Views of Sydney Harbour, with its iconic bridge and opera house, are recognised the world over. But are we as familiar with what’s living below the surface?
Deutsche Bank’s global eDNA sampling programme, run with our partners Nature Metrics and the German SailGP team, aims to add to knowledge from previous studies of the 55 square km harbour. Conducted by local scientists, it’s an opportunity to better understand the harbour’s unique environmental challenges.
Dr. Vanessa Pirotta, founder and chief scientist of the Wild Sydney Harbour project, and Gamay Ranger April Allende used a German SailGP boat to take six samples from around the harbour. Sample locations varied from close to the Heads (the harbour mouth) into its commercial centre. These water samples were then analysed for traces of a species’ DNA – the “e” in eDNA stands for “environmental”.
Samples revealed diverse marine life – 19 species, including evidence of dolphins close to the Heads. There was, reassuringly, no evidence of invasive species.
“This collaborative opportunity provided further insight into the diversity of marine life within our Sydney Harbour blue backyard” says Vanessa.
“These results will directly contribute to the study of dolphins within Sydney Harbour. Sampling over time would also help build a better picture of species occurrence across different times of the year.”
Dr. Vanessa Pirotta
Australian wildlife scientist
Such eDNA sampling (the Deutsche Bank programme already has results from Bermuda, New York and Alaska) is already contributing to much-needed Ocean data.
Nature happens locally: this is how we experience it. Local citizen scientists and conservation groups (such as those contributing to Vanessa’s Wild Sydney Harbour Project) already play a fundamental role and Deutsche Bank hopes that the accessibility of eDNA can provide an impetus for community involvement, through education and providing guidance on conservation initiatives and policy.
There’s still much to understand and enjoy about beautiful Sydney Harbour, and our sampling missed the season for its most dramatic visitors – whales. (Look online for remarkable video of a young humpback’s visit to the harbour earlier this year.) eDNA sampling will help us appreciate how all these natural wonders work.
