At Palmyra Atoll , the fish‐community environmental DNA signal changes across habitats but not with tides

Research at Palmyra Atoll reveals that environmental DNA (eDNA) signals from fish communities vary distinctly between reef and sand-flat habitats, with habitat-specific species contributing more eDNA to their respective environments. Despite tidal fluctuations, the eDNA signal on sand flats remained stable, correlating with fish biomass density and capturing nearly all expected species diversity. The study demonstrates that as few as 25 samples can achieve over 97.5% coverage in this diverse tropical marine system, highlighting eDNA's potential for comprehensive biodiversity assessment. This approach offers a robust method for monitoring habitat-specific fish communities without tidal disruption.

Lafferty, K. D., Garcia‐Vedrenne, A. E., McLaughlin, J. P., Childress, J. N., Morse, M. F., & Jerde, C. L. (2020). At Palmyra Atoll, the fish‐community environmental DNA signal changes across habitats but not with tides. Journal of Fish Biology, 98(2), 415–425. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.14403