4/8/2020 Using Environmental DNA to Find Sharks - Promega Connections

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Using Environmental DNA to Find Sharks

POSTED ON JULY 23, 2018 BY JOHANNA LEE

Sharks are often known as one of the ercest predators in the ocean. Yet they are
also one of the most threatened marine species—largely because they are hunted
by humans for their highly valuable ns. How do we know they are being
threatened?

Traditionally, researchers have estimated the population and diversity of sharks

using two methods. One is by sending divers into the water to count the number
of sharks and record which species they see. Another is to set up baited cameras
in di erent locations to record the sharks that come near. When fewer species of

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sharks are examined using these methods, we conclude that there is a decrease in
diversity and an increase in what’s called “dark diversity”.

Dark diversity is de ned as the collection of local species that should be present
in a certain region but cannot be detected. (The term is the biological equivalent
to “dark matter” in physics, which describes matter that exists, but cannot be
directly observed.) Accurate knowledge of dark diversity can help researchers
devise conservation strategies for speci c areas. Areas with high dark diversity
would require restoration e orts to reduce environmental threats. On the other
hand, areas with low dark diversity can be established as marine reserves and a
potential source for recolonization.

Unfortunately, using traditional methods to estimate dark density are highly

inaccurate. Have speci c species of sharks truly vanished from the area? Or have
the sharks just learned to avoid human detection? It’s hard to tell.

In a 2018 paper published in Science Advances, Boussarie et al. addressed this

problem by testing a new non-invasive method to detect dark diversity of sharks.
This new method is not based on visual observation. Instead, it detects DNA
released from animals into the environment, known as environmental DNA
(eDNA).

In this study, eDNA was extracted from water samples collected from various
coral reefs located in the southwestern Paci c. The results showed that with only
22 samples, 13 shark species were detected using eDNA. In contrast, 2,758
samples from divers and 385 samples from baited cameras each detected only 9
species. This suggests that shark prevalence may be greater than previously
thought.

The eDNA method has several advantages compared to traditional methods.

Divers and bait cameras can only cover small areas due to limitations in visual
range. They are also limited to short temporal periods—each dive usually lasts
less than 2 hours, and a camera only works for a few hours at a time. Because
eDNA can be detected days after being released and can be transported across
distances through movement of water, the spatiotemporal scale of detection is

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much greater than traditional methods. This allows more species to be detected
with signi cantly fewer samples.

There are, however, disadvantages to using eDNA. For example, eDNA cannot
provide information on the size, health, age, sex or behavior of the sharks.
Nevertheless, this study shows that eDNA is an accurate and e cient method to
determine the dark diversity of sharks and other marine animals.

Reference: Environmental DNA illuminates the dark diversity of sharks.

Bio Latest Posts

Johanna Lee
Johanna is a Science Writer at Promega. She earned her PhD in
Biomedical Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine. She was a
freelance writer and full-time mom for ve years before joining
Promega. Johanna is from Taiwan and she believes Taiwanese
food is the best in the world. She loves doing yoga, traveling and
spending time with her two kids.

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 IN THE LITERATURE

 DARK DIVERSITY, EDNA, ENVIRONMENTAL DNA, SHARK

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