Assessing the Seasonal and Spatial Dynamics of Zooplankton through DNA Metabarcoding in a Temperate Estuary.

ABSTRACT: Zooplankton are key components of estuarine trophic networks. However, routine monitoring is hindered by the difficulty of morphology-based identification. DNA-based methods allow us to circumvent some of these hurdles, providing precise species identifications regardless of the taxonomic expertise of the investigator or the developmental stage of the specimens. However, the process is dependent on the completeness of the reference libraries. In this study, we sought to evaluate the potential of DNA metabarcoding to assess the seasonal (summer, autumn, and early spring) and spatial dynamics of zooplankton (four locations spanning ca. 6 km) in the Lima estuary (NW Portugal). Two genetic markers were used: the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and the V4 hypervariable region of the ribosomal 18

SUBMITTER: Moutinho J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10740712 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature