eDNA sequencing survey of elasmobranchs in the Red Sea

Conservation of elasmobranch populations is often inhibited by a lack of data. This communication describes a pilot study comparing biodiversity and relative abundance data from baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVS), unoccupied aerial vehicle surveys (UAVS), and environmental DNA (eDNA) samples collected during a rapid two-week survey at five islands in the Farasan Banks, southern Red Sea. Each method identified species missed by the other two, but all three techniques exhibited clear habitat- and taxa-specific biases.