On Monday (December 9), UNESCO revealed the results of its first mapping of marine species conducted using environmental DNA.
Launched in December 2021, the program « allows us to see which marine species are most threatened by climate change, » explained Ward Appeltans, head of the ocean biodiversity information system at UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).
Environmental DNA (eDNA), a method developed experimentally in the 2000s and only now being implemented, involves taking a sample of about 1.5 liters of water to identify marine species based on the DNA traces they leave behind.
UNESCO used this method in 21 marine protected areas, including in Costa Rica, Bangladesh, and the Philippines.
A total of 4,500 species were recorded through this operation, of which 120 are on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of threatened species.
« Without this technique, it would have taken at least 5 years of work and it would have been more intrusive, » said Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO’s Director-General. « This allows us to identify areas to prioritize for protection. »
UNESCO mobilized schoolchildren and their teachers to carry out the samples and raise awareness about the importance of marine biodiversity conservation.
In Everglades National Park in Florida, where high school students participated in the collection, eDNA was also used to track the spread of invasive species like pythons.
« We want to help countries understand the changes caused by climate change so they can improve the protection of marine species, » said Fanny Douvere, head of the UNESCO World Heritage Marine Programme.
« This can be implemented in countries like Bangladesh, with fewer resources, as well as in Australia or the United States, » she added. eDNA sampling remains affordable: each kit costs 25 euros.
« This is the first time this method has been used on a large scale. It provides results in just a few months instead of 5 to 10 years, » Fanny Douvere said with satisfaction.
UNESCO hopes this method will help achieve the goal set by the Kunming-Montreal Agreement in December 2022: to protect 30% of the oceans by 2030, while currently only 8% are protected. eDNA helps determine which areas need to be prioritized for protection.
The goal of this international organization is to expand eDNA sampling in the 18,000 marine protected areas.
Source: France Info
