(Press release) Morigenos begins eDNA data collection in the project SeaInsights
Morigenos is excited to announce the beginning of our eDNA sampling in the northern Adriatic Sea within our project SeaInsights, financed by the European Union as part of the Program VI-A Italy-Slovenia. This is a collaborative effort among Slovenian and Italian partners aimed to test innovative ways to monitor and conserve marine biodiversity. This project focuses on sampling seawater to collect environmental DNA (eDNA), allowing researchers to assess the health and diversity of marine ecosystems.
With the alarming decline of marine species and habitats, it has become crucial to implement effective monitoring techniques that can provide real-time data on biodiversity. Project SeaInsights employs cutting-edge eDNA technology, which captures genetic material shed by organisms in the water, enabling scientists to identify and track various marine species without the need for invasive sampling methods, and even without the need to see them. We are specifically targeting crustaceans, fish, and marine mammals.
Over the next year, Morigenos will be sampling a substantial area of the Gulf of Trieste in collaboration with their Italian partners, Shoreline. Other key areas in the North Adriatic are being sampled by their partners APS Dolphin Biology and Conservation, long-term collaborators of Morigenos. Genetic and bioinformatic analyses will be carried out by the project partner DivjaLabs. The data collected will not only help in monitoring the targeted species diversity but will also be the basis for the drafting of guidelines for applying eDNA sampling and analysis to the monitoring of marine biodiversity.
As the project progresses, Morigenos will keep the public informed through updates on findings, upcoming events, and opportunities for community engagement. We invite everyone to follow the journey with this project and all our future endeavors to protect our marine ecosystems.
For more information about our project and how you can support our efforts, browse our website https://www.ita-slo.eu/en/seainsights or contact us at pr@morigenos.org.
