Small Water Samples Can Find Really Big Animals
Published:07 Mar.2022 Source:Wildlife Conservation Society
A team of scientists used an emerging genetic tool that analyzes DNA in water samples to detect whales and dolphins in New York waters. Called environmental DNA or eDNA, the technique searches for trace amounts of genetic material left behind by wildlife. The scientists, from California State University, CUNY, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and Columbia University, published their results in the journal Frontiers.
The scientists say that eDNA can be used to complement other methods to locate whales and dolphins such as visual observations and acoustic monitoring, and their eDNA detections are some of the most promising to date for detecting whales and dolphins from seawater in the open ocean.