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Monmouth University staff and students gathered with 100 of the nation\u2019s leading practitioners of environmental DNA (eDNA) science on Nov. 29 and 30 to share discoveries, state-of-the-art technologies and new methods for this groundbreaking marine life detection method.<\/p>\n
The National Conference on Marine Environmental DNA<\/a> was the third in a series of four conferences (The Marine Science & Policy Series) being organized jointly by the Urban Coast Institute (UCI) and The Rockefeller University Program for the Human Environment (PHE). The events are held annually on rotating campuses, with the 2016 National Ocean Exploration Forum<\/a> at Rockefeller University in New York City, the 2017 Mid-Atlantic Blue Ocean Economy<\/a> symposium at Monmouth University, and the latest event back in Manhattan. The conference was capped by a luncheon<\/a> honoring National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt with the UCI\u2019s Champion of the Ocean Award.<\/p>\n Sampling for eDNA is an approach that allows scientists to confirm the presence of fish and other organisms by testing for trace amounts of genetic material that they shed into the water. The technique holds the promise of being less expensive, more humane and more revealing than other longstanding scientific methods that rely on physically catching or observing animals. Monmouth has piloted research in local waters such as Wreck Pond, Sandy Hook Bay, Deal Lake and the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers.<\/p>\n One such example was provided by McNutt, who described how eDNA is being used to monitor the threat of invasive Asian carp entering the Great Lakes. Researchers are employing eDNA tests as an early warning system to detect whether the fish have made it past barriers set up in the lakes\u2019 tributaries to thwart their advance.<\/p>\n A goal of the conference was to initiate a commitment by leading scientists and stakeholders to take up eDNA as a cooperative national or regional research theme.<\/p>\n \u201ceDNA opens the door to cheap, frequent, widespread, potentially automated monitoring of the diversity, distribution, and abundance of aquatic life,\u201d said Monmouth University President Emeritus and UCI Ocean Policy Fellow Paul G. Gaffney II. \u201cGovernment agencies need to take notice.\u201d<\/p>\n UCI Director Tony MacDonald credited PHE Director Jesse Ausubel for his vision in recognizing eDNA\u2019s potential to solve problems and raising its profile throughout the scientific community.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is nothing more important than a big idea, and I think this eDNA conference is another example of how a big idea can inspire everybody in the work you do,\u201d MacDonald told the gathering. \u201cEverything you do in science, no matter how detailed, is rooted in a big idea.\u201d<\/p>\n Additional Links National Conference on Marine Environmental DNA website<\/a><\/p>\n Read coverage from National Geographic<\/a><\/p>\n View photos from the event<\/a><\/p>\n Event press release<\/a><\/p>\n Conference program<\/a> (PDF)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marcia McNutt recalled the state of oceanography at the start of her career in the 1970s, when the research methods employed were still largely the same as those of the HMS Challenger<\/em> exhibition of 1872-76. Everything still hinged on the collection of physical evidence through means such as dredging and net tows. But when she joined the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute as its director in 1997, she sensed a transformation was under way, thanks in large part to the vision of founder David Packard.<\/p>\n \u201cHe said, \u2018Send instruments into the ocean, not people. Bring back data, not samples.\u2019 And it was a thrilling to think about how we could revolutionize oceanography by doing just that,\u201d said McNutt, now the president of the National Academy of Sciences.<\/p>\n The UCI recognized McNutt with its highest honor, the National Champion of the Ocean Award, in a Nov. 30 ceremony at The Rockefeller University in New York City. The special award luncheon capped off a two-day National Conference on Marine Environmental DNA<\/a>, organized jointly by Rockefeller and Monmouth universities.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I had to make a list of my own ocean heroes, it would be exactly the people who you have honored, so I am thrilled to join them,\u201d McNutt said.<\/p>\n McNutt said she is excited about the scientific advances that are being made thanks to the rapid evolution of technology. Today\u2019s tools are making it possible to test waters for their health and chemistry far faster than ever before, and gather massive volumes of data that can help scientists understand aquatic environments as living systems. That is crucial, McNutt said, because it can help predict how they\u2019ll evolve in the future.<\/p>\n \u201cI worry today because we\u2019re still getting too many surprises, and the surprises are unpleasant,\u201d she said. \u201cMore are sure to come if we\u2019re not more knowledgeable of how these systems behave when they\u2019re stressed.\u201d<\/p>\n For example, McNutt said research now shows that when plastics break down, they release aromatics that mimic the scents of prey for turtles and other marine animals, which are in turn attracted to the substances and eat them. She also mentioned ocean acidification and warming as areas with major implications that are not yet fully understood.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe that basic science, basic understanding of this large, bio-geochemical reactor in the ocean is the only thing that\u2019s going to give us this understanding,\u201d she said. \u201cI hope that it\u2019s not going to be only through observation that we find out. We need to know better ahead of time so we can intervene earlier, so we can have healthy oceans and healthy waterways.\u201d<\/p>\n Additional Links<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n An increasing number of Americans believe climate change is occurring, including a majority who now see this issue as a very serious problem, according to the latest Monmouth University Poll. Most Americans are optimistic that there is still time to prevent the worst effects of climate change and support taking action, but they are not confident in the government\u2019s ability or willingness to do something about it. Click here to read the press release<\/a> and full poll numbers and here to listen<\/a> to UCI Director Tony MacDonald discuss the data on the public radio show Living on Earth<\/em>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/uci\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/58\/2018\/12\/eDNA-audience-300x200.jpg\")
The conference highlighted insights provided by eDNA to date and its potential to further scientific knowledge and inform ocean management. One of the innovations discussed was \u201cGo Fish,\u201d an eDNA testing tool developed by PHE Senior Research Associate Mark Stoeckle that can confirm the presence of a given species inexpensively and within a few days. He noted that rapid access to eDNA data could be used to aid authorities with time-sensitive decisions.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a>National Academy of Sciences President Honored as UCI Ocean Champion<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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The Champion of the Ocean Awards were established in 2005 to honor individuals who have helped ensure coasts and oceans are clean, safe, sustainably managed and preserved for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations. Past honorees<\/a> include marine biologist Sylvia Earle, ocean explorer Robert Ballard, former Secretary of Defense and CIA Director Leon Panetta, and oceanographer Jean-Michael Cousteau.<\/p>\n\n
Polling Shows Climate Concerns on the Rise (with Radio Interview)
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<\/p>\nA Perfect Day Aboard the R\/V Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n