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Writer's pictureKat Hickey

Marine eDNA Biodiversity Report on Oceanite from Nature Metrics

Aquatic Invertebrates & Fish Metabarcoding Results

IntelliReefs Canadian Kelp Site

 

"Reef Life Foundation Creates Biodiversity Highways"

Nature Metrics DNA-based monitoring
eDNA technology – transforming how we measure nature

"All life – from bacteria to blue whales – leaves tiny traces of DNA in its environment. eDNA technology allows us to collect samples of these fragments to reveal a complete picture of the biodiversity of that ecosystem."

"Nature performance monitoring and eDNA technology enable us to translate the complexity of biodiversity into crucial metrics that describe the ecological health, function, components and traits of the different forms of life within an ecosystem"

 

IntelliReefs Study Site Location: Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada

Dominion Diving, COVE Ocean

Links to partner websites: https://coveocean.com/

 

AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES (MARINE eDNA) Metabarcoding RESULTS


OVERVIEW OF YOUR RESULTS

● A total of 22 taxa were detected.

● OTUs (operational taxonomic units) were detected across 5 different phyla.

● Phylum with the highest richness of OTUs: Arthropoda.

● Most abundant OTU: a copepod species (Oithona sp.).

● Aquatic Invertebrate data was obtained for both eDNA samples.

taxonomic heat tree OTUs

FULL REPORT


Sample composition: A total of 22 aquatic invertebrate taxa were detected across the 2

eDNA samples sequenced (Table 1 and Table 2). OTUs were detected across 5 different phyla within the kingdom Animalia. The overarching taxonomy of the detected OTUs is presented in Figure 1, which shows that the phylum with the highest proportion of OTUs was Arthropoda. The OTU with the highest proportion of reads was from the genus Oithona, a marine copepod. This OTU was detected in both samples. There were 11 OTUs (50%) that were only detected in one sample each. The relative proportion of the sequences found in each of the samples is shown in Figure 2 and Table 2 and the diversity is summarised in Table 3.

eDNA Taxa Class
sample size dna monitoring nature metrics
Taxon richness among the samples
 

FISH (MARINE eDNA) RESULTS

Metabarcoding Report: IntelliReefs Kelp Site Canada


OVERVIEW OF OUR RESULTS

● A total of 25 taxa were detected.

● Average taxon richness was 18 and ranged from 15 to 21.

● Most abundant sequences: rock gunnel (Pholis gunnellus)


seaweed kelp eDNA metabarcoding PCR laboratory

Taxa sample taxon DNA marine species test
taxonomy

FULL REPORT


Sample composition:

A total of 25 taxa were detected. 64% (16 taxa) were at least 99% similar to a species in the global reference databases, and species names are suggested for these taxa. The remaining taxa were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level: 20% to genus (5 taxa), and the remainder to family (4 taxa). The taxa belong to 7 orders, 16 families, and 18 genera.


The average taxon richness was 18 and ranged from 15 (‘Reference Site’) to 21 (‘AR Site’). The relative proportion of the sequences found in each of the samples is shown in Figure 1 and Table 1 and the diversity is summarised in Table 2 and Table 3.


Rock gunnel (Pholis gunnellus), which accounted for 25.3% of the total sequence reads, was among the most abundant in terms of sequences and was detected in both samples. 11 of the 25 detected taxa were found in both samples. High-quality fish sequence data were obtained for the 2 eDNA samples.

High-quality fish sequence data were obtained for the 2 eDNA samples.

Halifax Harbour Canada
Taxa Families Samples Class Order Family Species
 

Our Biodiversity Expansion System

IntelliReefs Oceanite Module Cut in half

Above photo: an interior cut of an Oceanite Module, 14 months after deployment in the Caribbean.


Kelp & Coral have some of the same cues for attraction and settlement, one being an attraction to CCA, Crustose Coralline Algae. The presence of CCA inside our modules showed us that our Oceanite would work for kelp too.


female scientist women in stem seaweed lab



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