STUDY ON AN ENVIRONMENTAL DNA ANALYSIS PROTOCOL FOR SEAGRASS BED MONITORING

Abstract

 The utilization of environmental DNA(eDNA) is being considered as a new method for monitoring seagrass beds. In field surveys, the amount of eDNA of seagrass was below the minimum limit of quantification by using the conventional method that is often performed in freshwater areas for animals. In this study, we assumed water sample condition with a large amount of suspended solids, which is inevitable for monitoring seagrass beds using eDNA, and organize the requirements for protocolizing the analysis method for collecting a sufficient amount of DNA. We found the relationship between the seasonal change of Zostera japonica and that of the amount of eDNA by using the new analysis method for low-concentration samples. The numerical simulation indicated that suitable time for sampling was different depending on sampling sites. Additionally, these results showed the possibility of applying the eDNA analysis and numerical simulation methods for future field surveys.