MTS eDNA Technology Committee Seminar | Standardizing Marine eDNA Science: From Ocean Biodiversity Data to Global Monitoring Networks

Date: September 11, 2025
Time: 12:00 PM EDT / 9:00 AM PDT
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About

The Marine Technology Society eDNA Technology Committee is pleased to host Dr. Saara Suominen, Scientific Officer at the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) within the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, for a discussion on the critical intersection of environmental DNA science and data standardization. This seminar will explore how standardized protocols and data management practices are essential for transforming eDNA from a promising research tool into a robust, globally-integrated marine monitoring system. Dr. Suominen will discuss OBIS's role in creating open-access data platforms for marine biodiversity, the challenges of integrating eDNA-derived occurrence data with traditional observational methods, and the development of guidelines for publishing DNA-based species detection data through established biodiversity networks. The presentation will address both the technical aspects of eDNA standardization and the broader vision of building comprehensive ocean observing systems that can support marine conservation and sustainable development goals.

Speaker

Dr. Saara Suominen, Ocean Biodiversity Information System

Moderator

Dr. Susanna Theroux is an ecologist specializing in microbiology and bioassessment, specifically the interactions between microbial communities and nutrient stressors. She specializes in the use of high-throughput DNA sequencing to untangle microbial interactions, from nutrient food webs and carbon cycling to novel species characterization. Her research focuses on the development of molecular methods (next-generation DNA and RNA sequencing) for bioassessment, with a special focus on microbial community response to anthropogenic disturbance and the use of algal assemblages as indicators of environmental degradation. She has worked in a range of aquatic systems with a special focus on photosynthetic microalgae as sentinels of anthropogenic disturbance and climate change.