Unveiling the power of environmental DNA: A review of eDNA application to monitoring threatened fish in Indonesian Waters

¹ Research Center for Fishery, NRIA, Cibinong 16911, Indonesia
² Research Center for Limnology and Water Resources, NRIA, Cibinong 16911, Indonesia
³ Research Center for Marine and Inland Water Resource Conservation, NRIA, 16911, Indonesia
⁴ Research Center for Biosystematics and Evolution, NRIA, Cibinong 16911, Indonesia
⁵ Study Program of Aquaculture, Muhammadiyah Palembang University, 30263 Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: ruby003@brin.go.id

Abstract

This study examines environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques to detect and monitor threatened fish species in Indonesian waters. By analyzing 17 selected documents out of 284 papers and 310 metadata files, the study identified 30 Indonesian threatened fish species through eDNA technology which only assessed 8.5% of 352 threatened fish species in Indonesian waters based on Fishbase data, particularly in families such as Osphronemidae, Melanotaeniidae, Dasyatidae, Carcharhinidae, and Gobiidae. The paper discusses estimating fish abundance using eDNA analysis, including sample collection, eDNA concentration analysis, correlation with fish biomass, and field application. Challenges and limitations in estimating fish abundance through eDNA are addressed, such as misinterpretation, environmental factors, eDNA persistence, and sampling bias. The findings highlighted the potential of eDNA as a valuable tool for detecting and monitoring threatened fish species in Indonesian waters. However, further research and conservation efforts are needed in this area. By addressing the identified challenges and limitations, a better understanding of threatened fish populations can be gained, leading to effective conservation strategies and the long-term survival of these species in Indonesian waters.