They are small, slimy and most people find them delicious. I am talking about oysters. Once the Sydney rock oyster inhabited large areas of Sydney Harbour. Those days are long gone which is pretty tragic. Rock oysters provide the habitat for a large number of other marine species. Our guest studies them all and will tell us if the Sydney Rock Oyster is doomed or if there is still a glimpse of hope.
Rick in his element, Sydney rock oyster habitat
Boiling Point host Cat chats with Dr Rick Leong. Rick just completed his PhD in marine sciences at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. He spent most of his field work with wet feet researching oysters and their habitat.
The one thing Rick does not miss after finishing his PhD: Shucking oysters. He stopped counting how many they were. Luckily, he still got all his fingers left.
Resources:
Oyster shells used in mortar in Sydney’s early buildings: https://blogs.sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/cook/oyster-shells/
Some historical facts about Sydney rock oysters: https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/sydney_rock_oysters
About the decline of Sydney rock oysters: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0190914
Rick’s thesis: https://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/entities/publication/d572951b-362b-44ea-981d-d079d03b16d5