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OBIS partners with marine World Heritage sites in a global project to study biodiversity.

An ambitious project using environmental DNA (eDNA), to understand the richness of biodiversity at UNESCO’s marine World Heritage sites launches on the 18th of October 2021. It will involve the collection of genetic material from environmental samples across selected marine World Heritage sites by local citizens guided by expert support, with the aim of monitoring fish as well as species red-listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Photo - With eDNA collections, a snapshot of fish biodiversity can be detected from simple water samples. Credit: FISHBIO

The two-year eDNA project will help measure the vulnerability of marine protected areas to climate change and estimate the impacts of that change on the diversity of marine life across marine World Heritage sites. Launched at the start of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), it will help understand global trends and inform ongoing efforts to protect marine ecosystems and ensure future generations continue to enjoy the services they provide.

Marine World Heritage sites play a critical role in protecting marine ecosystems of exceptional universal value, and provide opportunities for the public to appreciate and preserve marine environments. Climate change is affecting the behaviour and distribution of underwater life and we must understand what is happening so we can adapt our conservation efforts to evolving conditions.
- Ernesto Ottone R., UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture.
eDNA sampling can provide an innovative, affordable, and long-awaited capacity to better understand the ocean ecosystems, their composition and behaviour, and to start managing ocean resources more sustainably. It is a step toward the Ocean Decade’s vision of unlocking the knowledge we need to create the ocean we want by 2030.
- Vladimir Ryabinin, UNESCO Assistant Director-General and Executive Secretary of the IOC of UNESCO.

As the use of eDNA in ocean monitoring and data collection is still in its infancy, OBIS will play a major role in developing standard protocols for sampling and data management. The project will apply a consistent methodology across multiple marine protected areas simultaneously for the first time, demonstrating the benefit of global standards while making collected data available to the public via OBIS.

Photo - Scientist at work, Rock Islands Southern Lagoon World Heritage site (Palau). Credit: © Richard Brooks / Monaco Explorations

UNESCO’s marine World Heritage sites are recognized for their unique biodiversity, outstanding ecosystems, or for representing major stages in Earth’s history. Since the inscription of the first marine site, the Great Barrier Reef (Australia), on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1981, the List has grown to host a global network of 50 marine sites, beacons of hope for healing the ocean.

The project is implemented jointly by OBIS and the marine World Heritage programme (two UNESCO entities), with the support of the Government of Flanders (Belgium).