Posted on July, 22 2025
Given the urgent need for more data on freshwater biodiversity in the Mekong, WWF partnered up with experts from FISHBIO to conduct and analyse eDNA studies in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand in 2024. The project has demonstrated how useful eDNA is as a tool for enhancing data and knowledge in the Mekong River – an ecosystem notoriously difficult to monitor using traditional methods due to its size, low visibility due to high sediment concentrations, and dynamic flow that fluctuates significantly both seasonally and year to year.
The project has generated a number of important insights:
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Community participation is critical;
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eDNA sample collection is simple to implement, though analysis requires time and trained laboratory experts;
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Working with expert ecologists is essential to design effective surveys and interpret results;
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There is great value in investing in the inclusion of additional species in GenBank (an open access genetic sequence database);
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A mosaic of monitoring types is important for verification and completeness.
Environmental DNA cannot tell us everything – but it can tell us so much more. It offers priceless data to protect species, and does so in a way that is accessible, cost-effective and non-intrusive compared to traditional survey methods.
More background information on eDNA and why it matters – along with the summary and full technical reports – is available at the following link:
ENVIRONMENTAL DNA
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