Work

Environmental DNA detects biodiversity and ecological features of phytoplankton communities in Mediterranean transitional waters

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: Climate changes and anthropogenic pressures are causing a biodiversity decline in terms of species number and genetic diversity, reducing the adaptability and evolvability of natural communities. Transitional water ecosystems are more sensitive to habitat reduction and degradation and, thus, are more exposed to biodiversity declines requiring biodiversity monitoring programs for their conservation. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding represents a high-throughput tool for biodiversity assessment that is facilitating data collection for biodiversity monitoring. In this study, we applied, for the first time, eDNA metabarcoding in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon to assess the ecological features of eukaryotic phytoplankton communities. We sampled water in seven different lagoon sites and amplified the extracted DNA with primers targeting the variable region 4 (V4) of the 18S rRNA gene marker. The results demonstrated the validity of eDNA studies to provide insights into lagoon phytoplankton composition, establish the structure and spatial variation of phytoplankton communities, and evaluate its correlation to abiotic factors. Finally, the genetic distances analysis suggests that the different spatial distribution of OTUs, at least for the Tetraselmis genus, reflects the genetic background.

Source: Scientific Reports

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42389-3

Authors: Valeria Specchia, Francesco Zangaro, Eftychia Tzafesta, Benedetta Saccomanno, Maria Rosaria Vadrucci, Maurizio Pinna

Institutions: University of Salento, Agenzia Regionale per la Prevenzione e la Protezione dell'Ambiente Puglia

Language: English

Topic: Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies

Subfield: Ecology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Life below water, Life on land, Clean water and sanitation

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,390