New research initiative to aid in Biscayne Bay preservation

An “environmental DNA” research initiative seeks to answer complex questions about the health of Biscayne Bay.

Rising water temperatures, pollution and development impact marine life, but identifying impacts on specific areas of the bay or specific species, especially elusive or nocturnal ones, can be difficult. FIU Biological Sciences Professor Jose Eirin-Lopez says the pilot study using environmental DNA can track changes in the diversity of organisms living in the water.  

“Environmental DNA analyses are a game changer in the study of aquatic ecology,” said Eirin-Lopez, who conducts his research as part of the Institute of Environment. “This technology uses biological material left behind by organisms on their surroundings. When researchers look at the DNA, we are able to piece together what species have been recently present in different areas of the bay and the implications for conservation and management.”

The technology, which is funded by a private grant, involved sending researchers out to collect water samples from different areas of the bay with varying levels of pollutions, population density and water temperature. In the laboratory, the researchers isolate the DNA in the water and use computational methods to establish a census of the aquatic species to which the DNA belongs from each of the water samples. This is the first time this type of study has been conducted over a broad area for an extended period of time in Biscayne Bay.

“It allows us to study ecosystems that are impacted by human activity and climate change,” Eirin-Lopez said, who added that construction and development are among the ways that people degrade the water. “We are also able to gather periodic information about what is going on in different spots of the bay,” Eirin-Lopez said.

The technology will allow researchers to quantify what is happening in the bay more effectively, data they can then share with water management and other officials able to intervene to minimize the impacts on marine life and prevent cascading events.

“Everything in the ocean is connected. The disappearance of key species leads to the disappearance of other species that are dependent on them for survival,” Eirin-Lopez said.