Environmental DNA captures elasmobranch diversity in a temperate marine ecosystem
Abstract Many sharks, skates, and rays (elasmobranchs) are highly threatened by the activities of commercial fisheries, and a clear understanding of their distributions, diversity, and abundance can guide protective measures. However, surveying and monitoring elasmobranch species can be highly invas...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Environmental DNA |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.294 |
| _version_ | 1811265545486467072 |
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| author | Zifang Liu Rupert A. Collins Charles Baillie Sophie Rainbird Rachel Brittain Andrew M. Griffiths David W. Sims Stefano Mariani Martin J. Genner |
| author_facet | Zifang Liu Rupert A. Collins Charles Baillie Sophie Rainbird Rachel Brittain Andrew M. Griffiths David W. Sims Stefano Mariani Martin J. Genner |
| author_sort | Zifang Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Many sharks, skates, and rays (elasmobranchs) are highly threatened by the activities of commercial fisheries, and a clear understanding of their distributions, diversity, and abundance can guide protective measures. However, surveying and monitoring elasmobranch species can be highly invasive or resource‐intensive, and utilization of non‐invasive environmental DNA‐based methods may overcome these problems. Here, we studied spatial and seasonal variation in the elasmobranch community of the Western English Channel using environmental DNA (eDNA) collected from surface and bottom waters periodically over an annual cycle (2017–2018). In total we recovered 13 elasmobranch species within eDNA samples, and the number of transformed eDNA reads was positively associated with species (hourly) catch data resolved from 105‐year time series trawl data (1914–2018). These results demonstrate the ability of eDNA to detect and semi‐quantitatively reflect the prevalence of historically dominant and rare elasmobranch species in this region. Notably, eDNA recorded a greater number of species per sampling event than a conventional trawl survey in the same area over the same sampling years (2017–2018). Several threatened species were recovered within the eDNA, including undulate ray, porbeagle shark, and thresher shark. Using eDNA, we found differences in elasmobranch communities among sampling stations and between seasons, but not between sampling depths. Collectively, our results suggest that non‐invasive eDNA‐based methods can be used to study the spatial and seasonal changes in the diversity and abundance of whole elasmobranch communities within temperate shelf habitats. Given the threatened status of many elasmobranchs in human‐impacted marine environments, eDNA analysis is poised to provide key information on their diversity and distributions to inform conservation‐focused monitoring and management. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T20:24:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0ee57615c7b9408f972298fcda590531 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2637-4943 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T20:24:37Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental DNA |
| spelling | doaj.art-0ee57615c7b9408f972298fcda5905312022-12-22T03:17:53ZengWileyEnvironmental DNA2637-49432022-09-01451024103810.1002/edn3.294Environmental DNA captures elasmobranch diversity in a temperate marine ecosystemZifang Liu0Rupert A. Collins1Charles Baillie2Sophie Rainbird3Rachel Brittain4Andrew M. Griffiths5David W. Sims6Stefano Mariani7Martin J. Genner8School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UKSchool of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UKEcosystems and Environment Research Centre School of Environment & Life Sciences University of Salford Salford UKThe Laboratory Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom Plymouth UKThe Laboratory Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom Plymouth UKDepartment of Biosciences University of Exeter Exeter UKThe Laboratory Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom Plymouth UKEcosystems and Environment Research Centre School of Environment & Life Sciences University of Salford Salford UKSchool of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UKAbstract Many sharks, skates, and rays (elasmobranchs) are highly threatened by the activities of commercial fisheries, and a clear understanding of their distributions, diversity, and abundance can guide protective measures. However, surveying and monitoring elasmobranch species can be highly invasive or resource‐intensive, and utilization of non‐invasive environmental DNA‐based methods may overcome these problems. Here, we studied spatial and seasonal variation in the elasmobranch community of the Western English Channel using environmental DNA (eDNA) collected from surface and bottom waters periodically over an annual cycle (2017–2018). In total we recovered 13 elasmobranch species within eDNA samples, and the number of transformed eDNA reads was positively associated with species (hourly) catch data resolved from 105‐year time series trawl data (1914–2018). These results demonstrate the ability of eDNA to detect and semi‐quantitatively reflect the prevalence of historically dominant and rare elasmobranch species in this region. Notably, eDNA recorded a greater number of species per sampling event than a conventional trawl survey in the same area over the same sampling years (2017–2018). Several threatened species were recovered within the eDNA, including undulate ray, porbeagle shark, and thresher shark. Using eDNA, we found differences in elasmobranch communities among sampling stations and between seasons, but not between sampling depths. Collectively, our results suggest that non‐invasive eDNA‐based methods can be used to study the spatial and seasonal changes in the diversity and abundance of whole elasmobranch communities within temperate shelf habitats. Given the threatened status of many elasmobranchs in human‐impacted marine environments, eDNA analysis is poised to provide key information on their diversity and distributions to inform conservation‐focused monitoring and management.https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.294biodiversity assessmentchondrichthyesDNA metabarcodingmarine monitoringNortheast Atlantic |
| spellingShingle | Zifang Liu Rupert A. Collins Charles Baillie Sophie Rainbird Rachel Brittain Andrew M. Griffiths David W. Sims Stefano Mariani Martin J. Genner Environmental DNA captures elasmobranch diversity in a temperate marine ecosystem Environmental DNA biodiversity assessment chondrichthyes DNA metabarcoding marine monitoring Northeast Atlantic |
| title | Environmental DNA captures elasmobranch diversity in a temperate marine ecosystem |
| title_full | Environmental DNA captures elasmobranch diversity in a temperate marine ecosystem |
| title_fullStr | Environmental DNA captures elasmobranch diversity in a temperate marine ecosystem |
| title_full_unstemmed | Environmental DNA captures elasmobranch diversity in a temperate marine ecosystem |
| title_short | Environmental DNA captures elasmobranch diversity in a temperate marine ecosystem |
| title_sort | environmental dna captures elasmobranch diversity in a temperate marine ecosystem |
| topic | biodiversity assessment chondrichthyes DNA metabarcoding marine monitoring Northeast Atlantic |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.294 |
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