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Updated: May 11, 2026
Use of a Filter Cartridge for Filtration of Water Samples and Extraction of Environmental DNA
Published on: November 25, 2016
Comparison of eDNA with conventional infauna sampling when assessing pollution impacts
Lara Denis-Roy1, Scott D Ling2, Levente Bodrossy3
1Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 20 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, Hobart, 7004, Tasmania, Australia; Environment, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, Hobart, 7004, Tasmania, Australia.
Abstract:
Environmental DNA (eDNA) methods are increasingly used to assess marine pollution, offering a promising tool for ecosystem monitoring. However, these approaches still require validation against traditional techniques, such as sediment fauna (macrobenthos) sampling using a van Veen grab to assess the effects of marine pollutants on the benthic assemblage. Using a suite of environmental and pollutant parameters sampled across southeastern Australia, we investigated the sensitivity of three metabarcoding assays (16S rRNA, 18S rRNA, and mitochondrial COI) versus traditional but labour-intensive macrobenthos sampling for detecting potential impacts of pollutants. Both eDNA metabarcoding and macrobenthos sampling detected pollutant-associated impacts, with eDNA more sensitive to heavy metals, and macrobenthos more responsive to organic pollutants.
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