CANBERRA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Australian scientists have developed techniques to track and count fish in the ocean without seeing or catching them by analyzing the DNA and cells they shed into seawater.
Researchers tested the methods in a 3 million liter aquarium at the Aquarium of Western Australia, providing a controlled setting to trial technologies for monitoring fish stocks and endangered species in the wild, according to a statement released Monday by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia's national science agency.
CSIRO Marine ecologist Cindy Bessey experimented with environmental DNA, or eDNA, genetic traces shed by animals into their surroundings, the statement said.
Instead of pumping large volumes of seawater through filters, her team designed simple membranes that can be submerged and collect eDNA within minutes, even in remote locations, it said.
Meanwhile, CSIRO scientist Haylea Power adapted cell-sorting tools normally used in medical diagnostics to capture whole fish cells suspended in water.
"This new technique means people will be able to use a bucket of seawater to sample fish for genetic studies, instead of needing to catch individual fish," Power said.
"Importantly, we'll be able to count the fish present in a location by using DNA to distinguish between individuals. This is important when monitoring an endangered species or assessing stock levels of a fished species," she said.
CSIRO researchers said the advances could transform fisheries management and conservation, offering a rapid, low-impact way to assess marine populations. ■
