The techniques can be more than five times cheaper than traditional fish survey techniques and are easier and kinder ways to monitor the animals
Multiple species of fish can be identified using a single water sample taken from a river, lake or coastal area
The techniques have multiple applications for example monitoring and managing water for quality, stopping the spread of invasive species or protecting natural capital
In future such techniques can be used for much larger groups of species including microbes and microscopic creatures to demonstrate the true diversity of life in our waterways
UK startup NatureMetrics Ltd today announces the official launch of its innovative eDNA Fish monitoring service, which identifies whole communities of fish from easy-to-collect water samples. Believed to be the first commercial service of its kind in the UK, the analysis relies on DNA traces that are shed by the animals and collected by the end user in a water sample. Such traces are known as ‘environmental DNA’ or ‘eDNA’.
NatureMetrics are an innovative science start-up based in Egham. Originally founded by 3 UK-based scientists. They have been at the forefront of applying exciting new DNA based techniques to the field of biodiversity monitoring. NatureMetrics uses its powerful DNA amplification and sequencing techniques to identify which animals or even microbes have been present in an area of water. That reduces time, costs and huge constraints from having to observe and identify every single species by sight.
NatureMetrics can identify multiple species present in a sample all at once. So far they have worked with samples of fresh and marine water, marine sediment, even soil using a range of techniques in the lab.
NatureMetrics has worked closely with leading academic research groups and environmental policy makers over the last two years to develop, test and refine these methods, successfully employing them to monitor fish in ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, estuaries and oceans. In one case just 300 ml of water collected from the Devonshire coast revealed the presence of 25 different species of fish.
The service has multiple applications for businesses, local authorities and conservation groups. Kat Bruce, Co-Founder and MD at NatureMetrics, said:
“Fish are extremely time consuming and expensive to survey using conventional methods such as gillnetting or electrofishing - and these are also highly invasive for the fish. Our eDNA service allows anyone to conduct a fish survey to discover what species are present in the area and to estimate the relative abundance of the different species of fish without having to capture or disturb them. We’re excited to launch this service to help give our clients better information on species and diversity and in turn to better inform their water management decisions.”
The fish surveys build on Nature Metrics existing DNA-based monitoring services including detection of Great Crested Newts and other amphibians, wildlife disease monitoring, invasive species surveillance, and large-scale monitoring of invertebrate communities which can help to give powerful data on ecosystem health.
Dr Bruce adds:
“eDNA is an immensely powerful tool that goes far beyond surveying fish. In fact a single water sample can be used to detect species ranging from fish and amphibians to fungal pathogens and invertebrates such as freshwater mussels, so the implications for large scale, routine surveillance of our waterbodies are vast. ”
NatureMetrics now plan to work with clients in multiple sectors, including utilities, extractives, agriculture and conservation groups to help shine a light on the diversity and trends in these under-monitored groups.
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About NatureMetrics:
NatureMetrics is a UK startup founded in 2015 that uses cutting-edge molecular methods to uncover biodiversity.
Drawing on decades of experience from our founding team, which includes senior academics from two of the UK's leading universities, we can design and carry out protocols for a wide variety of applications.
Originally founded by 3 UK based scientists Dr Kat Bruce, who did her Phd developing the techniques and now runs the business full time and Professors Doug Yu and Alfried Vogler who remain in academia at the forefront of this field. The founding team has since been joined by Katie Critchlow who has spent her career in green corporate strategy and aims to bring the techniques to support a revolution in business understanding and management of biodiversity and natural capital.
About the sampling techniques:
eDNA is a powerful tool for surveying aquatic vertebrate communities without the need to catch the animals themselves. It has been shown to be effective in a wide variety of aquatic ecosystems (ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, estuaries and oceans).
NatureMetrics provides kits and instructions for collecting eDNA samples from various types of waterbodies. Our sampling kits are based on manual on-site filtration of water, and the filters can be sent to the laboratory using non-specialist postage.
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