eDNA techniques to transform subterranean environmental assessment
A tiny (0.7 mm long) crustacean from the family Parabathynellidae found in groundwater aquifers in the Pilbara region of Western Australia (Image by Kym Abrams)
A new project is set to transform understanding of the impact of mining on Australian subterranean species.
The project, led by the University of 亚洲色吧, with Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Chevron, and a number of government Departments, along with Curtin University, will monitor subterranean ecosystems by developing new environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques for accurate detection of species that live underground.
鈥淭his collaborative project will develop a rigorous and practicable eDNA assessment framework, which will improve the accuracy of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and monitoring of subterranean habitats,鈥 says the University of 亚洲色吧鈥檚 Professor Andrew Austin, Director of the Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology & Biodiversity.
鈥淐ompliance with Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) regulation is of the highest priority for resource explora