Biofoulers in pearl oyster farming
Tanjung Ringgit, Lombok Island, Indonesia
Justin Cullen
PT Autore Pearl Culture
The Autore Group is one of the world’s largest cultured South Sea pearl producing, marketing and wholesale companies. The pearl oyster, Pinctada maxima (known as the silver or gold lip oyster) are grown for two years before harvest in the pristine waters of Northern Australia and in the islands of Indonesia. One of Autore’s aquaculture facilities is located in Lombok, Indonesia. Despite its pristine environment, pearl culture struggles with fouling challenges associated with marine aquaculture. The biggest problem is barnacles that grow on the live pearl oyster shells and on the sea cages/sea trays where oysters are kept throughout its two-year growing cycle. Fouling adds operational cost and clogging of openings that can have detrimental effects on the normal growth of the pearl oysters.
