Applications of environmental DNA monitoring for seaweed reproductive phenology: A case study with giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera).

ABSTRACT: Monitoring the seasonal reproductive cycles of seaweeds is crucial for effective population and ecosystem management, as well as mariculture seedstock collection. Traditional methods, such as visual monitoring by SCUBA diving or snorkeling, are costly, labor-intensive, and limited in temporal and spatial coverage. This study explores substituting these methods with environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques for giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera, order Laminariales). This laboratory study aimed to determine the minimum detectable concentration of zoospores and sporophyte tissue needed for detecting the reproductive phenology of M. pyrifera and to assess the ability and sensitivity to discriminate between life stages. The study involved syringe-filtering seawater samples through 0.45-μm pore-size fi

SUBMITTER: Ward MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12044407 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature