​A sustained dialogue must be established between molecular ecologists, policymakers and other stakeholders for DNA-based approaches to be adopted in marine monitoring and assessment, according to KAUST scientists and colleagues.  

New tools able to solve some of the challenges facing this field aren’t getting the attention they most likely deserve, explains KAUST molecular ecologist, Eva Aylagas, the article’s corresponding author. “This is because it is common practice for researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders involved in marine environmental management to act independently,” says Aylagas.

DNA barcoding and metabarcoding are molecular techniques used to identify species by comparing small fragments of their DNA against a reference database. Traditionally, assessing the health of a marine ecosystem involves identifying organisms from samples based on their morphological characteristics. This requires the involvement of specialized taxonomists and is often very expensive and time consuming. DNA barcoding and metabarcoding could save monitoring programs a lot of time and money.

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Image: In order to effectively develop, test, validate and standardize novel monitoring tools, researchers and policymakers need to establish a robust, solid network.
© 2020 KAUST; Xavier Pita