Where should I farm my oysters? Does natural Cadmium distribution restrict oyster farm site selection in the Northern Territory?

Naturally occurring heavy metals have been a longstanding concern and presumed barrier to the establishment of a tropical oyster industry in the Northern Territory (NT). However, recent testing on market sized oysters farmed on long line trials in the Tiwi Islands have not shown high concentrations and complied with Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) requirements. In order to inform the development of a NT tropical oyster industry and the establishment of a NT shellfish quality assurance program, the current project aims to identify locations that could produce oysters that comply with FSANZ. The project will map the distribution and concentration of Cadmium in wild blacklip oysters across the Northern Territory and assist aboriginal communities better understand the role of shellfish quality assurance programs and the implications of heavy metals for oyster farming.