- Course overview
- Search within this course
- Environmental DNA
- Workflow for eDNA metabarcoding
- DADA2 for analysing metabarcoding data
- Taxonomic classification to assess biodiversity
- Statistics principles in data analysis
- Advances in biodiversity exploration
- Open data resources for eDNA
- Bringing data to life: Data management and sharing
- Further learning
- Your feedback
- References
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Biodiversity from diet analysis
eDNA metabarcoding for diet analysis in seals
The final case study we have included focuses on diet analysis as another approach for assessing biodiversity. This study highlights that used DNA-based techniques and advanced sequencing technologies to investigate the diet of Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus). Researchers collected faecal samples from three breeding colonies and used pyrosequencing to analyse prey DNA. By amplifying DNA from 270 samples and sequencing over 20,000 sequences, they identified 54 bony fish, 4 cartilaginous fish, and 4 cephalopods, highlighting the significance of redbait, jack mackerel, and blue mackerel in the seals’ diet. The DNA-based analysis provided a broader range of species diversity than traditional analysis, demonstrating the method’s potential for large-scale dietary studies across various animals, and was one of the first applications of metabarcoding for dietary analysis (Deagle et al. 2009).
DNA barcode/s used for this study: mtDNA 16S, nuclear 28S rDNA, and 18S rDNA
Sequencing technology: 454 Pyrosequencing with Roche GS-FLX (Please note that the 454 sequencing platform is no longer available or supported)
To get a deeper insight into this study read full article: Analysis of Australian fur seal diet by pyrosequencing prey DNA in faeces.
 After reviewing these case studies, can you relate any of them to your own project? If so, consider what adjustments you might make in choosing the appropriate DNA barcode or sequencing technology for your research. |
Now that you have an overview of eDNA metabarcoding and its applications, you can move on to the next section and explore the typical workflow used in eDNA metabarcoding analyses.