eRNA & eDNA Survey
Advancing Global Conservation with eDNA and eRNA Innovation
More than 50% of the Earth’s oxygen comes from the ocean, yet these critical ecosystems face unprecedented threats from climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. Bold, science-driven initiatives are urgently needed to protect them. Expedition Audacity, in partnership with EQO, is spearheading a pioneering mission to revolutionize ocean monitoring and conservation through revolutionary environmental DNA (eDNA) and environmental RNA (eRNA) technologies. This groundbreaking project isn’t just about exploration—it's about creating the tools essential for safeguarding marine ecosystems and biodiversity for future generations.
Aboard a rugged research vessel built to navigate remote and challenging waters, Expedition Audacity charts a path through biodiversity hotspots and climate-impacted regions across the globe. With advanced genetic collection techniques, the crew unlocks the hidden stories of ocean life. By analyzing eDNA and eRNA, scientists can detect the presence of thousands of marine species—from microscopic plankton to apex predators—without the need to physically capture or disturb them. This non-invasive approach provides an unprecedented window into the health, diversity, and resilience of marine environments.
What truly sets this mission apart is its capacity for large-scale water sampling, up to 2,000 liters per collection. While traditional marine surveys are slow, costly, and limited in scope, Expedition Audacity’s approach yields comprehensive "genetic fingerprints" of marine ecosystems from just a few liters of processed water. This capability transforms how scientists monitor biodiversity, track ecosystem changes, and detect early signs of environmental stress. Importantly, large-volume sampling captures rare and elusive genetic signals that smaller samples might miss, making it possible to better assess the richness and complexity of marine life.
Expedition Audacity’s leadership in this space is defined not just by its innovative technology but by its ambitious mission design. The first leg of the expedition follows a global route spanning the Mediterranean and Azores to the icy waters of Iceland and Baffin Bay. Along this journey, the team explores both thriving biodiversity hotspots and regions profoundly affected by climate change. In addition to generating essential scientific data, the project fosters collaboration with global research networks and raises awareness about the urgent need for marine conservation.
A particularly transformative aspect of the mission is the integration of eRNA technology. While eDNA reveals which species are present, eRNA provides a dynamic layer of insight, identifying which species are actively interacting with their environment and how they are responding to changing conditions. This near-real-time understanding of marine life behavior offers a powerful tool for tracking ecosystem functions and resilience, enabling more timely and effective conservation strategies.
Expedition Audacity is more than a research mission—it’s a rallying cry for global conservation. By combining revolutionary science with the spirit of adventure, this project empowers humanity to better understand, protect, and restore the blue heart of our planet. With each water sample collected, each discovery made, and each partnership forged, Expedition Audacity moves us closer to a future where conservation triumphs over climate-driven destruction.
EQO's Biotech Symphony for Ecosystems
EQO leads the way in biotechnology, specializing in environmental RNA (eRNA) and DNA (eDNA) to revolutionize the monitoring and restoration of aquatic ecosystems, ensuring healthier water bodies worldwide.
eRNA vs. eDNA: EQO uses both eRNA and eDNA to provide a complete picture of environmental health. eDNA acts as a long-lasting record of species, showing historical or current presence in an area. Meanwhile, eRNA offers a real-time snapshot of active cellular processes, showing what organisms are doing right now.
Molecular Insights: Combining these tools, EQO delivers both real-time data and long-term records, offering vital insights for environmental professionals. Our technology empowers quick and effective decisions for ecosystem monitoring and restoration.
Real-time Activity: eRNA captures the current biological activities within ecosystems, providing a live view of how species interact and respond to their environment.
Historical Record: eDNA archives species' genetic footprints, offering a detailed history of biodiversity and ecosystem health over time.
Actionable Data for Conservation: EQO turns this biological data into clear, actionable insights for managing aquatic ecosystems, whether tracking endangered species, assessing pollution, or managing invasive species.
By leveraging the unique capabilities of eRNA and eDNA, EQO pioneers sustainable solutions for aquatic health on a global scale.
Arctic Mosaic: Navigating Sea Ice Dynamics in the Northwest
A Comprehensive Expedition to Illuminate Climate Change Impacts on Arctic Marine Life
In the remote waters of the Northwest Passage and Arctic Ocean, Expedition Audacity is undertaking a detailed study of sea ice throughout its journey. Our mission focuses on autonomously assessing both the physical and biological properties of sea ice, measuring thickness, extent, snow cover, light penetration, and the presence of life, including fauna and ice algae.
By integrating these key data points, we aim to understand how climate change is affecting marine ecosystems in the Canadian Arctic. To achieve this, we deploy advanced sensor systems via remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). These include ice-penetrating radar, thermal imaging, sonar, light intensity sensors, and high-resolution cameras to accurately measure ice characteristics, such as thickness, permeability (indicating melt phases), temperature, and light penetration. Monitoring ice algae and other life forms helps us track how these ecosystems are adapting to changing conditions.
This data offers a comprehensive view of sea ice dynamics across latitudes, seasons, and regions along our route. The insights gained will help illuminate the broader impacts of climate change on Arctic marine life and ecosystems.
Expedition Audacity’s sea ice research is critical to advancing our understanding of the Arctic’s rapidly changing environment, reinforcing our commitment to scientific exploration and the preservation of this fragile ecosystem.
Predictions suggest polar bears could face extinction within the next 75 years.
The global outlook for polar bears is bleak, with only a slim chance of a small subpopulation surviving in the extreme Arctic, depending on future temperature trends. Professor Peter Molnar from the University of Toronto Scarborough warns that even with moderate emissions reductions aligned with the Paris Climate Accord, southern polar bear populations face a significant extinction risk due to ongoing sea ice loss, crucial to their survival.
As global temperatures rise, polar bears lose vital hunting and breeding grounds. While emissions cuts are essential, they may not reverse sea ice loss quickly enough, underscoring the urgent need for broader conservation efforts to protect polar bear habitats and the fragile Arctic ecosystem.
Rhiannon Harvey
Mega-Impact: a Study of the Relationships Between Humans and Charismatic Marine Megafauna Across Time and Place
This interdisciplinary research project aims to investigate the complex relationships between humans and regionally specific charismatic marine megafaunal species across time.
Megafaunal species such as whales, sea turtles, sea birds, sharks, and pinnipeds have been important food sources, focal points of tourism, and objects of cultural significance and fascination throughout history. However, these species are facing unprecedented threats from human activities, including overfishing, habitat destruction, and climate change. By documenting the relationships between humans and marine megafauna, both historical and contemporary, this study seeks to raise public awareness of and concern for these stunning creatures and the unique places where they live.
This project will select a threatened megafaunal species endemic to each region visited by Expedition Audacity in 2025—e.g., the Mediterranean monk seal in Greece, the Atlantic puffin in Iceland, and the Atlantic salmon in Newfoundland. A scientific literature review for each species will answer questions like: How has the species’ population and/or range changed over time? How is the species impacted by historical and/or contemporary hunting practices? How do human activities impact and/or threaten the species? Meanwhile, interviews with local scientists, Indigenous peoples, and members of the public will answer questions like: How is the species culturally important? Are people aware that the species is threatened? Do they care?
The literature reviews and ethnographic fieldwork will be combined with photographs and infographics to create approachable, compelling educational modules to be uploaded to social media. By examining the complex relationships between humans and marine megafaunal species and highlighting humanity’s necessary role in their conservation, this project aims to promote a deeper understanding of these iconic species and their habitats.
Iro Tsarmpopoulou-Fokianou
Whale Cultures Unveiled: A Multisite Exploration of Interspecies Relationships Across Oceans
"Whale Cultures Unveiled" embarks on an intellectual and cultural journey, led by Iro, to explore interspecies relationships. This research project delves into the rich, evolving dynamics between humans and whales across diverse locations such as the Mediterranean, The Azores, and the Arctic.
Iro’s work connects historical whaling narratives with modern marine tourism, highlighting the interplay between tradition and evolving conservation practices. By studying these varying regions, she explores how cultural and local contexts shape interactions with whales, revealing a tapestry of unique practices and beliefs.
Employing photo identification, hydrophone data, and platforms like HappyWhale, Iro traces individual whales, uncovering their migratory patterns and distinct stories. Her project is not just about understanding behaviors but about redefining conservation through a culturally sensitive lens that recognizes each region’s distinct connection with these majestic creatures.
At its heart, "Whale Cultures Unveiled" urges a more nuanced, adaptable approach to conservation, celebrating the deep connection between human cultures and the lives of whales, and offering a transformative perspective on sustainable ecotourism and marine life coexistence.
Iro Tsarmpopoulou-Fokianou & Casper Larsen
Culinary Crossroads: Exploring Tradition, Cuisine, and Sustainability in Multifaceted Narratives
Our research explores the intersection of cuisine, culture, and sustainability, focusing on how traditional foods connect with elements like tradition, gender, folklore, and life stages across different locations. We aim to understand food as medicine and its ties to the modern narrative of sustainability.
In ocean conservation, we examine fishing and cuisine as vital links between humans, animals, and nature, contrasting traditional practices with challenges like overfishing and mass production. Key to this is understanding how communities perceive marine animals as food sources and how these relationships shape local culture.
The study may also focus on cetaceans and marine life, exploring why certain species are considered food while others are not, and how these views are embedded in cultural contexts.
Additionally, a filming component will document the immersive journey, highlighting culinary expertise, communal dining, and the intricate relationships between people, food, and the marine world.
Christina Mertzanidou
Amplifying Nature’s Voice: A Research and Storytelling Initiative with Expedition Audacity
This research-driven creative project, supported by Expedition Audacity, explores the profound connections between humanity and the living networks that shape our world. It aims to amplify the voices of natural ecosystems, species, and landscapes while delving into the myths, archetypes, and collective narratives that have emerged alongside them. By intertwining research with storytelling, the project reveals timeless truths about our shared inner lives and our place within the untamed natural world.
Rooted in interdisciplinary fields including geography, anthropology, history, mythology, ecology, geology, and psychoanalysis, this endeavor weaves together data and insights to craft compelling narratives. These stories explore how landscapes and human histories intersect, offering a powerful lens through which past and present converge in evocative, sometimes haunting ways.
A key focus of the research is on Indigenous communities and their enduring relationship with the land. By examining the forces of displacement, assimilation, and marginalization, the project highlights both the challenges they face and the resilience they embody. Their wisdom offers profound lessons for living harmoniously within nature, contributing invaluable perspectives to global conservation efforts.
What began as a creative response to the tourism industry during the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved into a dedicated pursuit of environmental storytelling. During this time, I also embraced sailing, captivated by the elegant dynamics of wind and water. With Expedition Audacity, this passion merges seamlessly with research, as maritime expeditions provide the opportunity to collect insights and observations for a body of work encompassing essays, short stories, and visual media such as photography and painting.
In addition to written narratives, this project explores diverse creative formats, including documentary contributions, podcasts, and audio recordings, all designed to engage broader audiences. The maritime setting offers a unique environment for reflection, expanding my sailing experience beyond the Aegean to bluewater conditions and deepening the project's creative potential.
This research and storytelling initiative celebrates the intricate connections between humanity and nature, inspiring curiosity and engagement with the challenges facing our planet. By blending science, art, and narrative, it seeks to reconnect us to the mysteries that sustain life and amplify voices too often left unheard.
Neha Acharya-Patel & Kylie Van De Wyngaerde
Molecular sample Optimization of RNA from the Environment
Expedition Audacity’s Project MORE (Molecular sample Optimization of RNA from the Environment) is pioneering the future of marine genomic sampling, leveraging the cutting-edge Calypso instrument to deepen insights into marine ecosystems.
The project’s first phase standardizes genomic sampling protocols, analyzing optimal volumes and depths while examining the relationship between sample collection and species proximity to target sites. Next, MORE aims to enhance the sensitivity of molecular sampling, studying how sample volume correlates with environmental RNA (eRNA) and DNA (eDNA) signal strength, capturing both microbial and non-microbial biodiversity indicators.
Project MORE also bridges traditional and molecular approaches by comparing Calypso's genomic capabilities with standard photo and video transect methods, yielding a dual analysis of biodiversity and species distribution. In optimizing shipboard collection, MORE will examine whether molecular data accurately reflects species abundance, potentially shifting how marine ecosystems are assessed.
Finally, MORE explores the potential of AI-assisted species identification, setting a forward-looking standard for marine genomic research. Integrating traditional methodologies with molecular insights, Project MORE stands to transform our understanding of marine biodiversity and ecosystem health.
Professor Raj Sekhar Aich PhD
Shark Tales: Love, beauty and cultural connection of humans and sharks in South American coastal communities.
Expedition Audacity embarks on a profound journey to explore human-shark connections along South America’s coast, addressing the urgent need for shark conservation. This project delves into the cultural, emotional, and artistic bonds communities share with sharks, counteracting the negative portrayals that hinder conservation efforts.
Rejecting stereotypes, this research emphasizes sharks as individual beings with stories shaped by human interactions. By focusing on love, beauty, and folklore, it presents sharks beyond just scientific data, highlighting their significance in local narratives.
The research aims to map local knowledge holders, exploring folklore, cultural history, and art that expresses shark-human connections. A transdisciplinary approach is taken, using field visits, interviews, and visual and auditory data collection over 4-5 days at each location. Purposeful sampling ensures diverse perspectives are represented.
The expedition will culminate in a curated exhibition showcasing the rich, multifaceted relationship between humans and sharks, seeking to foster global appreciation and inspire a paradigm shift in how sharks are perceived. Through these narratives, Expedition Audacity aims to promote marine conservation and a harmonious coexistence with these remarkable creatures.
Declan Taylor
Kelp Chronicles: Mapping, Conservation, and Climate Insights
Expedition Audacity’s Kelp Project focuses on identifying keystone kelp species and analyzing their distribution along latitudinal gradients. The aim is to gain a deep understanding of how these marine forests respond to varying ecological factors such as temperature, light, and competition across a vast coastal expanse.
Research Approach:
- Systematic Mapping: The expedition’s length allows for a comprehensive mapping of marine forests using advanced technologies:
- Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) will monitor the spread of the invasive kelp Undaria pinnatifida along the Atlantic coast.
- Drones will create high-resolution geospatial maps of intertidal Macrocystis pyrifera, a dominant species in kelp forests.
- Latitudinal Analysis: Studying species distribution across latitudes helps uncover how key variables like temperature, tidal cycles, and light impact kelp populations.
Project Significance:
This research aims to establish a baseline dataset of kelp distribution and abundance, shared publicly to foster collaboration with institutions globally. Such data is critical for tracking invasive species, understanding the role of native kelp in marine ecosystems, and informing climate and conservation efforts.
Kelp beds protect coastal regions, provide habitats, and sequester carbon, making them essential to ocean health, much like forests are to terrestrial ecosystems. Establishing this baseline is crucial given the global decline of kelp forests and their economic and ecological importance. Accurate data supports sustainable management and conservation policies, ensuring informed decision-making and ecosystem protection.
Professor Raj Sekhar Aich PhD
Exploring the Abyss: Unveiling the Secrets of Deep Ocean Sharks along the South American Coastline with Expedition Audacity
Expedition Audacity embarks on an ambitious exploration of our Oceans, diving into the enigmatic world of deep-sea sharks.
This pioneering project aims to uncover the hidden behaviors and habitats of these elusive creatures, pushing the frontiers of marine knowledge.
Utilizing cutting-edge ROVs equipped with 4K cameras, fluorometers, CTDs, sonar, and laser scalers, the team conducts a series of 100 dives, reaching depths of 800-900 meters. The ROVs systematically capture environmental data and behaviors, providing a detailed look into this uncharted territory.
In collaboration with leading scientists like Dr. Andrej A. Gajić of National Geographic, the project seeks to bridge science and wonder. The goal is not just to gather data but to shape a narrative that deepens our understanding of deep-sea sharks and their role in marine ecosystems, while promoting climate-smart conservation.
Expedition Audacity embodies the spirit of discovery, innovation, and a commitment to revealing the intricate beauty of the underwater world.
Naomi Lubkin
Phytoplankton Dynamics: Unraveling Climate Impacts from the Bottom Up
Naomi's research explores the relationship between phytoplankton species shifts and their biotic and abiotic influences in Arctic ecosystems. Her study aims to connect variations in ice and pelagic phytoplankton populations with factors like light, salinity, temperature, and nutrients. Biotic changes, such as fluctuations in ice phytoplankton, affect pelagic species through nutrient competition and grazing dynamics. Abiotic factors like melting ice alter light penetration, salinity, and nutrient distribution, impacting phytoplankton growth and species dominance.
Through comprehensive data collection on environmental conditions and species abundance, Naomi’s project not only contributes to global biodiversity counts but also deepens our understanding of climate change’s impact on Arctic marine ecosystems. The study's results are key to shaping conservation policies by highlighting how foundational marine life is responding to environmental shifts, fostering informed and effective preservation efforts.
Neha Acharya-Patel
eDNA Monitoring: Unleashing Swift and Open-Access Insights into Biodiversity Dynamic
Yes, it is feasible to develop an efficient approach for generating valuable open-access eDNA data. Environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring offers a scalable, non-intrusive, and highly sensitive method to assess biodiversity across a range of ecosystems, from terrestrial and freshwater to marine environments. Here's why an open-access approach is promising:
Key Advantages:
- Scalability and Speed: eDNA allows for rapid biodiversity assessments without direct organismal contact, making it much faster and less labor-intensive compared to traditional field surveys. Researchers can obtain a snapshot of an ecosystem’s biodiversity from environmental samples (e.g., soil, water, air) with minimal intrusion.
- Broad Applicability: eDNA’s versatility across diverse ecosystems and taxa enables researchers to monitor everything from microorganisms to large marine species, making it a powerful tool for functional biodiversity assessments.
- Sensitivity and Accuracy: The technique can detect even small traces of genetic material, improving the chances of identifying rare or elusive species that might be overlooked in conventional surveys.
- Open-Access Data: Sharing eDNA data freely through open-access platforms can significantly accelerate global collaborations among scientists, conservationists, and policymakers. Open access ensures that the wealth of collected data is pooled to create a comprehensive understanding of biodiversity patterns, trends, and threats.
Real-World Impact:
This approach could democratize biodiversity data, enabling rapid responses to ecological changes and fostering collaboration for predictive modeling and proactive conservation measures. The development of standardized protocols, efficient storage solutions, and automated data processing tools will be key to realizing this goal.
In short, the rapid generation and open-access sharing of eDNA data can revolutionize biodiversity research by making it more inclusive, scalable, and efficient in confronting the current biodiversity crisis.
Merlijn Hulsenboom
Exploring Arctic Zooplankton Dynamics: Unveiling Interconnections with Phytoplankton and Environmental Factors
Expedition Audacity seeks to explore how smaller zooplankton in Arctic waters respond to both biotic and abiotic factors. Phytoplankton availability plays a crucial role, directly impacting zooplankton abundance since phytoplankton serve as their primary food source. As melting sea ice increases light penetration, it fuels phytoplankton growth, which in turn sustains higher zooplankton populations.
Key abiotic factors such as salinity and temperature further shape these dynamics. Variations in salinity due to ice melt affect nutrient mixing and buoyancy, indirectly influencing phytoplankton growth and zooplankton distribution. Meanwhile, rising temperatures impact zooplankton metabolism and timing of their reproductive cycles, with potential misalignment to phytoplankton blooms.
Using a planktoscope, the team can precisely map vertical distributions of both phyto- and zooplankton across environmental gradients, leveraging real-time identification through EcoTaxa. By linking plankton patterns with temperature and salinity changes, the research aims to deepen our understanding of how climate change reshapes Arctic ecosystems.
Anne Desreveaux
Life is plastic, which is not fantastic - The distribution and quantity of microplastics in the ocean
Although plastics are widely used, less than 10% of them are actually recycled, which leads to a large number of plastics entering the environment.
Microplastics are no larger than 5mm in size, yet they pose one of the largest threats of the 21st century, even more so when you combine them with their even smaller cousin, nanoplastics (<1 μm). Since microplastics have difficulty fully biodegrading, they can remain in the environment for a long time and they are easily consumed by many species , like zooplankton, mussels, fish, marine mammals, humans, and so on, as their small size renders them impossible to see.
Microplastics can have detrimental effects to human- and wildlife health as they can accumulate harmful pathogens, like bacteria, and serve as their carriers. As a consequence, they can exert toxicity, cause respiratory problems or induce inflammation to the gastrointestinal system, amongst others.
In the ocean, they are mainly found in the sediment, but often also distributed in the coastal area or floating on the surface of the seawater. Though micro- and nanoplastics have already been widely studied, we are still lacking essential data to gain a full understanding of their distribution and quantity. To contribute to the estimation of the risks they pose to the environment, we will sample across different depths, locations and expeditions, to gain a picture as clear as possible of the whereabouts of these microkillers.