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Cover Picture and Issue Information
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
methods in ecology and evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.425
H-Index - 105
ISSN - 2041-210X
DOI - 10.1111/2041-210x.13052
Subject(s) - seascape , biodiversity , environmental dna , data science , citation , computer science , cover (algebra) , information retrieval , world wide web , geography , ecology , biology , engineering , habitat , mechanical engineering
A male California sheephead swims over purple hydrocoral and southern sea palms at Farnsworth Bank, off Catalina Island. Thiscolorful and diverse marine seascape represents a small fraction of the unique biodiversity of California that can be detected and monitored usingenvironmental DNA (eDNA). eDNA metabarcoding is a promising method to monitor species and community diversity that is rapid, affordable andnon‐invasive. The Anacapa Toolkit enhances the bioinformatic capabilities of eDNA metabarcoding approaches for improved conservation management. Itdoes this by improving the functionality of eDNA for taxonomic assignment thus streamlining biodiversity assessment and aiding conservationmanagement decision making. The toolkit can generate comprehensive custom metabarcode specific databases, process multilocus data, retaina larger proportion of sequencing reads than its alternatives and expand non‐traditional eDNA targets. The tool kit also includes a module forautomated results exploration using standard biodiversity statistical analysis. All the components of the Anacapa Toolkit are open source andavailable in a virtual container to ease installation. Photo credit: © Zack Gold