Seeing through sedimented waters: environmental DNA reduces the phantom diversity of sharks and rays in turbid marine habitats.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Sharks and rays are some of the most threatened marine taxa due to the high levels of bycatch and significant demand for meat and fin-related products in many Asian communities. At least 25% of shark and ray species are considered to be threatened with extinction. In particular, the density of reef sharks in the Pacific has declined to 3-10% of pre-human levels. Elasmobranchs are thought to be sparse in highly urbanised and turbid environments. Low visibility coupled with the highly elusive behaviour of sharks and rays pose a challenge to diversity estimation and biomonitoring efforts as sightings are limited to chance encounters or from carcasses ensnared in nets. Here we utilised an eDNA metabarcoding approach to enhance the precision of elasmobranch diversity estimate

SUBMITTER: Ip YCA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8422768 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature