eDNA-based detections of cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic (2023)

This dataset contains information regarding environmental DNA (eDNA) samples that were collected from whale watching vessels between June and October 2023 in three regions: the Ligurian Sea (North western Mediterranean Sea), the Mid-Atlantic Ocean (coasts of the Azores), and Skjálfandi Bay (Húsavík, Northeast Iceland). Samples were collected with defined modifications to assess an optimal sampling regime. Modifications included the location in which a sample was collected near the target species (its flukeprint or breach site), the timing of sample collection after a target species was present (immediately, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or 20 minutes after), the water volume of a filtered sample, and the type of commercially-available eDNA filter that was used. Samples of various modifications were collected during the same event to ensure appropriate direct comparison in downstream analyses (variable: PairedID). Total DNA from these samples was extracted and quantified using Qubit fluorometry ("Qubit" and "Mean.Qubit" in the dataset). Species-specific DNA was measured and quantified using quantitative PCR (qPCR) in which the Cycle Threshold (Ct) value represents the amount of target DNA: lower Ct values indicates higher target DNA. This data is supplementary information for the manuscript entitled "Citizen science-based monitoring of cetaceans: optimizing environmental DNA sampling from whale watching vessels" (Rodriguez & García Ovide et al., 2024)