Seeing ocean life through eDNA: new insights from south-eastern Australia
SEA-MES provided the opportunity to test and refine environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling for monitoring offshore marine life.
The voyages, conducted in July 2023 and May 2024, were part of the South-East Australian Marine Ecosystem Survey (SEA-MES) on the CSIRO Research Vessel (RV) Investigator. More than 500 eDNA samples were collected and analysed from 91 survey sites along the continental shelf between Tasmania and southern New South Wales. This is the first comprehensive eDNA record for research and comparison in this region of Australia.
Marine and Coastal Hub project 4.23 identified thousands of organisms from the eDNA fragments, and compared the results with those of traditional survey methods including fish trawls, plankton sampling, and deep-towed camera deployments. The project built a comprehensive ecological dataset, advanced sampling and analytical approaches, and provided insight into the application of eDNA sampling in marine conservation and management, including for Australian Marine Parks.
A recent article shows how two SEA-MES voyages provided the opportunity to test and refine environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling for monitoring offshore marine life.
Full article can be found here: Seeing Ocean Life through eDNA
Project report can be found here: Project 4.23 report