A new study shows how tiny traces of DNA from seawater can provide crucial information about the relationship between marine mammals and key prey species to support their conservation.
A team from the University of Leeds, University of Milano-Bicocca, and the CRRU used the traces of DNA left by animals in seawater (environmental DNA/eDNA) to follow the seasonal movements of minke whales, bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises, along with their prey species in the newly created Southern Trench Marine Protected Area off the coast of northeast Scotland.
This is one of the first times the approach has been used successfully to detect patterns between whales, dolphins, and their prey, and shows the potential of the technique to help guide and monitor marine conservation efforts.