Applications of environmental DNA in the Northsea as a non-invasive monitoring tool
This projects aims to map biodiversity in the North Sea and its adjacent estuaries by means of an innovative and non-invasive method based on biomonitoring of DNA. The fundamental aim of the project is to develop and optimize the environmental DNA (eDNA) method. Initially we will focus on some key fish species: e.g. cod (Gadus morhua), eel (Anguilla anguilla) and plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) because of their economic importance, their role as bio-indicator or because they are listed as threatened species. In the second phase we want to monitor the macrobenthos and different species of jellyfish. To detect these we will develop and validate our own primers. Besides its use for biodiversity research we want to use the eDNA method as an ecotoxicology tool. Simultaneously with the sampling of eDNA we will take samples of important environmental variables (e.g. nutrients, pollutants, …). Coupling the biology with the physico-chemical data will allow us to investigate the effect of anthropogenic stressors on the abundance and distribution of marine species. To this end we will make use of habitat suitability models coupled to water quality models. Finally we want to demonstrate and communicate the importance of this new monitoring method to policy makers, fisheries and other stakeholders.