Most of the health indices require measuring the dry weight of the oyster, which doesn't leave any tissue for microbial analysis.
You could measure GSH and AChase in mantle and gills which activities reflect exposition to environnemental pollution. This is valuable for long times monitoring since "normal" values can be inferred while allowing comparisons between distinct geographical sites. Some statistics are needed. Have a look also to http://molluscan-eye.epoc.u-bordeaux1.fr/
Good luck
Olivier
If your oysters are maintained in laboratory mesocosms, you can try to evaluate the clearance rate and use it as a physiological condition index. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749107004368
Good luck!
Nathalie.
You could bleed the oyster first. Plate the hemolymph or save for testing, then use the tissues for condition. Several papers have methods for bleeding them. It usually involves notching the shell, inserting a syringe into a sinus in the body, and withdrawing up to a ml of hemolymph. I haven't done it in several years, but search on terms "oyster hemolymph" and pick a few papers for their methods.
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