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A rapid environmental DNA method for detecting white sharks in the open ocean
Author(s) -
Truelove Nathan K.,
Andruszkiewicz Elizabeth A.,
Block Barbara A.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
methods in ecology and evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.425
H-Index - 105
ISSN - 2041-210X
DOI - 10.1111/2041-210x.13201
Subject(s) - minion , environmental dna , fishery , sampling (signal processing) , seawater , nanopore sequencing , carcharias , biology , white (mutation) , ecology , oceanography , dna sequencing , biodiversity , computer science , geology , dna , genetics , filter (signal processing) , computer vision , biochemistry , juvenile , gene
Environmental DNA (eDNA) research often requires returning to the laboratory for processing, which can delay species identification by weeks–months. Using a portable Oxford Nanopore MinIon sequencer, eDNA from white shark ( Carcharodon carcharias ) was rapidly identified from seawater samples collected in the high seas where they have historically been identified with biologging datasets. A total of 10 sequencing runs were performed on the MinIon onboard an oceanographic vessel with a turnaround time from water collection to sequence results and annotation of ~48 hr. Identifying vertebrates by amplifying eDNA from seawater provides a novel approach for sampling and detecting the presence of elusive species of conservation importance in remote locations.