eDNA in subterranean ecosystems: Applications, technical aspects, and future prospects

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dc.contributor.authorSaccò, M.
dc.contributor.authorGuzik, M.T.
dc.contributor.authorvan der Heyde, M.
dc.contributor.authorNevill, P.
dc.contributor.authorCooper, S.J.B.
dc.contributor.authorAustin, A.D.
dc.contributor.authorCoates, P.J.
dc.contributor.authorAllentoft, M.E.
dc.contributor.authorWhite, N.E.
dc.date.issued2022
dc.description.abstractMonitoring of biota is pivotal for the assessment and conservation of ecosystems. Environments worldwide are being continuously and increasingly exposed to multiple adverse impacts, and the accuracy and reliability of the biomonitoring tools that can be employed shape not only the present, but more importantly, the future of entire habitats. The analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding data provides a quick, affordable, and reliable molecular approach for biodiversity assessments. However, while extensively employed in aquatic and terrestrial surface environments, eDNA-based studies targeting subterranean ecosystems are still uncommon due to the lack of accessibility and the cryptic nature of these environments and their species. Recent advances in genetic and genomic analyses have established a promising framework for shedding new light on subterranean biodiversity and ecology. To address current knowledge and the future use of eDNA methods in groundwaters and caves, this review explores conceptual and technical aspects of the application and its potential in subterranean systems. We briefly introduce subterranean biota and describe the most used traditional sampling techniques. Next, eDNA characteristics, application, and limitations in the subsurface environment are outlined. Last, we provide suggestions on how to overcome caveats and delineate some of the research avenues that will likely shape this field in the near future. We advocate that eDNA analyses, when carefully conducted and ideally combined with conventional sampling techniques, will substantially increase understanding and enable crucial expansion of subterranean community characterisation. Given the importance of groundwater and cave ecosystems for nature and humans, eDNA can bring to the surface essential insights, such as study of ecosystem assemblages and rare species detection, which are critical for the preservation of life below, as well as above, the ground.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityMattia Saccò, Michelle T. Guzik, Mieke van der Heyde, Paul Nevill, Steven J.B. Cooper, Andrew D. Austin, Peterson J. Coates, Morten E. Allentoft, Nicole E. White
dc.identifier.citationScience of the Total Environment, 2022; 820
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153223
dc.identifier.issn0048-9697
dc.identifier.issn1879-1026
dc.identifier.orcidCooper, S.J.B. [0000-0002-7843-8438]
dc.identifier.orcidAustin, A.D. [0000-0002-9602-2276]
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2440/135134
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.relation.granthttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/LP140100555
dc.relation.granthttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/LP190100555
dc.rights© 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4. 0/)
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153223
dc.subjectEnvironmental DNA
dc.subjectMetabarcoding
dc.subjectBiomonitoring
dc.subjectSubterranean ecology
dc.subjectGroundwater
dc.subjectCave
dc.subjectStygofauna
dc.subjectTroglofauna
dc.subject.meshHumans
dc.subject.meshReproducibility of Results
dc.subject.meshEcosystem
dc.subject.meshBiodiversity
dc.subject.meshEnvironmental Monitoring
dc.subject.meshDNA Barcoding, Taxonomic
dc.subject.meshDNA, Environmental
dc.titleeDNA in subterranean ecosystems: Applications, technical aspects, and future prospects
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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