Coastal communities help track NS marine life using environmental DNA
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On a foggy November morning at Fox Point Beach near Hubbards, NS, five people step into the ocean and the waves lap at their knees.
They are there to learn how to collect water samples that will be analyzed in a laboratory at Dalhousie University to track marine species.
The community-oriented coastal observatory needs samples from across the province, so they’re recruiting volunteers like themselves to help with the project.
Krish Thapar came from Dartmouth to attend. They listened attentively as PhD candidate Samantha Beal explained how to use sampling equipment and avoid cross-contamination.
“I thought it would be a good volunteer opportunity, so I asked him if we could meet to learn more about the project,” Thapar said. He said he is also interested in local conservation efforts.
Beal is leading the project that brings together community members to collect coastal water samples and send them to the lab. There, she analyzes environmental DNA, or ednaIdentifying traces left by marine species.
“Through their daily natural movement (marine species) are losing DNA,” Beal said. “To collect it, we have to filter the water so that the DNA can stick to the filter and that way we can actually separate it.”
The goal of Beal’s project is to create a better understanding of which species live in Nova Scotia waters and where they go.
Research has shown that as ocean water temperatures rise, some species, like a lobsterare affected,
In some cases, groups of marine animals may begin moving north in search of cooler waters, which Beal wants to monitor.
The community-oriented Coastal Observatory trains volunteers how to collect environmental DNA from the ocean. This can help researchers identify which species are in the water. CBC’s Giuliana Grillo has the story.
Beal supplies sampling bags, filters, water-sampling machines, and all the other equipment needed to collect DNA hidden in ocean water to groups of volunteers in different communities.
She says there are six clusters total across the province from Yarmouth to Louisburg.
She is using the months before the new year to train each group. This will allow him to go himself to collect the samples next time and then send it to him.
The goal is to collect samples three times a year, in March, July and November. This also gives them an understanding of seasonal migration patterns.
“Hopefully, by doing this kind of continued monitoring, we will … be able to establish a baseline, then identify any trends in observations of the species,” Beal said.
Thapar says that in addition to helping out because of his interest in conservation, volunteering with the group gives him a chance to spend time outdoors with others.
“There’s nothing better than listening to the waves crashing in our background and smelling the ocean,” he said. “I love connecting with new people.”
Beal said she is still looking for volunteers in some areas of the province, such as the Bay of Fundy. “The more the merrier,” he said.
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