Environmental DNA persistence and fish detection in captive sponges.

Area of Science:

• Marine biology
• Molecular ecology
• Biodiversity monitoring

Background:

• Hyperdiverse marine ecosystems present monitoring challenges.
• Environmental DNA (eDNA) offers a promising solution.
• Sponges are explored as natural samplers for eDNA capture.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate eDNA persistence and detectability in sponge tissues.
• To compare sponge eDNA capture efficiency with water sampling.
• To assess the suitability of different sponge species as natural eDNA samplers.

Main Methods:

• Controlled aquarium experiment.
• Analysis of eDNA in three encrusting sponge species.
• Comparison with traditional water filtration techniques.

Main Results:

• Sponge and water samples showed similar fish eDNA detectability.
• Significant variation in eDNA capture and retention among sponge species.
• One sponge mirrored water eDNA degradation, another retained eDNA, and a third yielded minimal DNA.

Conclusions:

• Certain sponge species can serve as effective natural eDNA samplers.
• Species-specific performance necessitates an optimization phase for biodiversity assessments.
• Further research may identify optimal sponge taxa for regional eDNA monitoring.