Curtin University’s environmental DNA (eDNA) research program, which supports global conservation efforts, is set to expand with a A$7.8 million ($5m) investment from BHP (ASX: BHP).
The eDNA for Global Environment Studies (eDGES) program includes projects monitoring the endangered Pilbara Olive Python in Western Australia, protecting native birds in Chile’s high-altitude wetlands, detecting elusive underground invertebrates and developing new tests to identify invasive marine species.
Professor Morten Allentoft, head of the Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory at Curtin, said the research is uncovering valuable insights into the challenges different species are facing.
“Living organisms leave behind traces of DNA in water, soil or air and we can use these genetic breadcrumbs to monitor the health of habitats, track endangered species and detect invasive ones,” Allentoft said in a news release.
BHP’s head of biodiversity Dr. Tim Cooper said the eDGES program has the potential to create a new generation of biodiversity conservation tools to help industry and government make informed decisions.
“The program is funded by our Social Investment Framework under the ‘Environment’ stream – helping to fill knowledge gaps for better biodiversity and conservation outcomes to help us improve sustainability in our mining processes, while also training the next generation of genetic and data scientists,” Dr. Cooper said.
The new funding will extend the eDGES program for another four years, building on the success of its first stage, which launched in 2020.
The nine ongoing projects include developing new eDNA methods to survey threatened and elusive reptile populations in the Pilbara region, where mining activity overlaps with the greatest diversity of lizard and snake species in Western Australia.
Also being developed are high-resolution eDNA tools to monitor the biodiversity of groundwater habitats and tracking environmental restoration of Salar de Punta Negra – using eDNA analysis, groundwater data and ecological models to provide guidelines for the long-term rehabilitation of Chile’s Punta Negra salt flat – which is environmentally damaged due to water extraction.
