NOAA 'Omics Seminar Series: eDNA-Dominant Marine Fish Species Characterize Coastal Habitats

Date: February 28, 2024
Title: eDNA-Dominant Marine Fish Species Characterize Coastal Habitats: an eDNA-Based Classifier Approach to Aid Marine Biogeography and Ocean Monitoring
Presenter: Mark Stoeckle & Jesse Ausubel
Abstract: A small minority of species typically account for the great majority of individuals or biomass. Here we characterize marine coastal habitats based on abundance of marine fish environmental DNA. We designate the ten most eDNA-abundant fish species in each habitat as eDNA-dominant species. eDNA-dominant species are similar within but differ among habitats and seasons and accord with abundance by traditional survey methods. “Classifiers” based on eDNA-dominant fish species could help map marine fish habitats and monitor changing oceans. Advantages include relatively low sampling requirements, a single technology applicable to diverse habitats, and ease of application to multiple datasets.