Scaling advanced methods for biodiversity assessments: challenges of eDNA based monitoring

From the Arctic to the Tropics, aquatic and terrestrial habitats host highly diverse communities which are of high conservation values and often key resources for local livelihoods. Nevertheless, ecosystem management often remain limited and is hampered by the vast extent of habitats and limited conservation budgets. eDNA based monitoring allow to reliably survey aquatic and terrestrial communities and has a great potential to provide a snapshot of the biodiversity in remote areas with very high rate of endemism and identify early invasive species. Here, I will present preliminary results of ongoing research projects mobilizing eDNA based surveys in various environments, and highlight its benefits and challenges, as well important improvement, methodological or technical trade-offs.

Quentin Mauvisseau is a researcher at the Natural History Museum, University of Oslo in Norway and part of the Evolution, eDNA, Genomics and Ethnobotany (EDGE) group. He completed his PhD in 2020 at the University of Derby (UK), working on alternative methods to assess habitat quality in freshwater system. He then moved to Norway to work as a post-doctoral researcher, using eDNA based monitoring to monitor ecosystem changes under the threats of climate changes and other human activities. He is working in both Arctic and Tropical environments, using airborne, aquatic and terrestrial eDNA and eRNA, and work toward the implementation of citizen science, as well important improvement, methodological or technical trade-offs for molecular based surveys.

[Host: Vanessa Mata, Applied Ecology - APPLECOL]