Monitoring biodiversity

Why eDNA?

Mapping through water and soil samples

Effective and non-lethal

eDNA is a powerful tool for monitoring and mapping biodiversity. Analysis of eDNA can be used for a variety of purposes, such as monitoring entire communities of species, presence of invasive species, tracking distribution of rare or endangered species, and assessing health of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. By collecting water, sediment or soil samples, and performing molecular eDNA-analyses the species present in a given ecosystem can be determined. This can provide a more comprehensive picture of the biodiversity than traditional methods offer. The eDNA results provide a good basis for assessments of environmental status in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

Identification of species through environmental genetic analysis

Environmental DNA, or eDNA for short, refers to genetic material that all living organisms leave in their surrounding environment by shedding cells via sweat, excretions, breathing and tissue. This genetic material can be collected from a variety of sources, such as soil, sediment, water, or air, and be used to identify the presence or absence of species in that environment. eDNA analysis has become an increasingly popular tool in ecology and conservation biology for monitoring biodiversity.

The benefits of eDNA

Practical applications

Map biodiversity and monitor environmental status in complex ecosystems.
Detect rare and elusive species, as well as invasive species.
Evaluate anthropogenic impacts, such as migration barriers, pollution and infrastructure.
Evaluate effects of conservational mitigations.
Identify reproduction periods for several species with a single analysis.
Provide knowledge based “big” data for authorities, organizations and industry for decisions in permit-related matters.