Mr Muhammad Danie Al Malik1, Mr Ambariyanto Ambariyanto1, Mrs Retno Hartati1, Ms Nining Nursalim2, Ms Nenik Kholilah3, Ms Eka Maya Kurniasih4, Mr Aji Wahyu Anggoro5, Mr Rian Prasetia6, Mrs Yuliana Syamsyuni7, Mr Fauzi Muh1, Mr Ni Kadek Dita Cahyani1
1Diponegoro University, Semarang, Indonesia, 2Diponegoro Marine Biodiversity Project (DMBP), Diponegoro University, Semarang, Indonesia, 3Mataram University, Lombok, Indonesia, 4University of the Ryukyus, Japan, 5Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara, Indonesia, 6Yayasan Konservasi Indonesia, , Indonesia, 7Yayasan WWF Indonesia, , Indonesia
Biography:
I am currently a master’s student in marine science at Diponegoro University. Before this, I worked as a researcher at an NGO for almost five years. I gained experience using DNA barcoding techniques and detecting marine organisms' genetic populations using mtDNA and microsatellite DNA methods. My thesis focuses on using environmental DNA (eDNA) to reveal fish diversity and complement traditional inventory methods, especially visual census, to maximize data accuracy. In my eDNA studies, I also focus on bioinformatics processes and database curation to enhance the detection of marine fish in Indonesian waters.
Abstract:
Environmental DNA (eDNA) has emerged as a powerful tool for swiftly assessing coral reef ecosystems, particularly for detecting fish diversity. This study focused on employing eDNA to investigate fish biodiversity and its functional traits in the Karimunjawa National Park (KNP), Indonesia. The use of eDNA and then validating with visual census results to reveal fish diversity was implemented across four locations within three locations representative zonation KNP (i.e., the core zone at Taka Malang, the protection zone at Menjangan Kecil Island, the tourism zone at Cilik Island) and one location did as open access location at Genting Island. Sampling involved collecting one liter of seawater per site, filtering, and processing to target the 12S locus, and then sequencing using the MinION machine (Oxford nanopore). The eDNA results show higher species diversity in the tourism zone compared to core zone, protection zone, and open access. However, beta diversity analysis revealed no significant differences in community composition between locations. Moreover, this research revealed 147 species belonging to 31 families, with 60% species and 30% families identified through eDNA, that were not covered by the visual census. This research also reveals that eDNA is an excellent approach to detecting functional trait diversity, including environment preference and migratory and nocturnal behavior. This research underscores the potential of eDNA for evaluating fish diversity in KNP, proposing a combined eDNA and visual census approach to fill existing gaps in biodiversity assessment. Such integration promises to bolster conservation efforts within Marine Protection Areas like KNP.