Aquatic life is an integral part of ecosystems and economies. In environments ranging from freshwater through marine, it underpins the health, culture, opportunities and economic wellbeing of the nation—from local communities to the entire country. The ability to inventory and monitor the status and trends of aquatic biodiversity is key to maintaining national prosperity.

Today, the White House Office of Science, Technology, and Policy (OSTP) released the “National Strategy for Aquatic Environmental DNA.” The Environmental DNA (eDNA) Task Team had 10 federal agencies participating in drafting the strategy and included significant scoping and engagement of the private sector, academia and non-profit organizations.

“There is an urgent need for improved biological survey tools to meet the scale, scope and management/monitoring needs in the U.S., and eDNA is an exciting tool that has come of age and can meet the need,” said Michael Weise, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Marine Mammals & Biology Program Officer, and co-chair of the federal eDNA Task Team.

To properly monitor and support national aquatic biodiversity requires timely and trusted information. Through eDNA analysis, the simple act of collecting water can lead to critical insights into the nation’s aquatic biodiversity from microbes to whales—with a tool that is non-invasive and can be scaled to meet the demands of large-scale surveys. This powerful new technology is revolutionizing how we explore, measure and monitor biodiversity in ecosystems across the national and international landscape.

The National Aquatic eDNA Strategy lays out a plan to harness the power of eDNA to explore, map, monitor and better understand aquatic life to sustain and restore biological resources now and in the future. The strategy is a call to action for federal agencies and non-federal partners to build a national eDNA enterprise through coordinated and collaborative efforts that unite scientific inquiry, entrepreneurial enterprise, philanthropic endeavor, and public and private investment.

Understanding that shared technical knowledge is critical to the production of reliable and credible data, the strategy provides a pathway to comprehensive assessments of aquatic life in U.S. waters.

“The National Aquatic Strategy sets the stage for the co-design of implementation milestones, including harmonized technical approaches, coordinated observations, and aligned communication strategies,” said Weise. “This network of shared information will result in a nationwide eDNA network to inform decisions that promote resilient ecosystems.”

With enhanced knowledge of these ecosystems and its diverse inhabitants, Sailors and Marines will be able to test and train more effectively in U.S. waters.

The extensive list of partner organizations focused on eDNA supports recent guidance from the Secretary of the Navy, the Hon. Carlos Del Toro, who recently released the Naval Science and Technology Strategy. In that document, the Secretary notes that “Naval S&T has a long history of highly successful relationships with sister services and other U.S. government S&T and research organizations…Additionally in areas of climate science and understanding our oceans we will work with other agencies to increase our knowledge.”

OSTP release: https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/news-updates/2024/06/03/white-house-releases-new-strategies-to-advance-sustainable-ocean-management/