Year of grant:
2025

Research Area:
MARiNAO

Project type:
Post.doc.-verkætlan

Project title:
Tracking spatial and temporal distribution of marine mammals in the Atlantic Arctic with environmental DNA

Grant number:
8021

Project manager:
Anni Djurhuus

Institution/company:
Fróðskaparsetur Føroya

Other participants:
Havstovan, Grønlands Naturinstitut GEUS, DHI Group og Aarhus Universitet

Project period:
01.11.2025-01.04.2028

Total budget:
Kr. 4.644.827

Grant from the FRC in DKK:
Kr. 3.597.693

Project description:
Climate change influences Atlantic-Arctic ecosystems by altering biodiversity, food-web structure, and ecosystem functioning. Marine mammals are important components of marine food webs and serve as indicators of overall ocean health. Monitoring their distribution and ecology is thus of critical importance, although traditional approaches are costly and laborious. MeDNA will establish novel approaches to sustained monitoring of marine mammals by applying environmental DNA/RNA through three work packages: (1) Analysis of genetic diversity from complementary eDNA, biopsy, and blow samples (2) Comparison of basin scale distribution of marine mammals from visual surveys and a complimentary eDNA survey (3) Assess seasonal and predator-prey dynamics through network analyses of eDNA time-series.

Project status:
Fer í gongd



<< Back
Administration     Faroese