Vertical and horizontal environmental DNA (eDNA) patterns of fish in a shallow and well-mixed North Sea area.

ABSTRACT: The integration of eDNA metabarcoding into monitoring programs provides valuable information about fish community structures. Despite the growing body of evidence supporting the method's effectiveness in distinguishing fine-scale eDNA signals, there is a limited understanding of eDNA distribution in shallow, well-mixed environments, especially related to sampling depth. We analyzed 167 samples collected from the surface and bottom water at 17 locations of the Belgian Part of the North Sea (BPNS), where the deepest sampling point was 31 m, and compared this to beam trawl catch data collected simultaneously at the same locations. eDNA metabarcoding identified an additional 22 species compared to beam trawl catch data. Diversity measures and patterns were very similar between surface and bott

SUBMITTER: Dukan N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11271445 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature