Last week, researchers from MBARI’s SURF Center, Environmental Omics Team, and the Biological Oceanography Group participated in the 2026 Global eDNA Conference in Seattle, Washington. During the three-day conference, the MBARI team shared their latest developments in eDNA science and technology with peers from around the world.

Environmental DNA, also known as eDNA, is the genetic material released by organisms into their surrounding environment. Scientists can use eDNA like a fingerprint to detect the presence of species of interest or take a snapshot of ecosystem biodiversity. 

Hosted in partnership with the Marine Technology Society’s eDNA Committee and the University of Washington’s eDNA Collaborative, the conference convened an international community of eDNA enthusiasts to build connections, learn from one another, and advance eDNA science and technology. MBARI was a sponsor of the conference.

MBARI has developed innovative tools and processes for collecting and analyzing eDNA, and the Global eDNA Conference was an opportunity to share our expertise with our peers. 

Principal Engineer Kevan Yamahara shared updates on benchmarking of autonomous eDNA technologies and organized instrumentation demonstrations, providing an opportunity for the global community of instrument developers to showcase emerging sampling technologies. Research Specialist Christina Preston shared how autonomous technologies are expanding the reach and scale of marine biodiversity observations, while Senior Research Technician Kathleen Pitz presented on collaborations to create standardized, reproducible, and accessible biomolecular protocols for the ocean science community. In the exhibit hall, Senior Scientist Chris Scholin and SURF Center Director Jim Birch introduced conference attendees to MBARI’s latest eDNA technologies, including the Environmental Sample Processor (ESP) and FIDO sampler.

Collaboration is essential to advancing eDNA research and technology and applying this powerful tool to ocean science and conservation. International conferences provide important opportunities for our team to learn from their peers and to share our latest developments, both critical to advancing sustained monitoring of the global ocean.

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