Chinanews.com, Paris, October 18. UNESCO (UNESCO) launched a global project on the 18th to use cutting-edge environmental DNA technology (eDNA) to study the rich biodiversity of UNESCO’s marine world heritage sites. .
Scientists and local residents will collect genetic material from waste, fish mucus or cells from selected marine world heritage sites to monitor the status of fish species, including those on the Red List of Endangered Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
eDNA involves the collection and analysis of samples collected from the environment (soil, water, air) rather than individual organisms.
According to reports, the two-year eDNA project will help measure the impact of climate change on marine biodiversity, and its impact on the distribution and migration patterns of marine life in marine world heritage sites.
The project was launched at the beginning of the United Nations "Decade of Marine Science for Sustainable Development" (2021-2030). It will deepen the public's understanding of global trends, provide reference for efforts to protect marine ecosystems, and ensure that future generations continue to benefit Various services provided by the ocean.
Ortone, Assistant Director-General of Culture of UNESCO, said, “Marine World Heritage Sites play an extremely important role in protecting marine ecosystems of outstanding universal value and provide the public with opportunities to enjoy and protect the marine environment. Climate change It is affecting the behavior and distribution of underwater creatures, and we must understand the status quo so that we can adjust the protection work according to changes in the situation."
UNESCO's marine world heritage sites are widely known for their unique biodiversity, special ecosystems, and important stages in the history of the earth.
Since the Great Barrier Reef (Australia), the first marine heritage site, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1981, the "List" has established a global network of 50 marine heritage sites.
The use of eDNA technology in marine monitoring and data collection is still in its infancy, and UNESCO’s pioneering eDNA project will improve standard procedures for sampling and data management.
For the first time, this project will adopt a unified approach in multiple marine protected areas, so while providing these data to the public, it will also mark the birth of global sampling and data monitoring and management practices.
Local residents will participate in the project under the guidance of experts to complete water sample collection, filtration, and eDNA repair, and then specialized laboratories will sequence these eDNA.
All data will be processed and released by the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS), the world’s largest open data system on the distribution and diversity of marine species, with thousands of scientists, data managers and users worldwide. The network is jointly maintained and supported.
It is dedicated to improving our understanding of marine life and helping to develop monitoring indicators to provide information for conservation and management policies.
The project is implemented by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO and the World Heritage Center, with support from the Flemish Provincial Government of the Netherlands.
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