The effectiveness of eDNA as a monitoring tool for infauna present in the intertidal zone of a sub-tropical coastal habitat in Western Australia

Mr Harrison Carmody¹, Mr Shane Herbert², Dr Kat Dawkins²

¹BMT Commercial Australia, Brisbane, Australia, ²Curtin University, Bentley, Australia

Abstract:

The use of environmental DNA (eDNA) as a monitoring tool for sampling infauna biodiversity is growing significantly. Traditionally, monitoring for infauna requires taxonomic analysis whereby individual specimens are characterised by an expert. The accuracy of the analyses relies on the expert’s ability to differentiate individual specimens. Alternatively, eDNA can characterise specimens with greater certainty of a positive identification. eDNA is also useful for monitoring biodiversity considering the broad variety of taxa which can be detected from a single sample and its ability to detect cryptic taxa which are often not detected with traditional methods. As such, there is significant interest from industry in eDNA’s use as a tool for baseline monitoring.

However, several unknowns including how eDNA performs in comparison with taxonomic analyses; what assays are necessary; as well as which methods are suited to sampling infauna using eDNA analyses. Further, there is limited knowledge as to how eDNA performs in an intertidal environment where sediment exposure varies with tidal phase, which may impact DNA decay rates. Before eDNA can be used as a tool for sampling infauna biodiversity, these questions must be answered. In this study, sediment samples have been collected from the intertidal region of two locations from a sub-tropical coastal habitat in Western Australia and analysed using taxonomic and eDNA approaches. The results of this study will be used to inform industry as to the most appropriate sampling and analysis approaches for monitoring infauna biodiversity.

NOTE: abstract currently under review from collaborators, more specifics to be added

Biography:

Biography to come