'Salty soup': climate threat to vital lagoon ecosystems
Yet a warming climate paired with competition for water upstream is degrading these ecological hotspots, ramping up their salt content and putting marine life under stress.
Emerging research suggests the potential for lagoon wetlands to act as carbon sinks - when an ecosystems draws down more carbon dioxide than it releases - is hindered when in a degraded state.
University of Adelaide microbial ecologist Christopher Keneally said the habitats tend to emit more methane and nitrous oxide, both potent greenhouse gas emissions, when in poor shape.
His post-doctoral research focused on the Ramsar-listed Coorong in South Australia, the traditional lands of the Ngarrindjeri people, underlines the importance of keeping these critical habitats in good health.
It's not just an Australian problem, he explained, with brackish wetlands in arid and temperate climate zones worldwide under threat from rising temperatures.
Characterised by somewhat choked ocean access, lagoons are already under pressure from human activity as freshwater use by towns, farms and industry leaves less for the environment at the end of river basins.
Now higher rates of evaporation under rising temperatures, less rainfall, and sea level rise bringing in more saltwater from the ocean are contributing to higher salt and nutrient concentrations.
"A single hot, dry summer, like the one we have recently experienced, can completely shift this important habitat into a salty, green soup," Dr Keneally said.
Such conditions upset the invisible and delicate "microbiomes" of lagoon waters, with microbial diversity diminished while salt-tolerant species survive.
Unbalanced microbial communities can potentially lead to harmful algae blooms and low-oxygen "dead zones" that kill fish.
In addition, microbial species with anaerobic metabolisms favour high salinity environments. These species tend to produce methane, undermining the habitat's role as a productive carbon sink.
While an emerging area of research, Dr Keneally said estimations of methane production were "probably underestimated" and should be better integrated into global climate models.
Occasional heavy rainfall and floods serve to "freshen up" coastal wetlands, rebalancing salt and other nutrient levels, as occurred in the South Australia's Coorong region in 2022.
Yet sporadic downpours cannot be relied upon.
"Conditions might improve for a couple of years, but those high rainfall events are not dependable, and in the dry periods, we often see permanent losses of biodiversity, Dr Keneally said.
Careful management of freshwater releases to keep salinity and nutrient levels at optimal levels was billed as part of the solution.
Listed as an internationally-important wetland under the Ramsar convention for migratory birds in the 1980s, the Coorong has long been a research priority and its condition taken seriously.
The Millennium Drought led to the creation of the Murray Darling Basin to better manage water flows in the region, though balancing the needs of irrigators, towns and the environment has long been a fraught issue.
Long-time Coorong fisherman Glen Hill believes the limited water reserved for the environment - half the amount recommended by scientists - should be released more strategically.
The owner of Coorong Wild Seafood said the north of the lagoon was in great shape as freshwater from the river mouth could be easily released into it, while the more isolated south area was in a "terrible" state.
He said better-timed water releases to coincide with favourable winds and weather conditions could help more freshwater enter the troubled southern lagoon.
Mr Hill has been fishing the area for the prized Yellow-eye mullet and other commercially-important species for decades.
Situated at the end of the Murray Darling Basin, Mr Hill said the Coorong was a highly productive fishery thanks to the high levels of nutrient "building blocks" swept downstream.
Yet he was acutely familiar with the "domino effect" of harmfully-high salinity levels, knocking out species low on the food chain and leaving fish with little to eat.
"When you get to around two times sea water salinity, things start to really go wrong," he said.
A spokesperson from the South Australian Department for Environment and Water said the government was committed to protecting the Coorong's ecological character.
"This work is achieved by optimising delivery of water for the environment and investing in infrastructure and restoration strategies to improve and protect the health of the system," the spokesperson said.
The health of the lagoon vastly improved during the 2022 River Murray floods but the spokesperson said more needed to be done to restore its long-term health.
This included refining freshwater flows and working with other basin states to ensure climate science informs its broader management.
Healthy, well-balanced coastal lagoons at the intersection of salty seas and fresh waterways make ideal fish nurseries and attractive spots for migratory birds.
Yet a warming climate paired with competition for water upstream is degrading these ecological hotspots, ramping up their salt content and putting marine life under stress.
Emerging research suggests the potential for lagoon wetlands to act as carbon sinks - when an ecosystems draws down more carbon dioxide than it releases - is hindered when in a degraded state.
University of Adelaide microbial ecologist Christopher Keneally said the habitats tend to emit more methane and nitrous oxide, both potent greenhouse gas emissions, when in poor shape.
His post-doctoral research focused on the Ramsar-listed Coorong in South Australia, the traditional lands of the Ngarrindjeri people, underlines the importance of keeping these critical habitats in good health.
It's not just an Australian problem, he explained, with brackish wetlands in arid and temperate climate zones worldwide under threat from rising temperatures.
Characterised by somewhat choked ocean access, lagoons are already under pressure from human activity as freshwater use by towns, farms and industry leaves less for the environment at the end of river basins.
Now higher rates of evaporation under rising temperatures, less rainfall, and sea level rise bringing in more saltwater from the ocean are contributing to higher salt and nutrient concentrations.
"A single hot, dry summer, like the one we have recently experienced, can completely shift this important habitat into a salty, green soup," Dr Keneally said.
Such conditions upset the invisible and delicate "microbiomes" of lagoon waters, with microbial diversity diminished while salt-tolerant species survive.
Unbalanced microbial communities can potentially lead to harmful algae blooms and low-oxygen "dead zones" that kill fish.
In addition, microbial species with anaerobic metabolisms favour high salinity environments. These species tend to produce methane, undermining the habitat's role as a productive carbon sink.
While an emerging area of research, Dr Keneally said estimations of methane production were "probably underestimated" and should be better integrated into global climate models.
Occasional heavy rainfall and floods serve to "freshen up" coastal wetlands, rebalancing salt and other nutrient levels, as occurred in the South Australia's Coorong region in 2022.
Yet sporadic downpours cannot be relied upon.
"Conditions might improve for a couple of years, but those high rainfall events are not dependable, and in the dry periods, we often see permanent losses of biodiversity, Dr Keneally said.
Careful management of freshwater releases to keep salinity and nutrient levels at optimal levels was billed as part of the solution.
Listed as an internationally-important wetland under the Ramsar convention for migratory birds in the 1980s, the Coorong has long been a research priority and its condition taken seriously.
The Millennium Drought led to the creation of the Murray Darling Basin to better manage water flows in the region, though balancing the needs of irrigators, towns and the environment has long been a fraught issue.
Long-time Coorong fisherman Glen Hill believes the limited water reserved for the environment - half the amount recommended by scientists - should be released more strategically.
The owner of Coorong Wild Seafood said the north of the lagoon was in great shape as freshwater from the river mouth could be easily released into it, while the more isolated south area was in a "terrible" state.
He said better-timed water releases to coincide with favourable winds and weather conditions could help more freshwater enter the troubled southern lagoon.
Mr Hill has been fishing the area for the prized Yellow-eye mullet and other commercially-important species for decades.
Situated at the end of the Murray Darling Basin, Mr Hill said the Coorong was a highly productive fishery thanks to the high levels of nutrient "building blocks" swept downstream.
Yet he was acutely familiar with the "domino effect" of harmfully-high salinity levels, knocking out species low on the food chain and leaving fish with little to eat.
"When you get to around two times sea water salinity, things start to really go wrong," he said.
A spokesperson from the South Australian Department for Environment and Water said the government was committed to protecting the Coorong's ecological character.
"This work is achieved by optimising delivery of water for the environment and investing in infrastructure and restoration strategies to improve and protect the health of the system," the spokesperson said.
The health of the lagoon vastly improved during the 2022 River Murray floods but the spokesperson said more needed to be done to restore its long-term health.
This included refining freshwater flows and working with other basin states to ensure climate science informs its broader management.
Healthy, well-balanced coastal lagoons at the intersection of salty seas and fresh waterways make ideal fish nurseries and attractive spots for migratory birds.
Yet a warming climate paired with competition for water upstream is degrading these ecological hotspots, ramping up their salt content and putting marine life under stress.
Emerging research suggests the potential for lagoon wetlands to act as carbon sinks - when an ecosystems draws down more carbon dioxide than it releases - is hindered when in a degraded state.
University of Adelaide microbial ecologist Christopher Keneally said the habitats tend to emit more methane and nitrous oxide, both potent greenhouse gas emissions, when in poor shape.
His post-doctoral research focused on the Ramsar-listed Coorong in South Australia, the traditional lands of the Ngarrindjeri people, underlines the importance of keeping these critical habitats in good health.
It's not just an Australian problem, he explained, with brackish wetlands in arid and temperate climate zones worldwide under threat from rising temperatures.
Characterised by somewhat choked ocean access, lagoons are already under pressure from human activity as freshwater use by towns, farms and industry leaves less for the environment at the end of river basins.
Now higher rates of evaporation under rising temperatures, less rainfall, and sea level rise bringing in more saltwater from the ocean are contributing to higher salt and nutrient concentrations.
"A single hot, dry summer, like the one we have recently experienced, can completely shift this important habitat into a salty, green soup," Dr Keneally said.
Such conditions upset the invisible and delicate "microbiomes" of lagoon waters, with microbial diversity diminished while salt-tolerant species survive.
Unbalanced microbial communities can potentially lead to harmful algae blooms and low-oxygen "dead zones" that kill fish.
In addition, microbial species with anaerobic metabolisms favour high salinity environments. These species tend to produce methane, undermining the habitat's role as a productive carbon sink.
While an emerging area of research, Dr Keneally said estimations of methane production were "probably underestimated" and should be better integrated into global climate models.
Occasional heavy rainfall and floods serve to "freshen up" coastal wetlands, rebalancing salt and other nutrient levels, as occurred in the South Australia's Coorong region in 2022.
Yet sporadic downpours cannot be relied upon.
"Conditions might improve for a couple of years, but those high rainfall events are not dependable, and in the dry periods, we often see permanent losses of biodiversity, Dr Keneally said.
Careful management of freshwater releases to keep salinity and nutrient levels at optimal levels was billed as part of the solution.
Listed as an internationally-important wetland under the Ramsar convention for migratory birds in the 1980s, the Coorong has long been a research priority and its condition taken seriously.
The Millennium Drought led to the creation of the Murray Darling Basin to better manage water flows in the region, though balancing the needs of irrigators, towns and the environment has long been a fraught issue.
Long-time Coorong fisherman Glen Hill believes the limited water reserved for the environment - half the amount recommended by scientists - should be released more strategically.
The owner of Coorong Wild Seafood said the north of the lagoon was in great shape as freshwater from the river mouth could be easily released into it, while the more isolated south area was in a "terrible" state.
He said better-timed water releases to coincide with favourable winds and weather conditions could help more freshwater enter the troubled southern lagoon.
Mr Hill has been fishing the area for the prized Yellow-eye mullet and other commercially-important species for decades.
Situated at the end of the Murray Darling Basin, Mr Hill said the Coorong was a highly productive fishery thanks to the high levels of nutrient "building blocks" swept downstream.
Yet he was acutely familiar with the "domino effect" of harmfully-high salinity levels, knocking out species low on the food chain and leaving fish with little to eat.
"When you get to around two times sea water salinity, things start to really go wrong," he said.
A spokesperson from the South Australian Department for Environment and Water said the government was committed to protecting the Coorong's ecological character.
"This work is achieved by optimising delivery of water for the environment and investing in infrastructure and restoration strategies to improve and protect the health of the system," the spokesperson said.
The health of the lagoon vastly improved during the 2022 River Murray floods but the spokesperson said more needed to be done to restore its long-term health.
This included refining freshwater flows and working with other basin states to ensure climate science informs its broader management.
Healthy, well-balanced coastal lagoons at the intersection of salty seas and fresh waterways make ideal fish nurseries and attractive spots for migratory birds.
Yet a warming climate paired with competition for water upstream is degrading these ecological hotspots, ramping up their salt content and putting marine life under stress.
Emerging research suggests the potential for lagoon wetlands to act as carbon sinks - when an ecosystems draws down more carbon dioxide than it releases - is hindered when in a degraded state.
University of Adelaide microbial ecologist Christopher Keneally said the habitats tend to emit more methane and nitrous oxide, both potent greenhouse gas emissions, when in poor shape.
His post-doctoral research focused on the Ramsar-listed Coorong in South Australia, the traditional lands of the Ngarrindjeri people, underlines the importance of keeping these critical habitats in good health.
It's not just an Australian problem, he explained, with brackish wetlands in arid and temperate climate zones worldwide under threat from rising temperatures.
Characterised by somewhat choked ocean access, lagoons are already under pressure from human activity as freshwater use by towns, farms and industry leaves less for the environment at the end of river basins.
Now higher rates of evaporation under rising temperatures, less rainfall, and sea level rise bringing in more saltwater from the ocean are contributing to higher salt and nutrient concentrations.
"A single hot, dry summer, like the one we have recently experienced, can completely shift this important habitat into a salty, green soup," Dr Keneally said.
Such conditions upset the invisible and delicate "microbiomes" of lagoon waters, with microbial diversity diminished while salt-tolerant species survive.
Unbalanced microbial communities can potentially lead to harmful algae blooms and low-oxygen "dead zones" that kill fish.
In addition, microbial species with anaerobic metabolisms favour high salinity environments. These species tend to produce methane, undermining the habitat's role as a productive carbon sink.
While an emerging area of research, Dr Keneally said estimations of methane production were "probably underestimated" and should be better integrated into global climate models.
Occasional heavy rainfall and floods serve to "freshen up" coastal wetlands, rebalancing salt and other nutrient levels, as occurred in the South Australia's Coorong region in 2022.
Yet sporadic downpours cannot be relied upon.
"Conditions might improve for a couple of years, but those high rainfall events are not dependable, and in the dry periods, we often see permanent losses of biodiversity, Dr Keneally said.
Careful management of freshwater releases to keep salinity and nutrient levels at optimal levels was billed as part of the solution.
Listed as an internationally-important wetland under the Ramsar convention for migratory birds in the 1980s, the Coorong has long been a research priority and its condition taken seriously.
The Millennium Drought led to the creation of the Murray Darling Basin to better manage water flows in the region, though balancing the needs of irrigators, towns and the environment has long been a fraught issue.
Long-time Coorong fisherman Glen Hill believes the limited water reserved for the environment - half the amount recommended by scientists - should be released more strategically.
The owner of Coorong Wild Seafood said the north of the lagoon was in great shape as freshwater from the river mouth could be easily released into it, while the more isolated south area was in a "terrible" state.
He said better-timed water releases to coincide with favourable winds and weather conditions could help more freshwater enter the troubled southern lagoon.
Mr Hill has been fishing the area for the prized Yellow-eye mullet and other commercially-important species for decades.
Situated at the end of the Murray Darling Basin, Mr Hill said the Coorong was a highly productive fishery thanks to the high levels of nutrient "building blocks" swept downstream.
Yet he was acutely familiar with the "domino effect" of harmfully-high salinity levels, knocking out species low on the food chain and leaving fish with little to eat.
"When you get to around two times sea water salinity, things start to really go wrong," he said.
A spokesperson from the South Australian Department for Environment and Water said the government was committed to protecting the Coorong's ecological character.
"This work is achieved by optimising delivery of water for the environment and investing in infrastructure and restoration strategies to improve and protect the health of the system," the spokesperson said.
The health of the lagoon vastly improved during the 2022 River Murray floods but the spokesperson said more needed to be done to restore its long-term health.
This included refining freshwater flows and working with other basin states to ensure climate science informs its broader management.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Marine heatwaves spark major climate change concerns
Extraordinary marine heatwaves have been described by an Australian researcher as a wake-up call and sparked concern about their long-term impacts. International research published in peer-reviewed journal Science said unprecedented underwater heatwaves in 2023 could mean ecosystems are stressed beyond a level from which they can recover. The Southwest Pacific heatwave in the Tasman Sea from November 2022 to March 2023 stretched further and lasted longer than ever before, triggering alarm among others in the North Atlantic and the Pacific. They caused major concern among scientists, with University of New South Wales Associate Professor Alex Sen Gupta describing the events as a wake-up call. However, he cautioned against suggestions a tipping point had been reached. "A tipping point would indicate that we've passed some threshold and we're not coming back again, but at this point, we don't know if that's true," he told AAP. He said the "unprecedented increase" in the sea surface temperature in 2023 had continued through to 2025, suggesting there could be long-term change. That would then cause more heatwaves, coral bleaching and the destruction of other habitat-forming species such as seagrass and kelp forests. "When these habitat-forming species start degrading or disappearing, obviously this is going to have knock-on effects for the whole ecosystem," he said. Research published in Science by academics from China's Eastern Institute of Technology in Ningbo found the 2023 marine heatwaves smashed records due to their intensity, duration and size. "Extraordinary (marine heatwaves) of 2023 may represent a major shift in oceanic and atmospheric conditions, potentially indicating an early signal of a tipping point in earth's climate system," the paper said. The scientists warned the heatwaves could stress ecosystems "beyond recovery thresholds" with coal reef collapse, displacing fish and destabilising polar ice sheets. CSIRO climate lead Jaci Brown said the findings aligned with her organisation's work and stressed the increase in marine heatwaves was an example of the impacts of climate change. "Marine heatwaves are just one example of how our future will play out in ways that we are still figuring out," Dr Brown said. She called for continued monitoring and modelling of what the future of the earth would look like on top of a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. "If we don't, we can't prepare, and we are walking into the unknown with dire consequences for our future food, health and security," she said.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
How just two litres of water can uncover the mysteries of the sea
How do you detect the presence of a bony-eared assfish, lurking 3000 metres below the surface of the ocean? By testing for evidence of its urine, of course. Scientists have spent the past three years painstakingly mapping the DNA of Australia's oceans, filtering the waters to collect the DNA 'breadcrumbs' animals leave behind. From just two litres of water, they can identify the DNA of every creature that has passed through the environment over the previous hours and days, allowing them to collect evidence of the animals' presence without nets and ropes. A multiyear project run by Minderoo Foundation and Parks Australia, spanning 13 dedicated voyages and several secondary voyages, has identified 257,497 marine vertebrates across Australian marine parks spanning 4000 kilometres north to south, and 6000 kilometres east to west. The environmental DNA (eDNA) project has not only spotlit where rare and threatened marine species are, but has also inadvertently discovered species previously unknown to science. 'Of course, we see more of them in places like deep-sea ecosystems, where people haven't gone before and surveyed the biodiversity down there,' said Professor Michael Bunce, the head of OceanOmics at Minderoo. 'What's going to be crucial is putting protections around some of these special places before they disappear.' Bony-eared assfish – a form of cusk-eel – are delicate creatures resembling a cross between a jellyfish and a tadpole, and are found in tropical and subtropical waters to depths of up to 4000 metres. Identifying them would usually involve extracting them from the depths of the ocean, thereby killing them. Other mid- and deep-sea creatures identified by the research teams include similarly intriguingly named rattails, slimeheads, pearlfish, slickheads and lanternfish. Despite rapid advances in scientific knowledge, oceans remain the great unknown, with estimates there could be up to 500,000 marine species in Australia's oceans, including corals, plankton and shellfish – of which just 33,000 have been identified. Work to sequence the DNA of marine life is slow and painstaking, but Bunce said Minderoo Foundation had set a goal to sequence the genetic 'barcodes' of all 5000 known marine fish, a task that is about halfway complete. A further 500 vertebrates call Australian waters home, including seabirds, whales, sealions and dolphins. The organisation is one of the partners of the national science agency CSIRO, which has set an ambitious target to create a national biodiversity DNA library for Australia, which it says would offer enormous fisheries, biosecurity and environmental benefits. The $11.8 million multiyear eDNA partnership between Minderoo Foundation and Parks Australia took seawater samples from a range of ocean environments, from tropical reefs to 6000 metres below the surface of the water. Bunce said sea creatures shed DNA in various ways, but mostly from the waste they expel. 'They're defecating and urinating in the water columns, so we're literally swimming around in a whole pile of DNA ... and that's kind of cool and gross at the same time,' he said. After animals shed DNA, it can be detectable for between a few hours and a few days before it is broken down by water movements, temperatures, UV radiation and other factors. DNA is broken down more rapidly in shallow and warm waters, while in cold and dark deep-sea settings, it can persist for a week or more. While all animals contain those genetic breadcrumbs, which are scattered through our oceans, different species lose DNA in different ways. Bunce said turtles and sea snakes slough smaller amounts of DNA as they move through water, making them more difficult to detect, while baitfish were easily identified as they were eaten in great numbers and expelled out the back ends of larger species. Not that there is such a thing as a perfect science – Bunce said researchers joked about the cats, dogs and salmon apparently detected in remote oceans, their DNA deposited into pristine waters from boats above. Armed with more than a quarter of a million observations of sea creatures, the project's leaders then turned their sights to offering their science to the Australian public, and the world. Minderoo Foundation's new OceanOmics eDNA Dashboard, launched today, combines artificial intelligence with eDNA to allow users to explore the data by species or marine park, or to 'chat' with AI to interrogate the data. A Minderoo spokesman said the dashboard would be 'a game-changer for marine conservation as everyday Australians can now visualise the ocean in an entirely new way'. Dr Philipp Bayer, principal of computational biology at Minderoo Foundation, said scientists had recovered more than 1.2 billion DNA sequence readings from their surveys, with each two-litre eDNA seawater sample averaging 62 different marine species detections. Scientists made almost 258,000 marine vertebrate eDNA observations, including 2019 bony fish species and 95 cartilaginous fish (sharks, rays and chimaeras) species. 'This is a lot of data,' Bayer said. 'To make sense of it all, and enable people to interact with the data, we co-developed a dashboard that allows users to explore the living fabric of our oceans at scale. 'The dashboard focuses on making complex science accessible. While we can't see DNA, we can read it – and now we can visualise the output too.' Environment and Water Minister Murray Watt welcomed the innovation, describing it as a game-changer for marine conservation. 'We can now 'visualise' the ocean in an entirely new way – from threatened handfish to whale sharks, we're gaining insights that were unimaginable just a few years ago,' he said. 'By co-investing in world-leading science like this, we're better equipped to protect the incredible biodiversity in our marine parks and make evidence-based decisions for the future.'
The Age
3 hours ago
- The Age
How just two litres of water can uncover the mysteries of the sea
How do you detect the presence of a bony-eared assfish, lurking 3000 metres below the surface of the ocean? By testing for evidence of its urine, of course. Scientists have spent the past three years painstakingly mapping the DNA of Australia's oceans, filtering the waters to collect the DNA 'breadcrumbs' animals leave behind. From just two litres of water, they can identify the DNA of every creature that has passed through the environment over the previous hours and days, allowing them to collect evidence of the animals' presence without nets and ropes. A multiyear project run by Minderoo Foundation and Parks Australia, spanning 13 dedicated voyages and several secondary voyages, has identified 257,497 marine vertebrates across Australian marine parks spanning 4000 kilometres north to south, and 6000 kilometres east to west. The environmental DNA (eDNA) project has not only spotlit where rare and threatened marine species are, but has also inadvertently discovered species previously unknown to science. 'Of course, we see more of them in places like deep-sea ecosystems, where people haven't gone before and surveyed the biodiversity down there,' said Professor Michael Bunce, the head of OceanOmics at Minderoo. 'What's going to be crucial is putting protections around some of these special places before they disappear.' Bony-eared assfish – a form of cusk-eel – are delicate creatures resembling a cross between a jellyfish and a tadpole, and are found in tropical and subtropical waters to depths of up to 4000 metres. Identifying them would usually involve extracting them from the depths of the ocean, thereby killing them. Other mid- and deep-sea creatures identified by the research teams include similarly intriguingly named rattails, slimeheads, pearlfish, slickheads and lanternfish. Despite rapid advances in scientific knowledge, oceans remain the great unknown, with estimates there could be up to 500,000 marine species in Australia's oceans, including corals, plankton and shellfish – of which just 33,000 have been identified. Work to sequence the DNA of marine life is slow and painstaking, but Bunce said Minderoo Foundation had set a goal to sequence the genetic 'barcodes' of all 5000 known marine fish, a task that is about halfway complete. A further 500 vertebrates call Australian waters home, including seabirds, whales, sealions and dolphins. The organisation is one of the partners of the national science agency CSIRO, which has set an ambitious target to create a national biodiversity DNA library for Australia, which it says would offer enormous fisheries, biosecurity and environmental benefits. The $11.8 million multiyear eDNA partnership between Minderoo Foundation and Parks Australia took seawater samples from a range of ocean environments, from tropical reefs to 6000 metres below the surface of the water. Bunce said sea creatures shed DNA in various ways, but mostly from the waste they expel. 'They're defecating and urinating in the water columns, so we're literally swimming around in a whole pile of DNA ... and that's kind of cool and gross at the same time,' he said. After animals shed DNA, it can be detectable for between a few hours and a few days before it is broken down by water movements, temperatures, UV radiation and other factors. DNA is broken down more rapidly in shallow and warm waters, while in cold and dark deep-sea settings, it can persist for a week or more. While all animals contain those genetic breadcrumbs, which are scattered through our oceans, different species lose DNA in different ways. Bunce said turtles and sea snakes slough smaller amounts of DNA as they move through water, making them more difficult to detect, while baitfish were easily identified as they were eaten in great numbers and expelled out the back ends of larger species. Not that there is such a thing as a perfect science – Bunce said researchers joked about the cats, dogs and salmon apparently detected in remote oceans, their DNA deposited into pristine waters from boats above. Armed with more than a quarter of a million observations of sea creatures, the project's leaders then turned their sights to offering their science to the Australian public, and the world. Minderoo Foundation's new OceanOmics eDNA Dashboard, launched today, combines artificial intelligence with eDNA to allow users to explore the data by species or marine park, or to 'chat' with AI to interrogate the data. A Minderoo spokesman said the dashboard would be 'a game-changer for marine conservation as everyday Australians can now visualise the ocean in an entirely new way'. Dr Philipp Bayer, principal of computational biology at Minderoo Foundation, said scientists had recovered more than 1.2 billion DNA sequence readings from their surveys, with each two-litre eDNA seawater sample averaging 62 different marine species detections. Scientists made almost 258,000 marine vertebrate eDNA observations, including 2019 bony fish species and 95 cartilaginous fish (sharks, rays and chimaeras) species. 'This is a lot of data,' Bayer said. 'To make sense of it all, and enable people to interact with the data, we co-developed a dashboard that allows users to explore the living fabric of our oceans at scale. 'The dashboard focuses on making complex science accessible. While we can't see DNA, we can read it – and now we can visualise the output too.' Environment and Water Minister Murray Watt welcomed the innovation, describing it as a game-changer for marine conservation. 'We can now 'visualise' the ocean in an entirely new way – from threatened handfish to whale sharks, we're gaining insights that were unimaginable just a few years ago,' he said. 'By co-investing in world-leading science like this, we're better equipped to protect the incredible biodiversity in our marine parks and make evidence-based decisions for the future.'
