to biologists ever since it
was devised in the 1990s.
It has been used to examine
the distribution of species
no longer present in an area,
but whose genetic traces are
still preserved in sediment.
It has also proved crucial in
tracking the spread of
invasive species. Asian grass
carp in the North American
Great Lakes and the New
Zealand mud snail in the
western USA, to use just
two examples, have both
had their progress
monitored via eDNA.
eDNA studies have also been
used in the search for species
that are rarely seen by people
and, in some cases, not seen
at all. A 2012 study of
seawater from the Baltic
confirmed the presence of
long-finned pilot whales in
the area, a species not seen by
people during the period
covered by the study and
generally thought to be an
extremely rare visitor there.
More remarkable is a 2018
study concerning eDNA
collected from the marinewaters of the New Caledonian
archipelago in the southwest
Pacific. This revealed the
presence of six shark species
that were not picked up at all
via more conventional
sampling techniques, like
long-term observation and
the use of baited locations set
with automatic cameras.
It’s doubtful that any of the
scientists involved in these
various eDNA projects ever
considered how applicable
this work might be to the
search for lake monsters, but
it’s with this record of
eDNA-based successes in
mind that Gemmell
announced his plans to
collect and analyse eDNA
from Loch Ness. An eDNA
census of the loch could
potentially reveal the
presence of a large animal
matching the ‘monster’
imagined by witnesses and
Nessie-hunters. But it would
also provide a list of the many
additional species livingA GIANT EEL?
Several monster experts have proposed
that Nessie might be an eel that has
grown to a size about 10 times bigger
than the norm for its species, perhaps
because it has been living there for
decades or centuries. There are no good
indications, however, that eels really can
keep growing in this way.A PLESIOSAUR?
A long-extinct group of aquatic reptiles- the plesiosaurs – have frequently been
mentioned in connection with Loch Ness,
mostly because Nessie is often said to
have a long neck, much like a plesiosaur.
But the fossil record gives no indication
that plesiosaurs have survived any more
recently than 66 million years ago.
WHAT
COULD
NESSIE BE?
This eDNA study
will be the first to
qualify if there is an
unexpected creature
in Loch Ness. Here are
the suspects of what
Nessie might be...eDNA TO
THE RESCUE!
NEWT RESCUE
Great crested newts are
protected by European law.
When development work
that could affect freshwater
bodies is planned, some
ecologists in the UK use
eDNA techniques to check
for the presence of the
amphibians before any
building takes place.SHARK
CONSERVATION
Sharks are a priority in
ocean conservation. Yet, as
they have huge ranges, they
can be difficult to monitor.
By taking water samples
from the Coral Sea and the
Caribbean Sea, a research
team identified thedistributions of at least 21
species of shark and
proposed that eDNA could
help generate conservation
strategies.SAVE THE WHALE
Scientists at Oregon State
University want to use
eDNA to investigate beaked
whales. This elusive group
of 23 species – some of
which have never been
seen alive – are tough to
locate, which makes eDNA
a handy tool to help us
learn about these
mysterious animals.FISH FARMING
Every year, the aquaculture
industry loses huge
numbers of fish to disease.
A team at James Cook
University has used eDNA
to detect bacteria and
parasites in the water of
farms, before any of the
fish get ill. This will help
farmers to kill off any bugs
before they become
a problem.As well as helping us discover the truth about Nessie,
eDNA has many other useful applications...Nature
“We could gain important
information on valuable, rare
or sensitive species.”