Link til projekter:

1. eDNA in environmental monitoring: (finalized). link to report http://dce.au.dk/udgivelser/tr/nr-100-149/abstracts/no-133-edna-in-environmental-monitoring/
2. GEANS: https://northsearegion.eu/geans/.

AU tasks: Comparison of sediment eDNA with traditional species abundance data during soft-sediment MSFD monitoring in the Danish North Sea.

It is a challenge that traditional zoo-benthos haps core-sampling in the soft-bottom sediment of the Danish North Sea typically covers in the order of about 10^-10 of the habitat of interest. Thus rare species are seldom included or they are poorly quantified. Within this case study, eDNA-based methods will be will be compared with the traditional zoo-benthos haps core-sampling of soft sediment by sampling intact sediment cores of ca 7 cm with a diameter of ca 2 cm were sampled on deck from the haps core-sampler. The samples were immediately stored at -20°C.

Using eDNA metabarcoding with universal eukaryote primers Molecular – Operational Taxonomic Units (M-OTUs) will be determined. Using bioinformatics analyses, these data enable us to:

• Compare small-scale (between samples) patterns of selected infauna species as obtained from eDNA and sampling of live specimens.
• Compare large-scale (basin-wise) distribution pattern of selected infauna species as obtained from eDNA and live specimens
• Explore causes of observed mismatch between live specimens and their eDNA footprint in marine offshore sediments
• Establish proxies (e.g. M-OTU) for benthic biodiversity measures

More than 200 sediment samples were collected from Danish stations during April 23-25 2019.

Photo showing stations sampled (red circle) in the Danish North Sea Region

   3. DNAquaNet COST Action CA15219 https://dnaqua.net/  

   4. Strategic Growth Area environmental DNA (http://envs.au.dk/forskning/strategic-growth-    areas/sga-dna/ )