Reduced salinity, but not estuarine acidification, is a cause of immune-suppression in the Sydney rock oyster Saccostrea glomerata.

The article presents a study on the influence of the changes in salinity and acid sulfate soils (ASS) leachate in the expression of immune genes in the Sydney rock oyster or Saccostrea glomerata (S. glomerata). It states that the effects and interactions between salinity and ASS leachate was determined through exposing adult S. glomerata to seawater matrix of different water quality characteristics. It reveals that changes in water chemistry affect the gene expression involved in stress and detoxification. The study also indicates that the heavy monsoon rainfall results to the immune-supression and stress in S. glomerata as reflected in the down-regulation of the peroxiredoxin 6 (Prx6) of S. glomerata in response to the presence of salinity.