Environmental DNA (eDNA) is genetic material originating from organisms. This material can be filtered from water samples. It comes from feces, mucus, blood, and sloughed cells, tissue, and in some cases can be attached to particles. The Megafauna team issampling from locations near Malpelo’s coast and reefs.
In labs, the eDNA is extracted, amplified and sequenced. These sequences are analyzed to identify species present in the sampled seawater. It also helps to build a reference database to accurately identify species.
