2 Executive summary

The UNIFIeD (Unifying Nordic Initiatives and Fostering Involvement on eDNA) project’s overall goal was to help solve the problem of lacking harmonization and implementation of eDNA methods in marine monitoring in the Northeast Atlantic by promoting a discussion among relevant stakeholders and researchers about the challenges and ambitions on this issue, based on data on current status.

The increasing call for harmonisation and standardisation in the use of eDNA methods has revealed a fundamental need for creating an overview of the current status in eDNA application to marine research and monitoring, especially in the smaller countries and remote areas.

For the smaller communities there has been the added challenge of lacking the relevant national scientific and political schemes in marine monitoring programs and struggling to get enough regional application from larger international consortiums. This increases the inconsistent nature of eDNA application in these countries and hampers the possibility of collaboration and comparison of approaches, analyses and results.

The lack of continuity in the application of eDNA methods in marine monitoring, leaves implementation in long-term monitoring and initiation of new initiatives in a difficult position.

In the UNIFIeD project the current status in eDNA application to marine research and monitoring has been illustrated through input from relevant stakeholders and researchers in the field by responses to targeted surveys. At a subsequent workshop, researchers and stakeholders discussed how each Northeast Atlantic country’s differences, strengths and challenges would impact collaboration on standardization and implementation of eDNA methods in marine monitoring in this region. One of the subjects discussed was how to clarify and enhance communication between researchers and stakeholders on this issue.

The thematic scope of this project was restricted to monitoring of the marine environment in the Northeast Atlantic. The surveys were targeted to stakeholders in Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Norway and researchers in all Nordic countries.

Key findings:

Perception of eDNA methods

The survey detected a discrepancy between some stakeholders and researchers in the perception of eDNA methods.
Contrary to researchers, some stakeholders estimated that directly comparable results between eDNA methods and more traditional methods were required before implementation. This highlights the need for clear communication between the research community and stakeholders about the application of eDNA.

Standardization challenges

Researchers estimated that the main challenges for standardization of eDNA methods were
- Financial issues
- That eDNA protocols are still in a developmental stage
- Deciding which international protocol to align to.

Due to
- Many choices in technical design
- Lack of standard institutional protocols to adhere to
- Project or practicality based decisions
- Limited funding for projects of longer duration

Implementation

Only few stakeholders estimated that eDNA methods were at the implementation stage
The most advanced area was Biodiversity/Climate change
The second Marine Management
The least advanced area was Impact Assessments
Researchers and stakeholders agreed that the main challenges for implementation of eDNA methods are (in random order)
- lack of continuity in funding
- lack of standardization and validation of eDNA methods
- lack of national biomonitoring programs

Regional differences

Norwegian stakeholders demonstrated an intent to proceed with the process of implementation of eDNA methods
Iceland and the Faroe Islands had more mixed answers from the stakeholders and fewer signs of implementation.
None of the stakeholders approached in Greenland responded to the survey.
Overall, the stakeholders in Norway estimated various issues in implementation of eDNA methods to be less problematic than their counterparts in Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

Note

The results from the surveys are based on a limited number of responses and should thus only be treated as a basis for further communication about this subject between researchers and stakeholder within and between countries in the Nordic region.