Genetic tool could improve monitoring of marine protected areas (3 minute read)
Environmental DNA, or eDNA, is DNA that is released by organisms into their environments. eDNA technology has advanced rapidly in the last decade, making it a competitive tool for assessing ecosystem biodiversity. Before eDNA, the only way to tell if marine protected areas were working was for scuba divers to count and identify every fish they saw. eDNA can survey the same species as visual surveys and can reveal additional species that were missed by visual surveys. The method is less expensive than completing visual surveys, with a sample costing around $50. eDNA can't reveal the sex, size, abundance, or behavior of the fish being studied, so visual surveys will still be required.