The so-called “environmental DNA” is helping conservationists keep track of marine species. Sharks, especially, are not easy to track as many scuba divers and scientists will tell you.
Judith Bakker, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department Biological Sciences, has found a much quicker and cheaper shark tracking tool to help identify and track down certain species.
By gathering small DNA fragments from genetic material and screening water samples for shark eDNA, Bakker was able to detect 21 shark species. Her research and data also showed that parts of the oceans protected from fishing have a greater shark diversity.
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