Developing cost-effective marine biosecurity surveillance between government and industry for detection of introduced marine species in Western Australian using eDNA.

Ms Claire Wellington¹, Dr Justin McDonald¹

¹DPIRD, Perth,, Australia

Effective detection of introduced marine species (IMS) in areas such as commercial ports require a collaborative approach, as port environments can be highly complex both above and below the water. The Aquatic Pest Biosecurity section within the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) developed the State-Wide Array Surveillance Program (SWASP) in collaboration with Western Australian Port Authorities and port industry stakeholders.

The SWASP utilises passive settlement arrays and molecular analyses to provide regular marine pest surveillance from the tropics to temperate regions of Western Australia. Environmental DNA (eDNA) in the form of marine growth biomass is collected from the arrays and assessed using species specific qPCRs and metabarcoding to identify the presence of IMS within a specific geographic location. Metabarcoding using nuclear 18S and mitochondrial CO1 assays assess the marine biodiversity present within the samples as well as detect any DNA signatures attributable to IMS.

The program has proven to be highly effective as a means of fostering stakeholder involvement and, importantly, for IMS surveillance. The participation in SWASP has grown from three to 11 ports, spanning over 11,000 km of the west Australian coast. The program has embedded valuable relationships between the biosecurity regulator and stakeholders ensuring reliable and effective ongoing surveillance in marine biosecurity for the state.

We discuss the development and outcomes of the program, as well as current challenges and developments in the application of eDNA tools for marine biosecurity.

Biography:

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