Algarvian oysters give pearls

The existence of these much-sought after jewels of the sea has been confirmed by IPIMAR investigators Frederico Batista and Ana Grade, as well as Deborah Power of the “Centro de Ciências do Mar da Universidade do Algarve”.

Last year, the team recovered 756 wild oysters from the rivers of Alvor, Formosa and Guadiana, discovering four pearls (less than 2 mm in diametre) in just one oyster (of the Crassostrea species), as well as a 5 mm pearl, and a 190 milligram pearl, in another.

According to the Algarve research academy, “this is a very rare phenomenon”. The pearls had all developed naturally within their oysters, but now investigators may study the potential for cultivating pearls for commercial purposes.