PROJECT SUMMARY
Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is a valuable tool for the biomonitoring of marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems, as well as providing baseline biodiversity data that supports conservation and management decision-making. Current projects focus on marine fish and invertebrate communities and inventories in the kelp forest, mangrove and other coastal inshore ecosystems in South Africa. In the Okavango Delta and in partnership with the Okavango Wilderness project, optimization of eDNA sampling and analysis protocols for detecting fish communities is conducted. Our projects have direct applicability for monitoring aquatic biodiversity in the face of changing climates.
PROJECT TITLE
Environmental DNA metabarcoding of marine ecosystems for providing baseline biodiversity data under changing climates
PROJECT LEADER
Prof Sophie von der Heyden
AFFILIATION
Department of Botany and Zoology
Ocean Biomolecular Ocean Network (OBON)
LINKS
DURATION
2017 – 2024
