Project description
Environmental DNA analysis for benthic deep-sea environmental assessment
Measuring human impact on marine systems is crucial, but assessing the deep-sea biome poses challenges. The implementation of environmental DNA analysis is not yet prepared for policy integration. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the HaploSEA project evaluates deep-sea benthic communities through meta-genetic diversity. The project will conduct thorough metabarcoding analyses of bacteria, archaea, unicellular eukaryotes and metazoans to explore natural spatial and temporal variations in entire communities. Hybridisation will capture genetic material for complete gene reconstruction, and specific probes for biotic indicator groups will be developed. The project will use the eDNAbyss metabarcoding database from Ifremer, sample the deep sea along a disturbance gradient using advanced underwater technology, and assess the approaches and propose their application for environmental assessments.
Objective
Measuring anthropogenic impacts on marine systems is of significant interest to stakeholders across the globe. Yet, assessing the ecological status of deep-sea habitats, the earth's largest biome, is challenging. Implementing environmental DNA analysis into environmental policy is desired and timely but not yet ready. HaploSEA is evaluating the use of meta-genetic diversity for biological assessments of deep-sea benthic communities. These include four novel approaches: (I) Performing holistic metabarcoding analyses including bacteria and archaea, unicellular eukaryotes, and metazoans to analyze natural spatial and temporal variability of entire communities. (II) Including haplotype diversity as a new parameter to describe ecosystems. (III) Establish a generic protocol to define genetic indicator groups based on their intraspecific diversity. (IV) Including capture by hybridization, a novel method for full gene reconstruction, and designing specific capture probes for biotic indicator groups of cyanobacteria, foraminifera, and nematodes. For analyses, we will benefit from a unique metabarcoding database (eDNAbyss, Ifremer) with global coverage and 1500 samples from all ocean basins, which are standardized, analyzed, and processed for five-gene regions. Using state-of-the-art underwater technology, we will sample in the deep sea along a disturbance gradient to collect samples for analysis via the above novel approaches. Finally, I will evaluate the suggested approaches and outline their future use for meta-genetic environmental assessments. HaploSEA is an interactive and multidisciplinary project combining expertise and facilities at top European institutes in deep-sea marine science (Ifremer, GEOMAR, and MARUM). This setup combines specialists from different fields, technical backgrounds, and taxonomic groups to share different perspectives and novel approaches.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European FellowshipsCoordinator
24148 Kiel
Germany