eDNAqua-Plan

Management, communication, and stakeholder engagement

At the core of Work Package 1 of the eDNAqua-Plan project lies a commitment to ensuring the timely delivery of all project objectives and deliverables. Through meticulous planning and execution, the team endeavours to meet milestones with precision and efficiency, driving the project forward toward its goals. Central to the approach is effective and engaging communication, aimed at raising awareness of the project’s aims, achievements, and outputs. By fostering clear and transparent communication channels, the team aims to keep stakeholders informed and engaged, ensuring their active participation and support throughout the project lifecycle. Moreover, recognizing the importance of stakeholder engagement, efforts are made to identify and analyse the potential actors related to the project. Through engagement with relevant projects and initiatives across Europe, opportunities for cooperation and collective impact are identified, amplifying the reach and impact of the endeavours for the benefit of all involved.

Audit and gap analysis

Within Work Package 2 lies a strategic focus on identifying and analysing regional, national, and international DNA barcoding projects and initiatives across Europe. Through comprehensive taxonomic, geographical, and metadata analysis, the team aims to provide insights into the overlap and gaps within DNA barcode reference libraries, facilitating a more holistic understanding of biodiversity data availability and distribution. Additionally, the Work Package seeks to collate existing eDNA barcoding projects and initiatives alongside established eDNA repositories, examining their geographical, ecological, and taxonomic coverages. By consolidating this information, the project aims to uncover synergies and opportunities for collaboration, maximizing the impact of collective efforts in advancing aquatic biodiversity research. Furthermore, Work Package 2 endeavours to identify prevailing workflows and approaches for data storage and accessibility in DNA-based biodiversity monitoring. Through this assessment, the team aims to establish best practices and recommendations, enhancing data management strategies and facilitating seamless access to critical biodiversity information across diverse research contexts.

Data standards, data linking and compatibility

The focus of Work Package 3 is on comparing and standardizing data practices across genetic reference libraries and eDNA data repositories, aiming to establish cohesive linkages and mapping of data standards. This entails a comprehensive comparison of data standards across genetic reference libraries, enabling the identification of necessary data and validation criteria for reference records within genetic databases. Similarly, the Work Package undertakes a comparative analysis of data standards across eDNA data repositories, facilitating the proposal of linkages and mapping across these repositories and other biodiversity databanks. Work Package 3 conceptualizes the European eDNA data ecosystem, encompassing reference databases, eDNA repositories, and taxonomic databases. Through this conceptualization, the team identifies potential linkages across various data types while pinpointing remaining gaps within this digital ecosystem, thereby fostering enhanced collaboration and data interoperability across the eDNA research landscape.

Use cases: testing the developed eDNA library infrastructure

In Work Package 4 of the  project, the primary objectives revolve around providing operational input and testing frameworks to advance the project’s goals. Firstly, the team contributes operational insights to the mapping and inventory efforts undertaken in Work Package 2. This involves leveraging a diverse array of eDNA-based marine and freshwater monitoring projects across Europe to inform and refine mapping activities, ensuring comprehensive coverage and accuracy. Additionally, Work Package 4 focuses on testing and refining the proposed (e)DNA data systems introduced in Work Package 3. Through the utilization of existing eDNA datasets from relevant monitoring programs, the team evaluates the efficacy and functionality of these systems, making necessary adjustments to enhance their performance and usability. Lastly, the work package plays a crucial role in providing operational input to the development of an eDNA-based roadmap for improved, policy-relevant aquatic biodiversity monitoring in Europe. By leveraging expertise and insights gathered throughout the project, the team contributes to the strategic planning and implementation of effective monitoring frameworks that align with policy objectives and promote sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems.

Blueprint, roadmap and sustainability

In Work Package 5 of the eDNAqua-Plan project, the focus is on proposing a blueprint for system(s)/workflow(s) aimed at establishing a harmonized digital ecosystem for eDNA in Europe. This involves defining requirements and priority steps to implement optimal systems/workflows that streamline data collection, storage, analysis, and dissemination processes. The team conducts a community consultation with key experts in the EU and global marine and freshwater eDNA landscape to gather insights, build awareness, and collect recommendations for implementation steps. The ultimate goal is to produce a policy document (roadmap) that communicates the vision, value proposition, and added value of an EU eDNA library. This roadmap outlines concrete examples of use cases, such as for the EU Green Deal, and provides a roadmap for short-, mid-, and longer-term implementation. Additionally, the team analyzes the sustainability of the current data collection system, infrastructures, and data services underpinning a future EU eDNA library, considering financial aspects and proposing a way forward for long-term viability.