Environmental DNA (eDNA) for monitoring marine mammals: Challenges and opportunities
2022
Suarez-Bregua, P. (Paula) | Álvarez-González, M. (Miguel) | Parsons, K.M. (Kim Michelle) | Rotllant, J. (Josep) | Pierce, G.J. (Graham John) | Saavedra, C. (Camilo)
Monitoring marine mammal populations is essential to permit assessment ofpopulation status as required by both national and international legislation.Traditional monitoring methods often rely on visual and/or acoustic detectionsfrom vessels and aircraft, but limitations including cost, errors in the detectionof some species and dependence on taxonomic expertise, as well as goodweather and visibility conditions often limit the temporal and spatial scale ofeffective, long-term monitoring programs. In recent years, environmental DNA(eDNA) has emerged as a revolutionary tool for cost-effective, sensitive, noninvasivespecies monitoring in both terrestrial and aquatic realms. eDNA is arapidly developing field and a growing number of studies have successfullyimplemented this approach for the detection and identification of marinemammals. Here, we review 21 studies published between 2012 and 2021 thatemployed eDNA for marine mammal monitoring including single speciesdetection, biodiversity assessment and genetic characterization. eDNA hassuccessfully been used to infer species presence (especially useful for rare,elusive or threatened species) and to characterize the population geneticstructure, although additional research is needed to support theinterpretation of non-detections. Finally, we discuss the challenges and theopportunities that eDNA could bring to marine mammal monitoring as acomplementary tool to support visual and acoustic methods.
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