Real-time molecular biodiversity monitoring of the marine water column

本项目旨在开发一种可部署的仪器，供海洋生物多样性评估人员使用，以定量测量从海水样品中获得的eDNA。该仪器使用自动实时样品采集和分子技术对这些样品进行分析，以观察该样品的生物多样性。该仪器可安装在有人驾驶或无人驾驶的船只上，以便自动进行调查。仪器的输出是一系列物种的鉴定和丰度量化在微观和宏观层面上，例如细菌、鱼类和大型哺乳动物。这是一个端到端的海洋生物多样性观测和评估工具。海洋生物多样性评估量化了物种之间的细微平衡。这项技术不仅可以增加海水样本产量，减少样本处理时间，提高数据的准确性和稳健性，并可以进行实时数据分析，但会减少经陆路运往中央实验室的样本数目，以及减少不必要的大型船只移动所产生的排放，从而减少海洋生物多样性评估对环境的影响。随着英国政府正在实施“英国海洋战略”，这项技术的拟议开发来得及时，这将有助于恢复英国沃茨的健康，有助于实现政府的生物多样性目标，并在我们的海洋中建立“良好的环境状况”。该计划将是JNCC努力改善海洋沃茨生物多样性和阻止濒危物种减少的重要组成部分，并认识到管理良好的沃茨可以增加生物多样性，改善水质和减少碳排放。

This project aims to develop a deployable instrument for use by marine biodiversity assessors to quantitatively measure eDNA obtained from marine water samples.The instrument uses automatic real-time sample collection and molecular techniques to perform the analysis of those samples to provide an observation of the biodiversity of that sample(s).The instrument is designed to be mounted on a manned or unmanned craft such that surveys can automatically take place.The output from the instrument is the identification and abundance quantification of a range of species on the micro and macro level scale, for example, bacteria, fish, and larger mammals. This forms an end-to-end marine biodiversity observation and assessment tool. The marine biodiversity assessment quantifies the fine balance between species.This technology will not only increase marine water sample yield, reduce sample processing time, improve accuracy the robustness of data and allow real-time data analysis, but will reduce the environmental impact of marine biodiversity assessments by reducing the number of samples shipped by road to central laboratories and reduce the emissions by unnecessary large craft movements.The proposed development of this technology comes at a timely manner as the UK government is undertaking the "UK Marine Strategy" which will help restore the health of UK waters, contributes to the government's targets on biodiversity and build "Good Environmental Status" in our seas. The plan will be a crucial part of JNCC's efforts to improve the biodiversity of marine waters and halt the decline of endangered species and recognises that well-managed waters can result in increased biodiversity, improved water quality and reduced carbon emissions".