Environmental DNA (eDNA) for monitoring marine mammals: Challenges and opportunities
Monitoring marine mammal populations is essential to permit assessment of population status as required by both national and international legislation. Traditional monitoring methods often rely on visual and/or acoustic detections from vessels and aircraft, but limitations including cost, errors in...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.987774/full |
| _version_ | 1798000558584365056 |
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| author | Paula Suarez-Bregua Miguel Álvarez-González Kim M. Parsons Josep Rotllant Graham J. Pierce Camilo Saavedra |
| author_facet | Paula Suarez-Bregua Miguel Álvarez-González Kim M. Parsons Josep Rotllant Graham J. Pierce Camilo Saavedra |
| author_sort | Paula Suarez-Bregua |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Monitoring marine mammal populations is essential to permit assessment of population status as required by both national and international legislation. Traditional monitoring methods often rely on visual and/or acoustic detections from vessels and aircraft, but limitations including cost, errors in the detection of some species and dependence on taxonomic expertise, as well as good weather and visibility conditions often limit the temporal and spatial scale of effective, long-term monitoring programs. In recent years, environmental DNA (eDNA) has emerged as a revolutionary tool for cost-effective, sensitive, non-invasive species monitoring in both terrestrial and aquatic realms. eDNA is a rapidly developing field and a growing number of studies have successfully implemented this approach for the detection and identification of marine mammals. Here, we review 21 studies published between 2012 and 2021 that employed eDNA for marine mammal monitoring including single species detection, biodiversity assessment and genetic characterization. eDNA has successfully been used to infer species presence (especially useful for rare, elusive or threatened species) and to characterize the population genetic structure, although additional research is needed to support the interpretation of non-detections. Finally, we discuss the challenges and the opportunities that eDNA could bring to marine mammal monitoring as a complementary tool to support visual and acoustic methods. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T11:22:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fdf5f04a86794062bb0ce38be76ef169 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T11:22:14Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-fdf5f04a86794062bb0ce38be76ef1692022-12-22T04:26:59ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452022-09-01910.3389/fmars.2022.987774987774Environmental DNA (eDNA) for monitoring marine mammals: Challenges and opportunitiesPaula Suarez-Bregua0Miguel Álvarez-González1Kim M. Parsons2Josep Rotllant3Graham J. Pierce4Camilo Saavedra5Institute of Marine Research, Spanish National Research Council (IIM-CSIC), Vigo, SpainCentro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO-CSIC), Vigo, SpainNorthwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA), Seattle, WA, United StatesInstitute of Marine Research, Spanish National Research Council (IIM-CSIC), Vigo, SpainInstitute of Marine Research, Spanish National Research Council (IIM-CSIC), Vigo, SpainCentro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO-CSIC), Vigo, SpainMonitoring marine mammal populations is essential to permit assessment of population status as required by both national and international legislation. Traditional monitoring methods often rely on visual and/or acoustic detections from vessels and aircraft, but limitations including cost, errors in the detection of some species and dependence on taxonomic expertise, as well as good weather and visibility conditions often limit the temporal and spatial scale of effective, long-term monitoring programs. In recent years, environmental DNA (eDNA) has emerged as a revolutionary tool for cost-effective, sensitive, non-invasive species monitoring in both terrestrial and aquatic realms. eDNA is a rapidly developing field and a growing number of studies have successfully implemented this approach for the detection and identification of marine mammals. Here, we review 21 studies published between 2012 and 2021 that employed eDNA for marine mammal monitoring including single species detection, biodiversity assessment and genetic characterization. eDNA has successfully been used to infer species presence (especially useful for rare, elusive or threatened species) and to characterize the population genetic structure, although additional research is needed to support the interpretation of non-detections. Finally, we discuss the challenges and the opportunities that eDNA could bring to marine mammal monitoring as a complementary tool to support visual and acoustic methods.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.987774/fullenvironmental DNAeDNAmarine mammalsmonitoringassessmentconservation |
| spellingShingle | Paula Suarez-Bregua Miguel Álvarez-González Kim M. Parsons Josep Rotllant Graham J. Pierce Camilo Saavedra Environmental DNA (eDNA) for monitoring marine mammals: Challenges and opportunities Frontiers in Marine Science environmental DNA eDNA marine mammals monitoring assessment conservation |
| title | Environmental DNA (eDNA) for monitoring marine mammals: Challenges and opportunities |
| title_full | Environmental DNA (eDNA) for monitoring marine mammals: Challenges and opportunities |
| title_fullStr | Environmental DNA (eDNA) for monitoring marine mammals: Challenges and opportunities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Environmental DNA (eDNA) for monitoring marine mammals: Challenges and opportunities |
| title_short | Environmental DNA (eDNA) for monitoring marine mammals: Challenges and opportunities |
| title_sort | environmental dna edna for monitoring marine mammals challenges and opportunities |
| topic | environmental DNA eDNA marine mammals monitoring assessment conservation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.987774/full |
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