On January 1, 2020 the Republic of Palau implemented one of the world's largest marine protected areas.
On January 1, 2020 the Republic of Palau implemented one of the world's largest marine protected areas. Covering 80% of Palau’s exclusive economic zone, the Palau National Marine Sanctuary (PNMS) begins 24 nautical miles offshore and prohibits all extractive activities, like fishing and mining, within 183,000 square miles (475,077 square kilometers) of the ocean surrounding Palau. The PNMS demonstrates how the ambitious protection of marine resources can enable an island nation to ensure its food security and grow its economy in an era of tumultuous change in the climate and the ocean.
However, with large ambitions comes large obstacles. How can Palau evaluate the success of the PNMS? How will we know if it's working?
Environmental DNA (eDNA) offers unprecedented potential to monitor large-scale marine protected areas. eDNA is the cells, waste, viruses and microorganisms that plants and animals leave behind. Samples of marine eDNA provide a snapshot of the organisms that have recently passed through the water so scientists can assess the ecosystem's biodiversity and keep track of the types of species inhabiting certain areas of the ocean. Using this technology, we can discover more than just the plants and animals we see: We can keep track of all the organisms that live below the surface and get a better sense of everything we can’t see.
Read more at Stanford University
Photo Credit: CCPAPA via Pixabay
