Using eDNA metabarcoding to capture a snapshot of plankton community composition in the western Marmara Sea and northeastern Aegean Sea

Dogan O., Orun A. D., Bilgin R., Isinibilir M.

MARINE BIODIVERSITY, cilt.55, sa.4, 2025 (SCI-Expanded) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 55 Sayı: 4
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s12526-025-01544-x
  • Dergi Adı: MARINE BIODIVERSITY
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA), BIOSIS, Geobase
  • İstanbul Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The Sea of Marmara serves as a biological corridor connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. The Aegean Sea, a part of the Mediterranean Sea, interacts with the Sea of Marmara through water current. The plankton communities are widely recognized as a reliable indicator of environmental shifts. To assess the plankton diversity inventories in the northeastern Aegean Sea (NEA) and the western Marmara Sea (WM) regions, seawater samples were collected. By using eDNA metabarcoding tools, a total of 348 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified. Our study revealed that the NEA exhibited a greater variety of species and OTUs than the WM. Moreover, our analysis indicated the presence of several ecologically significant invasive and non-indigenous species in both the regions. In this pilot study, our goal was to capture a snapshot of plankton community composition using the CO1 gene. Our results indicate that environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding can identify important ecological species, including invasive or non-indigenous species and groups responsible for harmful blooms such as dinoflagellates, diatoms and jellyfish. Additionally, it can provide information on overall plankton composition in the areas where these events occur.