Author(s): Maiko Akatsuka; Yuriko Takayama; Edwin Muchebve; Kazunori Ito; Tomohiro Kuwae; Kenta Watanabe; Toshifumi Minamoto
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Environmental DNA; Seagrass; Aquatic species monitoring; Particle tracking calculation; Ago bay
Abstract: Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis allows information to be obtained about the identification of aquatic species. Seagrass DNA can be detected in sampled water which contains exocrine secretions from the fine pores on the leaf surface. We developed a seagrass monitoring method based on the eDNA analysis. The results show that the concentration of eDNA corresponds to the shoot density and heights of seagrass in a mesocosm pool in which seagrass was reared for more than 15 years. Seagrass DNA was exported from the seagrass beds and was transported by currents in the bay. The currents were calculated using a numerical simulation, allowing advection routes of seagrass DNA to be assigned. A large concentration of seagrass DNA in the water sampled on the advection route means that there is a lot of seagrass at the starting point. Based on this, we are developing a method to monitor the growth of seagrass at a distance by analyzing eDNA in water sampled at appropriate locations and times. The feasibility of this monitoring method is confirmed by numerical simulations of a simple bay model and a modeling of Ago bay. The characteristics of eDNA were examined in laboratory tests to increase the accuracy of analysis of DNA concentrations in sea water sampled. Our study indicates that detecting eDNA that has been transported by currents for several days is difficult because seagrass DNA in water naturally deteriorates in around five days.
Year: 2020