Environmental DNA - or eDNA - is, simply put, DNA that can be found in the environment, such as soil, sediment, water, and air. Organisms are constantly shedding parts of themselves - such as dead skin, mucous, or waste - into their surroundings. The DNA in this shed organic matter, along with organismal DNA from microscopic organisms such as protists and bacteria, makes up eDNA. When a sample of water is collected, scientists can analyze the eDNA within it to determine what species are or were recently present in those waters, even if those species are not observed with the naked eye.
The use of eDNA is becoming increasingly popular across the world, including in the Northeast Pacific Ocean region. Approaches to collect and detect eDNA are now providing rapid, accurate, and cost-effective means of identifying marine organisms - from marine mammals to fish, invertebrates, and harmful algal blooms - and are being used to build valuable baselines for marine biodiversity datasets. Despite the growing evidence of eDNA’s effectiveness in answering a wide range of research questions, its application in environmental management is still evolving.
There are many possible applications of eDNA to marine monitoring and management, including Marine Protected Area (MPA) and Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA) monitoring and management; threatened species detection; invasive species detection; and environmental restoration. As marine managers and stewards gain a better understanding of eDNA technology, and as scientists learn more about community needs, this powerful tool will continue to become more effective for environmental management
Whether you’re a marine steward or manager who is new to eDNA or someone already familiar with the technology but eager to learn more, this ‘eDNA primer’ is designed to deepen your understanding of this innovative tool. This resource was developed based on community responses from the Mobilizing eDNA for Management in the Northeast Pacific webinar and workshop, as well as the related Using Environmental DNA for Monitoring and Stewardship in the NE Pacific webinar.
Partners: eDNA Collaborative, Hakai Institute, The Ocean Decade Collaborative Centre for the Northeast Pacific, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), NOAA ‘Omics, and McGill University’s Sunday Lab
