Contact
Davíð Gíslason
Project Manager
davidg@matis.is
Biodiversity is under attack in the ocean, but it is believed that the diversity is declining fast and faster than before in the history of the ocean. The distribution and migration patterns of many marine species have been shown to change due to global warming. The climate has also changed ecosystems so that many species have disappeared, but such a loss of species is no doubt underestimated as only a small fraction of species in the deep sea and in the Arctic are known. Species that live in the ocean are mostly hidden from our view, so it is more difficult to find and estimate their number.
Monitoring biodiversity and the distribution of marine species is difficult, costly and time consuming. Such research requires specialized research vessels and equipment as well as trained crews.
New tools in conservation biology use environmental eDNA to assess biodiversity. This technology helps to address some of the shortcomings of other methods and offers a quick and inexpensive way to assess marine biodiversity. The origin of eDNA in the ocean is various, but usually the DNA comes from organisms from skin cells, mucus, eggs, eggs or faeces. Seawater is collected at different depths in the areas under study and the sea is then filtered. The filter contains DNA from organisms that can be analyzed by sequencing technology. Biodiversity monitoring with environmental DNA has many advantages over other methods and the method has proven successful in assessing biodiversity in many ecosystems.
The aim of this project is to hold a conference with key experts in Europe and beyond on technology, opportunities and shortcomings in eDNA research. Research projects where eDNA has been used in ecological research will also be presented.
The conference will be held in the meeting room of the Marine Research Institute from 2 to 3 October 2019 and will be open to everyone. The conference website will be launched soon. There you will find a program along with various information about eDNA and there you will also be able to register for the conference.
The project is led by Davíð Gíslason at Matís and Christopher Pampoulie at the Marine Research Institute. The project is funded by Ag-fisk, the Nordic Council of Ministers' Working Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture.