eDNA Analysis Reveals the Marine Diversity of the Berlengas Archipelago
MARE researchers Marco Simões, Cátia Costa, Maria da Luz Calado, Nuno Vasco-Rodrigues, Maria Jorge Campos and Sérgio Miguel Leandro are the authors of the article “Unveiling the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of the Berlengas Archipelago in Portugal as a Hotspot of Fish Species Using eDNA Metabarcoding and the Collaboration of Fishing Crews”, recently published in the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. The study used eDNA (environmental DNA) analysis to characterize biodiversity in the marine ecosystems of the Berlengas Archipelago.
The management of fishing resources is fundamental to ensuring the sustainability of marine ecosystems and the supply of their goods and services. However, traditional methods of managing fish populations have shown some limitations. To meet this challenge, new molecular tools have been developed, such as eDNA (environmental DNA) analysis, which have shown great potential for improving this assessment of various fish species.
Recently, a study carried out by MARE researchers in the Berlengas archipelago in Portugal used 12S rRNA gene sequencing and eDNA metabarcoding to assess the spatial and temporal diversity of fish in the region. During the research, two sources of seawater eDNA sampling were compared: samples collected by fishermen during their activities and those collected by the scientific research team.
The results showed that in the fall there is a greater diversity of fish species, and that the area around Berlenga Island stands out as the richest in biodiversity, positively influencing the surrounding region. Although the samples collected by the fishermen showed less diversity compared to the research team's samples, it was also possible to identify species typical of deeper and open ocean habitats, validating the sampling method.
In addition, the study highlighted the crucial role of eDNA in species monitoring, having identified unexpected fish for the area, such as Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). However, false positives were also recorded, such as clownfish (Amphiprion percula) and blue tilapia (Oreochromis aureus), which draws attention to the need to improve the sampling methodology.
This pioneering study highlights the importance of optimizing molecular tools in marine biodiversity management, offering an innovative approach to monitoring and protecting marine ecosystems, and in particular the Berlengas Archipelago UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.