Flanders supports innovative Unesco marine biodiversity project using eDNA
Flanders has played a pivotal role in a groundbreaking Unesco project that uses environmental DNA (eDNA) to map marine biodiversity in World Heritage sites.
This global initiative was made possible through Flemish funding and expertise, notably from the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) and KU Leuven. The project’s results were presented on Tuesday in Paris.
Environmental DNA is the genetic material shed by organisms in the water column. By collecting samples of mucus, faeces or tissue particles, scientists can process eDNA to make new discoveries about marine life. The eDNA project employs this non-invasive technique that identifies genetic traces in water to monitor marine biodiversity.
From just 400 water samples collected across 21 Unesco marine World Heritage sites- including the Great Barrier Reef, the Galapagos Islands and the Wadden Sea- nearly 4,500 marine species were identified, including endangered and invasive species.
800 species identified
The samples were processed in Flanders, where KU Leuven carried out genetic sequencing, and VLIZ analysed the data, matching it to global reference databases.
In New Caledonia’s lagoons, more than 800 species were identified, half of which were fish. Rare species were also detected, such as the Commodore dolphin in the remote waters around the Kerguelen archipelago. Recognised as a subspecies in 2007, this black-and-white dolphin is found only in this isolated region, making its identification a major success for the project.
"The statistical analysis performed by VLIZ highlights the benefits that eDNA offers for non-invasive monitoring of species on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature,” said Pascal Hablützel of VLIZ.
"This eDNA project perfectly reflects the ambitions of our Flemish government in the field of multilateral partnerships: focusing on groundbreaking technologies that contribute to a sustainable future," said Flemish minister president Matthias Diependaele.
Flanders’ contribution to the three-year project aligns with the “30x30 target” of the Kunming-Montreal biodiversity agreement, which aims to protect 30 per cent of the world’s oceans by 2030.
Unesco is hoping other nations will adopt the technology to expand marine biodiversity monitoring around the world. The project leaders, Flemish experts Fanny Douvere and Ward Appeltans, hope it inspires further multilateral collaborations.
#FlandersNewsService | © PHOTO DAVID COSTA / AFP
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