Further work is required to evaluate if these bacteria are specific spoilage organisms of oysters. An earlier study by Zhang et al. (2009) using Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) has identified several volatile metabolites that could contribute to the spoiled odour of oysters including organic acids, dimethyl disulfide, indole and trimethylamine. GC–MS could be used in combination with any developed PCR techniques in future works to undertake an in-depth analysis of the metabolic action of these bacteria in oysters during storage. If PCR methods are developed, they should be validated against oysters harvested over a range of seasons, from differing harvest locations and storage conditions to ensure that these genera are useful indicators in a wider context.