Unlocking rivers' hidden diversity and ecological status using DNA metabarcoding in Northwest Spain.

ABSTRACT: Rivers are crucial ecosystems supporting biodiversity and human well-being, yet they face increasing degradation globally. Traditional river biomonitoring methods based on morphological identification of macroinvertebrates present challenges in terms of taxonomic resolution and scalability. This study explores the application of DNA metabarcoding analysis in both bulk and environmental DNA (eDNA) samples for comprehensive assessment of macrozoobenthic biodiversity, detection of invasive and endangered species, and evaluation of river ecological status in northwestern Spain. DNA metabarcoding of homogenized bulk samples and water eDNA revealed a mean of 100 and 87 macrozoobenthos species per sample respectively. However, the specific composition was significantly different with only 27.3% o

SUBMITTER: Fueyo A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11294579 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature