Marcos A. L. Teixeira1, Mohammad A. Qurban3, Basmah Alabdulaziz1, Trad Albarakati2, Abdulwahab Alhosamai3, Abdulsalam Ardan3, Ashwag Asseri2, Doaa Baker1, Carolina Bocanegra1, Ronald Cadiz1, Susana Carvalho1, Sahar Chebaane1, Marion Couëdel2, João Curdia1, Lotfi J. Rabaoui3, Dylan M. Cottrell1, Antony P. Chakkiath1, Angelo Poliseno1, August Santillan2, Juan Sempere-Valverde1, Vitaly Syomin1, Eva Aylagas1
1Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, 2Marine Environment Department, Beacon Development, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, 3National Center for Wildlife, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Biography:
TBC
Abstract:
The implementation of national biosecurity frameworks to prevent the introduction of marine non-indigenous species (NIS) is of critical importance as global shipping traffic continues to increase. The use of environmental DNA (eDNA) provides a unique opportunity for rapidly characterizing biological communities and screen for potential NIS, facilitating early detection and timely action. However, in data-poor regions, where biomonitoring efforts are scarce and baseline biodiversity data is limited, the incorporation of molecular data into marine environmental frameworks requires further validation and standardization. Over a 12-month period, 34 ports and marinas across the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf were sampled quarterly using a combination of techniques, including the deployment of PVC settlement panels for three months, scraping of permanent underwater structures and eDNA collection using autonomous water filtration systems. At each site, 10 replicates of 5 L of seawater were filtered and a region of the 18S rRNA and COI genes amplified after DNA extraction. Data analysis was conducted both for individual replicates and by pooling samples incrementally to evaluate the effectiveness of eDNA in detecting marine biodiversity and NIS, and to assess the effect of water volume on the relative proportion of specific taxonomic groups. The results of this study will contribute to the development of a tailored methodology for the detection of target organisms, increasing the effectiveness of eDNA-based assessments. Our findings provide valuable insights into the application of eDNA in regions with limited biodiversity data and sparse reference libraries, offering a pathway to improving biosecurity in under-monitored areas.