What Whale and Shark eDNA Can Teach Us About Biodiversity

From the mangrove bays of the Galapagos to the submarine canyons of California, marine biodiversity remains a challenge to observe. The Galapagos has more than 600 known endemic species. In the Gulf of California  39% of the world’s marine mammal species, including an endemic porpoise, live with over 90 endemic fishes. The California Current, one of the richest fisheries in the world, supports dozens of cetacean species. This amazing biodiversity goes beyond a list of species: It encompasses communities of organisms interacting in complex webs of cooperation and competition, and at the molecular level, biodiversity means the genetic diversity and evolutionary potential of each population.  I will present my research on the development of innovative techniques to study the trace DNA molecules left behind by whales, sharks, and all of the animals they share these incredible ecosystems with, and what eDNA can tell us about their lives.