Making eDNA biodiversity records FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable)

Dr Oliver Berry¹, Dr Simon Jarman², Dr Andrew Bissett³, Michael Hope⁴, Corinna Paeper⁴, Cindy Bessey⁵, Michael Schwartz⁶, Josh Hale⁷, Michael Bunce⁸

¹CSIRO Environomics Future Science Platform, Crawley, Australia, ²The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia, ³CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Hobart, Australia, ⁴The Atlas of Living Australia, Black Mountain, Australia, ⁵CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Crawley, Australia, ⁶US National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation, Missoula, USA, ⁷Jacobs, Melbourne, Australia, ⁸New Zealand Environmental Protection Authority, Wellington, New Zealand

Abstract:

Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding, where specific DNA markers (barcodes) are purified from the environment, sequenced, and used to identify organisms, is revolutionizing biodiversity science. Researchers, industry, and governments are increasingly incorporating eDNA surveys into their toolkits for biomonitoring because of their high accuracy, taxonomically holistic lens, and ease of deployment. Yet, the full value of this rich and revolutionary technique is not being realized because eDNA data are rarely maintained in consistent formats or on open platforms that facilitate easy re-use or integration with other data layers. In this presentation we discuss opportunities to improve the accessibility and “FAIRness” of eDNA records with the aim to maximize the value of this remarkable source of information on environmental state and change.

Biography:

Olly Berry is the director of CSIRO’s Environomics Future Science Platform. This is a research and development program dedicated to inventing new ways to use genomics to conduct environmental science and management.