Inside an oyster hatchery on the western shore of PEI, an array of plastic vessels pumps algae-rich water to millions of tiny black dots – some as small as poppy seeds. They’re teeny, tiny baby oysters, specifically bred from the few that have survived multinucleate sphere unknown, or MSX, a deadly oyster disease caused by microscopic parasites.

These babies’ genetics are considered the best way forward for an industry on the brink of destruction as a result of the disease, which has ravaged wild and cultured oyster farms in Eastern Canada. It’s one of several responses to help PEI’s $27-million industry recover from the disease, which was first detected on the island two years ago and can kill 95 per cent of infected oysters. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it poses zero threat to human health or food safety.

“It is a terrible epizootic,” said Guy Perry, a molecular geneticist and manager of the Bideford Shellfish Hatchery on Lennox Island First Nation. “I have not seen anything worse than this ever, but at the same time as it does all this damage, we have a lot of hope because of the tools w