NESP MaC Project 4.23 - Environmental DNA for measuring offshore marine biodiversity: what can DNA in water collected from the RV Investigator tell us?, 2024-2025 (CSIRO)

Research Project

Researchers: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), Australian Government (Output of, Part of) ,  Emma Flukes (Point of contact) ,  Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) (Associated with)

Full description This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub Research Plan 2024 project "Environmental DNA for measuring offshore marine biodiversity: what can DNA in water collected from the RV Investigator tell us?". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata.
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Environmental DNA (eDNA) in seawater provides a non-extractive way to characterise marine biodiversity from genetic material shed by organisms, from microbes and plankton to invertebrates and fishes. It is an emerging tool for marine ecosystem monitoring, particularly in offshore areas where conventional sampling can be difficult, costly or environmentally disruptive.

This project collected and analysed more than 500 eDNA samples from 91 sites during the South-east Australian Marine Ecosystem Survey (SEA-MES) on RV Investigator. Samples were collected along the continental shelf between Tasmania and southern New South Wales, including sites within the South-east Marine Parks Network, providing the first comprehensive eDNA baseline for this region.

The project tested active eDNA sampling from CTD water samples and passive eDNA sampling from a deep-towed camera system. DNA metabarcoding and Tree of Life metabarcoding were used to identify biodiversity patterns across the water column and near the seafloor. Results were compared with conventional survey methods, including fish trawls, plankton sampling and deep-towed camera deployments, to assess how eDNA complements existing monitoring approaches.

The dataset revealed clear biodiversity patterns by depth, latitude, and water-column position, including higher fish diversity near the seafloor than at the surface. Comparisons with trawl and plankton data showed that eDNA provided complementary biodiversity information, supporting its use alongside existing survey methods and highlighting its value as part of integrated monitoring programs. The outputs provide a new biodiversity baseline for south-eastern Australian waters, and practical guidance on future application of eDNA techniques for offshore monitoring of marine parks and fisheries.

Outputs
• eDNA sequences with associated collection metadata (x2 voyages x50 sites) [dataset]
• Final project report [written]

Lineage Maintenance and Update Frequency: asNeeded

Notes Credit
This project is funded by the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, the Environment, Energy & Water (DCCEEW) through the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub. In addition to NESP (DCCEEW) funding, this project is matched by an equivalent amount of in-kind support and co-investment from project partners and collaborators.

Notes Purpose
To map the Australian distribution and core areas of use for pygmy blue whales, identify overlaps with proposed ORE developments, and assess the cumulative impacts of ORE and other anthropogenic activities as a potential impact score for this species.

Data time period: 2024-03-01 to 2025-02-10

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