Reconstruction of Past Fish Communities Using eDNA Metabarcoding in Coastal Sediment Cores

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19H04284
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 63040:Environmental impact assessment-related
• Research Institution: University of Hyogo
• Principal Investigator: Doi Hideyuki 兵庫県立大学, 情報科学研究科, 准教授 (80608505)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 加 三千宣 愛媛大学, 沿岸環境科学研究センター, 准教授 (70448380)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 環境DNA / 堆積物 / 海洋 / 魚類

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Paleoceanographic studies on fish have been limited to the presence of scaled rock lobsters in sediments, and there has been no way to reconstruct other fish communities as a whole. Our project focuses on environmental DNA (eDNA0 remaining in sediment cores. The eDNA refers to DNA fragments from various organisms contained in the environment, and by collecting and analyzing these fragments, it will be possible to determine what species live in the environment. We collected sediment core samples from the deepest part of Beppu Bay and conducted eDNA analysis. We conducted the eDNA metabarcoding using MIFish universal primers which comprehensively amplify fish DNA. Then, we confirmed that these fish species can be detected in the recent-past layers of the sediment cores. We demonstrated that metabarcoding is possible for sediment samples using MIFish universal primers.

Free Research Field

生態学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究により、環境DNAを用いて、海洋における過去数百年の魚類群集の変動について、堆積物コア試料による近過去復元が可能であることを明らかにした。これは今後の水産資源管理、生態系管理において、生態系変動予測に利用できる データを得ることができる有力な手法となったと考えられる。