eWhale

Among the most serious threats to our planet is the loss of its variety of life, which is in jeopardy because of human activities. On top of that, surveying animals and plants over vast areas on a regular basis in order to study and address the loss of biodiversity by traditional methods requires a lot of effort in terms of funding, equipment, and time.

However, new techniques allow to detect the presence of a species solely from the DNA traces it releases into the environment. The eWHALE project exploits the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to monitor biodiversity, and tested this method in the Northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean. It united researchers, industry and the public across Europe to implement a novel strategy for marine biodiversity monitoring by means of a new cutting-edge technology.

This project specifically focused on marine biodiversity. Data were produced from water samples collected in proximity to whales or dolphins, which contain trace amounts of DNA of the animals. Molecular analysis of these samples provided information on whale population structure as well as their prey.

The Tethys Research Institute has been contributing to the eWHALE Project with its expertise in marine mammals and by collecting and filtering approximately 130 water samples of eDNA of six different species of cetaceans (i.e. fin whale, sperm whale, long finned pilot whale, Risso’s dolphin, striped dolphin, bottlenose dolphin) and testing three different filters (Sylphium, Smith-Root and Waterra), in the Pelagos Sanctuary during the CSR field activities, and by administering tailored questionnaires to participants.

At the same time also whale watching operators have been sampling water and administering questionnaires in the Azores, Ireland and Iceland.

In this way, data collection is taking advantage of platforms that are already at sea regularly. Compared to traditional field surveys, this method is more cost- and time-efficient and will generate an unprecedented dataset with high spatial, temporal, and taxonomic resolution.

Also, the active involvement and education of participants in whale-watching trips were important components of the eWHALE project, aimed at bolstering public support for marine conservation efforts. Additionally, stakeholders such as policymakers, NGOs, and natural resource managers were engaged, as their involvement will be crucial for establishing effective marine biodiversity protection measures.