eDNA explained: unlocking nature’s hidden biodiversity
Haylea’s colleague Miwa Takahashi collecting seawater from Mettams Pool for this eDNA study.
Environmental DNA – or eDNA for short – is DNA left behind in the environment like fingerprints at a crime scene.
It is used to detect the species present in an area from samples of seawater. Despite our success using eDNA to detect species in the sea, we’ve never really known whether eDNA is free floating molecules of DNA, whole cells or pieces of cells.
Our new study reveals the different forms eDNA takes in marine environments and how best to collect them, helping people collect and work with it more effectively.
You can find out more about this study in our recently published article, eDNA explained: unlocking nature’s hidden biodiversity or by reading the published research, Environmental DNA.