New report on Genetic methods in environmental monitoring

[2022-08-21] Monitoring marine hard bottom habitats with autonomous techniques in combination with DNA-based species identification has proven to be an efficient surveillance method for biodiversity and for detection of non-indigenous species. SeAnalytics AB has, on behalf of the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM)...

...and in collaboration with the University of Gothenburg, carried out two pilot studies to investigate whether plankton samples and settling panels in combination with DNA-based species identification is an effective method for early detection and continuous monitoring of non-indigenous species (NIS). The surveys were conducted during the winter, spring and summer of 2020 at various locations along the Swedish west coast, from the fjord Brofjorden in the north to Helsingborg in the south. The tested methods perform well both for early detection of unknown NIS as well as for regular monitoring of already known NIS.

Here is the link to the report