Optimizing the use of eDNA for Marine Protected Area surveying in Canada

Canada is investing in a large Marine Protected Area (MPA) network, spanning approximately 805,000 km, to preserve marine biodiversity and promote healthy, functional, and resilient marine ecosystems. However, current biodiversity sampling methods are inadequate to monitor biodiversity within a network of this size.

Project Optimize worked to evaluate and optimize marine monitoring survey designs in order to estimate the benefits of biodiversity certainty against the costs, resulting in key quantitative insights into monitoring biodiversity with eDNA.

I joined the team to develop a web explorer, highlighting the three pillars of the project: eDNA detections in Central BC, surface-to-bottom eDNA sample consistency, and power analysis for biodiversity change.

See the demonstration version at the link in the sidebar.