Endowed Professor of Marine Science Jason Adolf delivered a presentation on Monmouth University’s research on the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) for surveying fish populations at the 2025 Mid-Atlantic Ocean Forum on May 7 in Baltimore. Adolf’s presentation highlighted how the technique of analyzing materials filtered from water samples can be paired with traditional techniques to improve fisheries monitoring plans.
As fish swim through the waters, they leave behind dandruff-like cells and bodily fluids that can be analyzed and matched to the genetic barcodes of others to determine their species. This crime scene investigation-style approach to marine detection has emerged as a more humane and less expensive means of studying fish populations than traditional methods that require their capture.
The session, “eDNA in Marine Systems: Applications for the Mid-Atlantic,” focused on the potential application of eDNA to marine and coastal natural resource management and how it can contribute to monitoring and decision-making processes. The session also included presentations by Jan McDowell, Ph.D., and Angelina Dichiera, Ph.D., of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science; and Kesley Leonard, Ph.D., of the Shinnecock Nation.
Hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean, the forum is the region’s premier annual event dedicated to ocean planning. UCI Director Tony MacDonald and Fisheries and Ocean Conservation Fellow Jay Odell moderated sessions at the event. Click here to view additional videos from the Forum.