edna - NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory

A Collaborative Effort Investigates the Biological Carbon Pump, Deploying Sediment Traps Hundreds of Meters Below

AOML Communications — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 14:22:01 +0000

A team of scientists from AOML, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the University of South Carolina retrieve a sediment trap from the Gulf of Mexico, spending months processing and examining the flurry of microscopic shells and environmental DNA (eDNA) of biological debris collected by the trap, known as “marine snow.” This collaborative NOAA–USGS research project uses these sediment trap samples to investigate the biological carbon pump, the ocean’s role in removing atmospheric carbon, and climate change patterns.

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First NOAA GO-SHIP Cruise In 5 Years Departs To Study Unique Atlantic Basin

AOML Communications — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 18:47:16 +0000

Originally published at NOAA Global Ocean Monitoring & Observing on March 7th, 2023. 30-years of ocean observations provide view into long-term ocean trends On March 6, a team of scientists on the NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown departed from Suape, Brazil for a 55-day cruise to the northerly waters of Reykjavik, Iceland. With 150 planned stops along this […]

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“Long-read” genetic sequencing improves scientists’ ability to recover genomes of plankton

AOML Communications — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 16:13:23 +0000

Scientists at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) have discovered that “long-read” genetic sequencing can be used to learn more about eukaryotic plankton, including krill and copepods, which are involved in many important marine processes.

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New study highlights major step forward in monitoring ocean health

AOML Communications — Mon, 23 May 2022 16:58:00 +0000

In a major step forward for monitoring the biodiversity of marine systems, a new study published in Environmental DNA details how Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) researchers are using autonomous underwater robots to sample environmental DNA (eDNA). eDNA allows scientists to detect the presence of aquatic species from the tiny bits of genetic material they leave behind. This DNA soup offers clues about biodiversity changes in sensitive areas, the presence of rare or endangered species, and the spread of invasive species—all critical to understanding, promoting, and maintaining a healthy ocean.

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Exploring Environmental DNA

AOML Communications — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 15:17:22 +0000

Have you ever wondered what animals might be present in a particular habitat or traveled through a certain area of the ocean? Scientists are able to use environmental DNA or “eDNA” sampling to help answer those questions. NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) has recently released a new educational video series, “Exploring Environmental DNA” on their website and Youtube channel.

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The Spirit of International Cooperation Drives Oceanographic Discovery Aboard Tara

Nastassia Patin — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 16:24:17 +0000

At 20:00 at 64°S in the austral summer month of February, the sun was still high in the sky. It cast a delicate light over the sea surface dotted with icebergs, which ranged from small misshapen chunks to massive angular structures with marbled cliffsides. In January and February 2022, I took part in an Antarctic voyage aboard the French schooner Tara. My participation was part of a partnership between NOAA and AtlantECO, a European-led consortium to characterize, quantify, and model Atlantic Ocean ecosystems.

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Environmental DNA Sampling Gets an Upgrade and Transitions to New Open-Source Technology

AOML Communications — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 18:17:23 +0000

Scientists at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML),the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, and the Northern Gulf Institute at Mississippi State University have engineered a new instrument that will provide valuable information about the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems. A recently published paper in Hardware X describes the design and creation of a low-cost, open-source sub-surface automated environmental DNA (eDNA) sampler (SASe), for sampling eDNA in the water column. The SASe represents a milestone for AOML as one of the first pieces of technology to go through a rigorous transition process from the desks of scientists in the laboratory, through organizational approval channels, to the wider scientific community with full accessibility to the public.

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GOMECC-4 Cruise Assesses Ocean Acidification Impacts in the Gulf of Mexico

AOML Communications — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 12:34:00 +0000

AOML scientists and partners from an assortment of universities and Cooperative Institutes successfully completed the most comprehensive ocean acidification sampling of the Gulf of Mexico to date with the conclusion of the fourth Gulf of Mexico Ecosystems and Carbon Cruise, also known as the GOMECC-4 cruise. The research effort aboard the NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown began out of Key West, Florida on September 13, 2021 with 25 scientists and graduate students aboard. It ended 39 days later on October 21 with a port stop in St. Petersburg, Florida.

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AOML Scientist Collects eDNA to Make Connections in Marine Food Webs

AOML Communications — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 18:05:09 +0000

Dr. Nastassia Patin, a Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) scientist working at AOML, recently spent three weeks aboard the NOAA ship Reuben Lasker collecting environmental DNA (eDNA) from water samples in support of the Rockfish Recruitment and Ecosystem Assessment Survey (RREAS).

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Solving an eDNA Mystery with the Northern Gulf Institute

AOML Communications — Fri, 02 Apr 2021 12:59:06 +0000

From the desk of CSI: Miami (Fish Edition): Solving an eDNA mystery. NGI Associate Research Professor Luke Thompson and NGI Postdoctoral Associate Sean Anderson have been studying the environmental DNA (eDNA) left behind by fish at the University of Miami dock (pictured), near the NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory in Miami, Florida. When they analyzed the data, while many of the fish species detected were expected for the area, they were surprised by several unexpected species, such as rainbow trout. To help solve this mystery, Luke and Sean sent out a survey to fish biologists with expertise in this region.

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