Trial Lecture
Title: eDNA transport dynamics in natural environments
Time and place: Sep. 20, 2024, 10:15 AM, Tøyen Hovedgård
Public Defence
Adjudication Committee
- Assistant Professor, Mathew Seymour, University of Hong Kong
- Researcher, Dr. Elianne Egge, The Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA)
- Associate Professor, Siri Birkeland, Natural History Museum, University of Oslo
Chair of the Defence
- Professor Lee Hsiang Liow, Natural History Museum, University of Oslo
Supervisors
- Research Director and Professor, Hugo de Boer, Natural History Museum, University of Oslo
- Researcher, Dr. Quentin Mauvisseau, Natural History Museum, University of Oslo
- Associate Professor, Jonathan Stuart Ready, Federal University of Pará
Summary
The rapid decline in biodiversity requires innovative approaches to protect aquatic life. New and effective methods are needed to track and assess the health of aquatic species populations. Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is a rapidly evolving tool with potential for revolutionizing biodiversity assessment and monitoring. By extracting and analyzing genetic material shed by organisms into their environment, eDNA can give invaluable insights into species presence, abundance, and distribution without the need of invasive sampling methods.
By integrating three key papers, the thesis demonstrated the power of this non-invasive technique to detect a wide range of taxa, from fish to invertebrates in diverse aquatic habitats. The first paper explored the combined use of eDNA and traditional methods in a freshwater ecosystem. The second paper focused on the application of eDNA in a complex marine environment, highlighting its potential for tracking seasonal changes in fish communities. The third paper investigated the utility of eDNA for studying multiple taxonomic groups in a tropical ecosystem.
Through these studies, the thesis contributes to the advancement of eDNA as a valuable tool for biodiversity conservation and management and draws attention to the necessity of development of robust reference databases, standardized protocols, and advanced bioinformatics tools to the successful application of eDNA.
Contact