A Review and Perspective of eDNA Application to Eutrophication and HAB Control in Freshwater and Marine Ecosystems

Abstract

Changing ecological communities in response to anthropogenic activities and climate change has become a worldwide problem. The eutrophication of waterbodies in freshwater and seawater caused by the effects of human activities and nutrient inputs could result in harmful algae blooms (HABs), decreases water quality, reductions in biodiversity and threats to human health. Rapid and accurate monitoring and assessment of aquatic ecosystems are imperative. Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis using high-throughput sequencing has been demonstrated to be an effective and sensitive assay for detecting and monitoring single or multiple species in different samples. In this study, we review the potential applications of eDNA approaches in controlling and mitigating eutrophication and HABs in freshwater and marine ecosystems. We use recent studies to highlight how eDNA methods have been shown to be a useful tool for providing comprehensive data in studies of eutrophic freshwater and marine environments. We also provide perspectives on using eDNA techniques to reveal molecular mechanisms in biological processes and mitigate eutrophication and HABs in aquatic ecosystems. Finally, we discuss the feasible applications of eDNA for monitoring biodiversity, surveying species communities and providing instructions for the conservation and management of the environment by integration with traditional methods and other advanced techniques.

Retrieval and Evaluation of Chlorophyll-a Concentration in Reservoirs with Main Water Supply Function in Beijing, China, Based on Landsat Satellite Images

“…Eutrophication was not associated with water pollution until the 1930s, but the continuous occurrence of eutrophication worldwide has aroused global attention for its main cause of pollution [ 2 ]. Due to the rapid growth in the process of eutrophication and the slow recovery of eutrophic water, the management and treatment of plant growth is difficult and expensive [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]. Inland lakes are often strongly affected by environmental changes owing to the increasing impact of human activities.…”

Quantifying habitat provisioning at macroalgal cultivation sites

“…Allows rapid detection of harmful microorganisms and HABs, 245,246 but dependent on reference libraries, which are currently lacking (+/−)…”

Environmental DNA and RNA as Records of Human Exposome, Including Biotic/Abiotic Exposures and Its Implications in the Assessment of the Role of Environment in Chronic Diseases

“…Recent studies have shown the abundant amount of RNA persisting in the environment to measure gene expression [ 40 , 41 ]. The eRNA collected on biofilm matrix shows its prolonged persistence (21 days) [ 42 ]. There is some evidence showing that eRNA is more sensitive biomarker of environmental insults and may persist for a long period of time, particularly within extracellular vesicles or protein capsids [ 43 ].…”