Vashon eDNA Project

Have you heard of eDNA? It’s like nature’s invisible fingerprint! Environmental DNA (eDNA) is genetic material collected from environmental samples—such as seawater, freshwater, soil, sediment, ice, permafrost, or air—without needing plants or animals to be physically present. They leave behind traces of DNA through things like feces, urine, sloughed skin, scales, decaying matter, gametes, mucus, and blood. These organic particles linger in the water, allowing scientists to collect eDNA and identify hundreds of species from just a single water sample!

Hakai Institute and UW eDNA collaborative are partnering with Vashon Nature Center to launch the Integrated Coastal Observatory (ICO) project on Vashon Island. The ICO is a coordinated network of partners along the British Columbia coast using environmental DNA (eDNA) to monitor marine biodiversity. This will be Hakai’s first international site and its southernmost location, offering an exciting opportunity to monitor the health of the Salish Sea ecosystem across borders. Check out their website here: https://ico.hakai.org/ 

Volunteers will collect monthly eDNA samples to track marine diversity at each site. The resulting data will enable us to monitor shifts in biodiversity and provide insights into key questions surrounding forage fish, green crab, and other marine species.

There will be a training workshop at 10 am on October 29th at Jensen Point, where ICO scientists will demonstrate eDNA field sampling protocols and provide more information about the project. The volunteer effort will last one year with monthly sampling opportunities.

.Questions: taylor@vashonnaturecenter.org

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