Earlier this year, wpd submitted an application to the Land and Environment Court for permit to build an offshore wind farm on Storgrundet. The application was announced this autumn, which means the EIA is considered sufficient and the trial can begin. Since 2006 AquaBiota has had various assignments related to wpd’s plans to build a […]
The field season has started
This year’s field season is underway and marine biologists from AquaBiota have recently returned from a fish survey close to the Eystrasalt bank, an exposed and shallow offshore area in the middle of the Bothnian Sea. The survey was carried out on behalf of wpd who wants to explore the possibilities of establishing a wind […]
Comparisons of traditional net fishing and eDNA sampling for coastal fish surveys
On behalf of Blekinge County Administrative Board Aquabiota mapped the fish community in the Gåsefjärden area in Kalskrona archipelago using eDNA and net fishing, as well as compared these methods. In the month of August 2019, 45 stations were sampled by net fishing and 17 by eDNA, of which 16 stations were mutual for both […]
Breakthrough in monitoring methods of polar bears through snow tracks. News from the BBC.
To date, in order to take tests, polar bears have been tranquilised with dart guns or by examining dead animals. With a new method it is enough to find traces in the snow to be able to identify polar bears at the individual level which is both non-intrusive and cost effective. This pilot project was […]
The harmful pink salmon is surveyed in Sweden in an international eDNA survey
To survey the invasion of the harmful pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) a collaborative international project 1000 Rivers was launched on September 10th 2019 (in Sweden September 18th 2019). (1000rivers eDNA).Ten countries participate in the survey to detect the species by using eDNA, i.e. capturing DNA traces directly from filtered water. The pink salmon is a […]
Tracks in the snow – preparation for winter field work 2019-2020
Performing eDNA analysis on snow tracks provides new opportunities for studying individual animals, their migration patterns and relationships. Right now, preparations are underway for winter field work in Sweden where lynx tracks will be sampled when the snow has fallen. The lynx project is a pilot study funded by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency where […]
Nip in the bud- eDNA for early detection of deadly infectious disease
New article. eDNA detects schistostomiasis (snail fever), the second largest cause of death in the world after malaria. The article presents a paradigm shift in moving from disease control to elimination. An international team, including a researcher from AquaBiota, has published a research article in PNAS showing that eDNA detects schistosomiasis at an early stage […]
Grayling and European chub found on the northern Baltic coast
In May 2018, AquaBiota carried out inventories of coastal fish communities along the northern Baltic coast with the help of eDNA. A total of 27 fish species were detected, which reflected the coastal non-pelagic fish fauna. Grayling was detected at a station and European chub in another. European chub are very rarely occurring that far […]
eDNA-technology detected 18 fish species including sheatfish in lake Båven
In August 2018, AquaBiota performed an eDNA inventory of fish species in lake Båven (surface area 64,2 km²) in the county of Sörmland, commissioned by the water management association in Nyköping (Nyköpingsåarnas Vattenvårdsförbund). Eighteen fish species were found in the lake, including the threatened sheatfish (Silurus glanis) that during the time of sampling had sought out […]
DNA-based identification of Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) individuals from snow tracks
During a three-year period, methods for DNA-based identification of individuals of Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) from snow tracks will be developed. Newly developed DNA-collection and extraction methods will be used to analyse DNA from snow tracks to identify individuals and sex. The advantage of the method is that identification can be made without taking physical […]
eDNA provides facts about the effects of hydropower plants
Fish fauna upstream and downstream Spjutmo hydropower plant in Dalarna was investigated using aquatic eDNA and metabarcoding. The survey was made by AquaBiota on behalf of Fortum Sweden. The results from this study can be used to suggest suitable measures for lake Spjutmo as part of Sweden’s undertakings regarding green infrastructure. Österdalälven above lake Spjutmo. […]
EU-grant for international research on eDNA of fish
Micaela Hellström from AquaBiota was granted a short-term grant (Short Term Scientific Mission – STSM) from EU’s COST DNAqua-Net fond (CA15219). She spent the month of July at the University of Hull, Great Britain, as a visiting scientist in Dr. Bernd Hänfling’s laboratory. The grant was intended to streamline and validate eDNA analyses of fish on […]
AquaBiota now a member of a scientific committee for eDNA development
Micaela Hellström from AquaBiota is now a member of the scientific committee in the five year EU project called Developing new genetic tools for bioassessment of aquatic ecosystems in Europe (COST Action CA15219). The project is also called DNAqua-Net (http://dnaqua.net/) and deals with the implementation and refinement of environmental DNA (eDNA) according to the EU-Water […]