Dr Michael Marnane1,2, Dr Nicolas Tsesmetzis3, Dr Jordan Angle4, Dr Gustavo C.D. Estrada5, Ms Sonja Kaulbarsch5, Ms Anita Skarstad6, Ms Ane Kjølhamar6, Mr Thomas Merzi7, Mr Ezzaini Ramli8, Mr Harvey Johnstone8
1Chevron Energy Technology Company, Perth, Australia, 2Curtin University, Bentley, Australia, 3Shell International Exploration and Production Inc., USA, Houston, USA, 4ExxonMobil Biomedical Sciences, Inc, Spring, USA, 5ENI Natural Resources, San Donato Milanese, Italy, 6Equinor ASA, Environmental Technology, Trondheim, Norway, 7Total Energies, Pau, France, 8International Oil and Gas Producers Association, London, UK
Biography:
Dr Michael Marnane is a Senior Marine Ecologist, within Chevron’s corporate environment and sustainabiliy team, where he provides technical advice and leads science and innovation projects that improve operational efficiency and environmental performance across Chevon’s global operations. Michael leads Chevron’s Biodiversity Monitoring R&D Program where he collaborates with a range of research partners to develop novel biodiversity monitoring tools, including environmental DNA (eDNA) methods that can be applied at scale within industry. Michael also chairs the Environmental Genomics Joint Industry Program, which is a collaborative effort among global energy companies to accelerate the uptake and acceptance of eDNA within industry.
Abstract:
Biodiversity monitoring is required throughout the energy industry for risk assessments, establishing baselines, environmental impact assessments, compliance reporting and detection of rare or invasive species. Additionally, there is a growing demand for corporate-level biodiversity data to meet sustainability reporting requirements and demonstrate nature-positive outcomes. Environmental genomics, including eDNA methods, promise to provide cost-effective and scalable solutions to meet growing industry biodiversity data needs. The Environmental Genomics Joint Industry Program (JIP) was formed in 2019 between Chevron, Exxon, ENI, Total, Equinor and Shell, with the aim of mutualizing efforts to accelerate the uptake and acceptance of environmental genomics methods. As part of this effort, the JIP commissioned the development of guidance on industry applications of environmental genomics, authored by leading experts in this field. This guidance was designed to standardize environmental genomics methods and improve confidence in the data obtained. The guidance covers the entire environmental genomics workflow, including when and where to use genomic versus conventional methods, sampling guidelines for industry applications, and guidance on laboratory analyses, bioinformatics, data analysis and interpretation. The guidance also identified remaining knowledge gaps and future research directions. While this guidance is aimed at industry environmental professionals and service providers, it also has relevance to environmental regulators and the broader scientific community. This presentation will discuss industry biodiversity monitoring challenges, JIP outputs, and how collaboration with external partners on research and technology development can increase the uptake of environmental genomic methods within industry to improve the quality of biodiversity data for management decisions.