In the vast, unexplored depths of the Indian Ocean, a groundbreaking device is revolutionizing how scientists monitor marine life, with potential implications for the energy sector. Dr. Cindy Bessey, a researcher at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre in Crawley, Western Australia, has led a team to develop an innovative environmental DNA (eDNA) sampler. This device, dubbed the open–close device (OCD), is set to enhance our understanding of deep-sea ecosystems and could have significant commercial impacts for the energy sector.
The OCD is a 300x100x100mm box made of high-density polyethylene, designed to be mounted on existing deep tow camera systems. Equipped with an actuator that controls hinged doors at both ends, the device can be opened and closed remotely at depths up to 6,000 meters. This allows it to capture an integrated eDNA sample over a deep-water transect, providing a comprehensive snapshot of marine life in the area.
During a voyage to the Gascoyne Marine Park region off northwest Australia, the OCD sampler was field-tested. The results were astonishing. “We detected a large number of fishes, 193 taxa from 87 families,” Bessey said. “The majority were found within their expected depth ranges and in the trawl catches, confirming the eDNA identifications were plausible.”
The implications of this research are vast. For the energy sector, understanding deep-sea ecosystems is crucial for environmental impact assessments, particularly for offshore oil and gas operations and renewable energy projects. The OCD sampler could provide a more efficient and less invasive way to monitor these environments, ensuring that energy developments are sustainable and environmentally responsible.
The OCD sampler’s design and manufacturing lessons, along with ideas for increased eDNA capture efficiency, could pave the way for improved methodologies in sample processing. This technology could advance our scientific understanding in ocean studies, providing ecological metrics that are currently unavailable. As Bessey noted, “This technology could establish appropriate field controls and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls, and how to establish appropriate field controls
