Environmental DNA for Biodiversity Assessment and Monitoring: Challenges and Perspectives

Dear Colleagues,

The conservation and management of global ecosystems are critical to the interest of all humans, nations, and governments. Our current knowledge regarding the inherent biodiversity of global ecosystems and the impacts of natural and anthropogenic stressors on the current biodiversity is far from complete. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a contemporary molecular genetic tool that has shown great promise over the past decade for advancing our collective knowledge about the biodiversity of global ecosystems and how these ecosystems are changing in response to natural and anthropogenic stressors. However, the development of new molecular tools (e.g., targeted, metabarcoding, and eRNA assays) is not without unexpected challenges and unanticipated perspectives. This Special Issue aims to publish a diverse range of original research, review, rapid communication, and methodology articles that collectively advance our understanding about the challenges and perspectives of eDNA-based biodiversity assessment and monitoring.

In this Special Issue, original research articles, reviews, rapid communications, and methodologies are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: 

1. Detection of endangered, invasive, or problematic species for biodiversity assessment (targeted or metabarcoding);
2. Assessment of baseline population diversity and/or abundance for long-term conservation management monitoring;
3. Monitoring biosecurity threats in imported goods and ports (including invertebrates, parasites, bacteria, and viruses);
4. Monitoring recovery or decline of ecosystem health (including population size and genetic diversity);
5. Monitoring aquaculture systems for health/stress, productivity, infestations, and diseases (including eRNA);
6. Development of novel methodologies for improved efficiency, sensitivity, throughput, or logistics (including eRNA) .

Dr. Richard C. Edmunds
Guest Editor

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