Trans-Canada eDNA Biodiversity Mapping Project

Kristina Miller-Saunders is a molecular geneticist with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans at the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo, B.C., Brian Hunt is a biological oceanographer, Steven Hallam is a microbiologist, and Curtis Suttle is a virologist, all at the University of British Columbia. This team of scientists will use the powerful analytical strength of environmental DNA technology to analyze filtered seawater samples, and will provide the groundwork for a pan-Canadian database of coastal marine biodiversity. This database will include an extensive list of species spanning the range of bacteria to baleen whales, an important reference for many realms of scientific study and outreach.