A new Environmental DNA (eDNA) sub-Facility has been established, expanding IMOS’ capability to monitor marine biodiversity across Australia’s coastal and sub-Antarctic waters.
All organisms leave traces of DNA in their environment, in seawater, sediments, or even the air. Analysing this environmental DNA (eDNA) through a process called metabarcoding allows researchers to identify multicellular organisms and is revolutionising biodiversity and biosecurity monitoring.
The new IMOS Environmental DNA sub-Facility builds on water sampling already taking place through the IMOS Marine Microbiome Initiative, extending those collections to include larger marine life such as invertebrates and fish.
Samples collected from IMOS National Reference Stations and the Southern Ocean Time Series mooring will be analysed using advanced genetic techniques to map biodiversity patterns and track changes in marine ecosystems over time.
“Understanding biodiversity is critical to defining changes in ocean communities and ecosystems as well as underpinning sustainable use and management. Expanding IMOS to include eDNA sampling will provide sustained biodiversity observing to help meet current and future needs to understand ecosystem state and trends.”
Michelle Heupel, IMOS Executive Director
Sahan Jayasinghe, phytoplankton biologist. Photo credit Margaret Miller.
Environmental DNA provides an efficient, non-invasive way to assess biodiversity and detect shifts in marine communities, offering valuable insights for research, management, and biosecurity. The data generated will help inform national priorities in biodiversity conservation and ocean health.
The eDNA sub-Facility forms part of the IMOS Biomolecular Observing Facility, which brings together the Marine Microbiome Initiative (that IMOS operates with our partner Bioplatforms Australia as part of the Australian Microbiome Initiative), Microbial Coastal Sampling, and Bioinformatics. Collectively, these sub-Facilities provide an integrated view of life in the ocean through the analysis of biological molecules in seawater.
By combining genetic information from microbes and multicellular organisms, the Biomolecular Observing Facility is building a long-term record of marine biodiversity and ecosystem function. These data are helping researchers understand how ocean life is changing over time, supporting evidence-based decision making in Australia’s waters.