Environmental DNA measuring offshore marine biodiversity in southeast Australia

In this project we sequenced eDNA amplicons from water sampling conducted at over 100 sites (multiple depths) during the South-east Australian Marine Ecosystem Survey (July 2023: IN2023 V05 and May 2024: IN2024 V03). The survey, from the CSIRO Marine National Facility Research Vessel Investigator, covers offshore sites from Tasmania to New South Wales, including in the South-east Marine Park Network. Nets, cameras, and acoustics are also used in parallel to collect biodiversity data. The eDNA component of the project was funded by the Australian Government National Environmental Science Program (NESP)Multiple amplicons were sequenced during the project, this includes assays targeting fish (mtDNA 16S), metazoan (mtDNA COI) and eukaryotes (18S).