Workshop The use of Environmental DNA (eDNA) in Marine Environments: Opportunities and Challenges (30 Nov – 03 Dec, online) – deadline 06 Nov 2020

Registration is now open for this upcoming event, organised and hosted by the POGO Biological Observations Task Force.

Costs: There is no cost to participate in the workshop.

Who should attend?   Scientists, engineers and natural resource managers interested in advancing eDNA/omics  implementation in marine environments.  We encourage early career practitioners to attend and they will be given an active role in the program.

Registration: For planning purposes, please register here no later than 6 November, 2020.

Workshop Sponsors: POGO and the Lounsbery Foundation

Description

The use of environmental DNA (eDNA) and other omics analyses in studies of marine ecosystems has blossomed. Both scientists and managers hope that the rigorous development of these analyses will allow us to address important science and management questions through our ability to census marine biota across multiple trophic levels with a single sample of DNA. Species of special interest for eDNA observation include those that are commercially important, protected, or invasive. The techniques are also amenable to automation in situ and deployment in global observing systems. At this time there are significant challenges to making rapid and major advances in understanding the techniques and their application to decision-making and management related to both analytical methods and strategies for sampling. The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development offers the potential to engage scientists and managers around the world to resolve these challenges and develop an observational strategy that can answer critical questions for each. Building on the call to action at OceanObs19 for enhancing biodiversity observations as well as the growing number of organisations fostering omics and eDNA development, this meeting will provide an opportunity to envision what a sustainable global omics/eDNA monitoring system could look like and will (i) promote global coordination among the organisations that are fostering eDNA and omics for marine environments, and (ii) coordinate efforts to develop a programme proposal in response to the call for action from the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development