1469 / 2024-09-27 15:41:16

The Crassostrea hongkongensis nutritional value and flavor between culturing at different locations in Deep Bay

Crassostrea hongkongensis, oyster, nutritional value, flavor

Session 61 - Advancing Blue Food Futures Towards Ocean Conservation and Global Resilience

The Hong Kong oyster (Crassostrea hongkongensis) is an important commercial and ecological species in estuary areas. The Hong Kong oyster output was around 1.80 million tonnes, accounting for 35% of the total Chinese oyster yield and global exportation was up to 606 million US. The aquaculture of Hong Kong oyster dates back at least 700 years in the Pearl River Delt and now the most common way of Hong Kong oyster production is putting 2-year-old oysters at Deep Bay for around half a year during the fattening season. Traditionally, oysters are thought fatter and taste better when grown near the mouth of the bay. Whether the oyster will become fatter and taste better culturing at the mouth of the bay or not has only been studied by a few. Due to the real environment being dynamic, the nutrition value difference is believed caused by water quality difference which may change the amino acid, glycogen, nucleotides, and so on metabolism. Around 4000 edible oysters (Crassostrea hongkongensis) were used in this study and cultured from the river's end and the bay's mouth total of 3 location rafts. Samples were taken every month to analyze their nutritional value, for example, amino acid, fatty acid, glycogen, nucleotides, and also electric tongue will be used to analyze the taste difference between the samples that were grown at different locations. Through this experiment, we hope to use Deep Bay as a model to learn about how the Hong Kong oyster as an estuary specie nutritional and flavor change between culturing at the end of the river and the mouth of the bay and also will provide scientific support for oyster cultures to choose suitable cultivation areas to produce high-quality oysters.