New method found to freeze oyster eggs
A new method of freezing Pacific oyster eggs could have major implications for the world's seafood industry, it was reported Tuesday.
Scientists in Nelson, New Zealand have reportedly perfected cryopreservation, which for the first time has allowed the freezing of Pacific oyster eggs, the New Zealand Herald reported.
Scientists at the Cawthron Institute have been working on the method since 1998.
Experts say the new technique can also lead to breeding better oysters and other shellfish.
"It enables you to basically preserve generations so that you no longer rely upon individual animals surviving -- which means that you can pull something out of the freezer to breed from if it had some particular characteristics that you wanted to breed into a new oyster," Cawthron Commercial Manager Mark Jarvis told the newspaper.
Copyright 2005 by United Press International
