Harnessing eDNA metabarcoding to investigate fish community composition and its seasonal changes in the Oslo fjord

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 14; no. 1; p. 10154
• Main Authors: Carvalho, Cintia Oliveira, Gromstad, William, Dunthorn, Micah, Karlsen, Hans Erik, Schrøder-Nielsen, Audun, Ready, Jonathan Stuart, Haugaasen, Torbjørn, Sørnes, Grete, de Boer, Hugo, Mauvisseau, Quentin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 02.05.2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/158/670; 631/158/672; 631/337; 631/601/2722; Animals; Anthropogenic factors; Aquatic habitats; Biodiversity; Biomonitoring; Climate change; Community composition; DNA barcoding; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic - methods; DNA, Environmental - analysis; DNA, Environmental - genetics; Ecosystem; Ecosystems; Environmental changes; Environmental DNA; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Estuaries; Fish; Fish conservation; Fishes - classification; Fishes - genetics; Fishing; Fjords; Humanities and Social Sciences; Investigations; Marine ecosystems; Marine environment; multidisciplinary; Norway; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Seasonal variations; Seasons; Taxonomy; Temperature; Time series; Water quality; Norway
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60762-8

In the face of global ecosystem changes driven by anthropogenic activities, effective biomonitoring strategies are crucial for mitigating impacts on vulnerable aquatic habitats. Time series analysis underscores a great significance in understanding the dynamic nature of marine ecosystems, especially amidst climate change disrupting established seasonal patterns. Focusing on Norway's Oslo fjord, our research utilises eDNA-based monitoring for temporal analysis of aquatic biodiversity during a one year period, with bi-monthly sampling along a transect. To increase the robustness of the study, a taxonomic assignment comparing BLAST+ and SINTAX approaches was done. Utilising MiFish and Elas02 primer sets, our study detected 63 unique fish species, including several commercially important species. Our findings reveal a substantial increase in read abundance during specific migratory cycles, highlighting the efficacy of eDNA metabarcoding for fish composition characterization. Seasonal dynamics for certain species exhibit clear patterns, emphasising the method's utility in unravelling ecological complexities. eDNA metabarcoding emerges as a cost-effective tool with considerable potential for fish community monitoring for conservation purposes in dynamic marine environments like the Oslo fjord, contributing valuable insights for informed management strategies.