2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Travelling DNA: a study in DNA dispersal and connectivity between marine ecosystem
| Project/Area Number |
26870917
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Research Field |
Aquatic bioproduction science
Environmental impact assessment
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| Research Institution | University of the Ryukyus (2015)
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (2014) |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
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| Keywords | Metabarcoding / Marine Biodiversity / Environmental DNA |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
I analysed environmental DNA (eDNA) from sediments from deep-sea and shallow water environments. I used a metabarcoding approach to sequence eDNA and estimate the biodiversity in sediments. By comparing different regions and environments, I could estimate how DNA can travel in the oceans.
My results first revealed a huge unknown biodiversity in marine sediments and largely contributed to evaluate the gap of knowledge in worldwide deep-sea biodiversity (Sinniger et al. 2016).
In addition, the results from Okinawa showed that my approach is able to detect different environments even if they are only few hundred meters apart. The results also showed that sediments from the same type of environment but from distant locations are distinct, but still group near each other (Sinniger et al. in prep). Overall my results indicate that while a transfer of DNA between environments certainly exists, it is not a major parameter affecting the estimation of genetic diversity in the sediments.
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| Free Research Field |
Biodiversity
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