3. Genetic basis of the pearl oyster

Genetic improvement is one of the keys to the development of all optimized breeding sectors. What's more, starting with as yet undomesticated populations, the potential gains are a priori very significant. The diversity of this species is reflected in the wide range of coloration of cultured pearls, compared with competing species P. fucata and P. maxima. The various wild and farmed populations of P. margaritifera in the Polynesian archipelagos provide the basis for multidisciplinary and applied research aimed at: 1) exploit the genetic diversity of the resource, 2) initiate genetic selection for pearl farming traits of interest in relation to color determination and growth, and 3) understand the mechanisms generating variability in the expression of these traits in relation to environmental variations.