eDNA: A New Way to Assess Sharks for Conservation

This grant will support the investigation of a new approach, environmental DNA (eDNA), for rapidly and easily assessing shark populations. FIU proposes to sample eDNA in parallel with Global FinPrint's (GFP) established survey method at 20 sites across the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific. The researchers will then test two emerging eDNA analytical methods to measure shark relative abundance and diversity, assessing concordance between established Global FinPrint and novel eDNA results to see how the latter could perform as a stand-alone approach. If validated, eDNA analysis would be an easier and cheaper approach for surveying sharks at unprecedented spatial and temporal scales.