation will advance a range of hatchery and farm practices, such as selective breeding and pearl grafting, which in turn can enhance farm-based operations and the remote communities that support them.