Estuarine molecular bycatch as a landscape-wide biomonitoring tool

S Mariani; L R Harper; R A Collins; C Baillie; O S Wangensteen; A D McDevitt; M Heddell-Cowie; M J Genner

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109287

Estuarine molecular bycatch as a landscape-wide biomonitoring tool

S Mariani, L R Harper, R A Collins, C Baillie, O S Wangensteen, A D McDevitt, M Heddell-Cowie, M J Genner

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

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Abstract

Environmental DNA analysis is rapidly transforming biodiversity monitoring and bolstering conservation applications worldwide. This approach has been assisted by the development of metabarcoding PCR primers that are suited for detection of a wide range of taxa. However, little effort has gone into exploring the value of the non-target DNA sequences that are generated in every survey, but subsequently discarded. Here we demonstrate that fish-targeted markers widely employed in aquatic biomonitoring can also detect birds and mammals present in the surrounding habitats. We showcase this feature in three temperate estuaries over multiple seasons, where dozens of bird and mammal species offer valuable insights into spatial and temporal faunal variation. Our results indicate that existing metabarcode sequence data sets are suitable for mining and exploration of this ‘molecular by-catch’, and that future eDNA-based surveys can be designed to accommodate this enhanced property of this widely applicable tool.

Original language	English
Article number	109287
Number of pages	8
Journal	Biological Conservation
Volume	261
Early online date	13 Aug 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109287
Publication status	Published - 1 Sept 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This study was supported by ‘SeaDNA’ grants NE/N005759/1 and NE/N005937/1 , from the UK Natural Environment Research Council , to SM and MG. We thank Ana Soto, Naiara Sales, Riccardo Lollobrigidi, Hanna Westoby, Barry Byatt and other Environmental Agency staff for sampling support, and the Percie Journal Club members for offering constructive criticism on an earlier draft of the manuscript.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021

Keywords

biomonitoring
birds
coastal
conservation
environmental DNA
estuaries
mammals
metabarcoding

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This is the author accepted manuscript (AAM). The final published version (version of record) is available online via Elsevier at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320721003396 . Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.
Accepted author manuscript, 1.41 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

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abstract = "Environmental DNA analysis is rapidly transforming biodiversity monitoring and bolstering conservation applications worldwide. This approach has been assisted by the development of metabarcoding PCR primers that are suited for detection of a wide range of taxa. However, little effort has gone into exploring the value of the non-target DNA sequences that are generated in every survey, but subsequently discarded. Here we demonstrate that fish-targeted markers widely employed in aquatic biomonitoring can also detect birds and mammals present in the surrounding habitats. We showcase this feature in three temperate estuaries over multiple seasons, where dozens of bird and mammal species offer valuable insights into spatial and temporal faunal variation. Our results indicate that existing metabarcode sequence data sets are suitable for mining and exploration of this {\textquoteleft}molecular by-catch{\textquoteright}, and that future eDNA-based surveys can be designed to accommodate this enhanced property of this widely applicable tool.",

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note = "Funding Information: This study was supported by {\textquoteleft}SeaDNA{\textquoteright} grants NE/N005759/1 and NE/N005937/1 , from the UK Natural Environment Research Council , to SM and MG. We thank Ana Soto, Naiara Sales, Riccardo Lollobrigidi, Hanna Westoby, Barry Byatt and other Environmental Agency staff for sampling support, and the Percie Journal Club members for offering constructive criticism on an earlier draft of the manuscript. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021",

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AU - Mariani, S

AU - Harper, L R

AU - Collins, R A

AU - Baillie, C

AU - Wangensteen, O S

AU - McDevitt, A D

AU - Heddell-Cowie, M

AU - Genner, M J

N1 - Funding Information: This study was supported by ‘SeaDNA’ grants NE/N005759/1 and NE/N005937/1 , from the UK Natural Environment Research Council , to SM and MG. We thank Ana Soto, Naiara Sales, Riccardo Lollobrigidi, Hanna Westoby, Barry Byatt and other Environmental Agency staff for sampling support, and the Percie Journal Club members for offering constructive criticism on an earlier draft of the manuscript. Publisher Copyright: © 2021

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N2 - Environmental DNA analysis is rapidly transforming biodiversity monitoring and bolstering conservation applications worldwide. This approach has been assisted by the development of metabarcoding PCR primers that are suited for detection of a wide range of taxa. However, little effort has gone into exploring the value of the non-target DNA sequences that are generated in every survey, but subsequently discarded. Here we demonstrate that fish-targeted markers widely employed in aquatic biomonitoring can also detect birds and mammals present in the surrounding habitats. We showcase this feature in three temperate estuaries over multiple seasons, where dozens of bird and mammal species offer valuable insights into spatial and temporal faunal variation. Our results indicate that existing metabarcode sequence data sets are suitable for mining and exploration of this ‘molecular by-catch’, and that future eDNA-based surveys can be designed to accommodate this enhanced property of this widely applicable tool.

AB - Environmental DNA analysis is rapidly transforming biodiversity monitoring and bolstering conservation applications worldwide. This approach has been assisted by the development of metabarcoding PCR primers that are suited for detection of a wide range of taxa. However, little effort has gone into exploring the value of the non-target DNA sequences that are generated in every survey, but subsequently discarded. Here we demonstrate that fish-targeted markers widely employed in aquatic biomonitoring can also detect birds and mammals present in the surrounding habitats. We showcase this feature in three temperate estuaries over multiple seasons, where dozens of bird and mammal species offer valuable insights into spatial and temporal faunal variation. Our results indicate that existing metabarcode sequence data sets are suitable for mining and exploration of this ‘molecular by-catch’, and that future eDNA-based surveys can be designed to accommodate this enhanced property of this widely applicable tool.

KW - biomonitoring

KW - birds

KW - coastal

KW - conservation

KW - environmental DNA

KW - estuaries

KW - mammals

KW - metabarcoding

U2 - 10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109287

DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109287

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

SN - 0006-3207

VL - 261

JO - Biological Conservation

JF - Biological Conservation

M1 - 109287

ER -

Estuarine molecular bycatch as a landscape-wide biomonitoring tool

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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