Anastasija is a marine scientist with a broad expertise in aquatic ecology, ecology of biological invasions and the development and assessment of molecular tools for monitoring and surveillance. She started her eDNA journey in 2012 in Lithuania, applying molecular approaches to marine non-indigenous species detection, ballast water assessment and monitoring of the coastal ecosystems. After moving to New Zealand in 2014, she had leading roles in many national and international research programmes, projects and field expeditions, conducting experimental and observational studies in aquatic ecosystems employing a range of different surveillance techniques (traditional and molecular). In 2021, Anastasija took a leap from her purely academic career and opened a professional molecular lab Sequench, in Nelson, New Zealand, offering high-throughput sequencing services as well as wider range of molecular analyses and science underpinned solutions for environmental monitoring. In 2023, she was elected a President of the newly established Southern eDNA Society (SeDNAs), which stem from the informal collaboration of motivated eDNA practitioners across Australia and New Zealand and aims to promote science and industry collaboration to advance best practice eDNA methods and their wider adoption nature research and conservation.