Abalone are economically important species of molluscs, ranking fourth nationally and worth $190 million. These species have strong potential for future farming and ranching production development. However, with industry increasingly exploring live trade and developing new market access, infections with the parasite Perkinsus olseni can be a barrier for jurisdictions that have previously reported detection of Perkinsus sp. Overseas, Taiwan recently implemented a ban on live imports of abalone from Perkinsus-infected areas and this may be adopted by other countries in the future.

Perkinsus spp. have caused significant mortalities in commercially important mollusc species worldwide. Of these, the OIE listed pathogen, P. olseni, is the only species known to infect abalone in Australia. P. olseni has been reported from molluscs in NSW, VIC, SA, and WA. This parasite has been associated with mass mortality events and subsequent demise of blacklip abalone fisheries in NSW since the early 1990¶s (FRDC Project No. 2004/084). Recent investigations in greenlip abalone populations in Western Australia have revealed up to 80% prevalence and highly variable intensities of infection.

However, the investigation of the parasite dynamics and the associated risk factor(s) requires access to effective and efficient detection tools to measure the intensity of infection in an individual abalone and the prevalence of infection in large population surveys. These recent investigations have revealed severe analytical and diagnostic sensitivity and specificity deficiencies within the current protocols including the OIE one, and the various P. olseni strains present in Australia. The industry has highlighted the need for a reliable, rapid and specific method to detect this parasite at the species level (to date, 3 Perkinsus species have been described in Australia) in abalone tissues as well as in haemolymph, and water samples. This will lead to a better understanding of the prevalence and intensity of P. olseni infections on farm and in the wild, which will lead to the implementation of management measures. This lack of effective diagnostic tools is currently severely limiting Australia¶s capabilities to develop effective management

As part of the Extension and Adoption Program FRDC aims to take information and provide it to stakeholders and the braoder public. To do this with information on the benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids, it is clear that membership to the Omega 3 Centre will be both cost effective and efficient way of disseminating this informaiton.

The Omega 3 Centre was set up specifically and operates as a centre of excellence in Omega-3 fatty acids for Australia and New Zealand. It primary focus is on communicating the health benefits of long chain Omega-3s.

All communications from The Omega-3 Centre are based on sound science. Scientific advice will always be sought from leading researchers in the area. The Centre has a good links with a range of scientific organisations in Australia, New Zealand and internationally. The Centre acts as a catalyst for scientific research into Omega-3s and benefits for human health and it helps translate the science of Omega-3s to actions.

This project was developed out of the need for industry to be able to understand the complex seafood compositional data