. Earth Science News .
WATER WORLD
Researchers use eDNA to detect great white sharks
by Brooks Hays
Washington (UPI) Sep 14, 2018

Scientists can now detect the presence of white sharks using environmental DNA, or eDNA. Environmental DNA describes DNA strands found in the environment, not collected directly from a species' body.

Increasingly, researchers are turning to genetic markers to identify the presence of species in the environment, but until now, scientists struggled to isolate an eDNA signature for white sharks.

Through a series of trial and error, scientists were able to develop a new protocol for identifying white shark eDNA in marine samples.

Researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara, California State University Long Beach, U.S. Geological Survey and Central Michigan University isolated identifiable genetic markers found in shark tissue. To test their protocol, scientists used genetic sequencing technology called digital droplet PCR to identify white shark eDNA in random samples.

The protocol successfully differentiated between positive samples and negative samples -- control samples, free of shark eDNA.

"We can now sample eDNA along the coast to make better maps and seasons for white sharks," Kevin Lafferty, a USGS ecologist and researcher with UCSB's Marine Science Institute, said in a news release. "And if we can do it for white sharks, we can do it for other marine species, too."

Surveys suggest white sharks have made a dramatic rebound in both the Atlantic and Pacific. Improved eDNA tracking technologies will help scientists show growing white shark populations and moving and interacting with the environment.

Research inspired by the new eDNA protocol could help scientists better understand shark-human interactions and minimize risks.

"One of the goals of this research is for a lifeguard to be able to walk down to the shore, scoop up some water, shake it and see if white sharks are around," said Lafferty.

Lafferty and his colleagues described their breakthrough this week in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.


Related Links
Water News - Science, Technology and Politics


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


WATER WORLD
Understanding deep-sea images with artificial intelligence
Kiel, Germany (SPX) Sep 14, 2018
The evaluation of very large amounts of data is becoming increasingly relevant in ocean research. Diving robots or autonomous underwater vehicles, which carry out measurements independently in the deep sea, can now record large quantities of high-resolution images. To evaluate these images scientifically in a sustainable manner, a number of prerequisites have to be fulfilled in data acquisition, curation and data management. "Over the past three years, we have developed a standardized workflow tha ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

WATER WORLD
U.S. military prepares for post-Florence response

Colombian navy rescues 28 Jamaican castaways

Urgent preparations as super typhoon closes in on Philippines

As hurricane bears down, Trump... makes it about Trump

WATER WORLD
Top 10 take-aways from New York Fashion Week

Diamond dust enables low-cost, high-efficiency magnetic field detection

Bio-inspired materials decrease drag for liquids

Holography, light-field technology combo could deliver practical 3-D displays

WATER WORLD
Understanding deep-sea images with artificial intelligence

Laos to press on with dam-building after deadly collapse: PM

Airbus orders first ever automated kite for its cargo ship from Airseas

Artificial intelligence guides rapid data-driven exploration of underwater habitats

WATER WORLD
UNM, USF scientists find stable sea levels during last interglacial

NASA space lasers to reveal new depths of planet's ice loss

Wetlands are key for accurate greenhouse gas measurements in the Arctic

Volcano under ice sheet suggests thickening of West Antarctic ice is short-term

WATER WORLD
High-yield farming costs the environment less than previously thought

Humans may have first grown grains for beer, not bread

Farmers on the front lines of marine aquaculture

Improving soil quality can slow global warming

WATER WORLD
Picking up the pieces a year after Mexico's earthquake

Massive clean-up in Hong Kong after typhoon chaos

Floodwaters rise as killer storm stalks southeastern US

In US beach resort, residents seek shelter from the storm

WATER WORLD
Fish shortage sparks conflict on Africa's Great Lakes

Pygmies, masters of the forest, tackle tough lifestyle changes

Deputy army chief held in Comoros over anti-regime plot

Kenya police detain another Chinese journalist: embassy

WATER WORLD
Blombos Cave drawing predates previous human-made drawings by at least 30,000 years

Reward of labor in wild chimpanzees

Getting to the roots of our ancient cousin's diet

Amber circulated in extensive Mediterranean exchange networks in Late Prehistory









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.