School students join UNESCO surveying Lord Howe Island marine life

Lord Howe Island students got the chance to become marine scientists for a day earlier this year, sampling environmental DNA (eDNA) in the waters of the island’s lagoon.

It is all part of a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) push to record marine species in the 25 World Heritage marine areas around the world to better understand the effect of climate change on these areas in coming years.

EDNA  sampling is a new way of determining the amount and type of the aquatic species occurring in an area by simply analysing a water sample for DNA fragments shed from aquatic organisms.

Lord Howe Island Marine Park Manager Justin Gilligan assisted with the school citizen science eDNA sampling day.

He said it was fantastic to see students participate in this global initiative to better understand the marine life of the area.

“This will help us and UNESCO establish a baseline of what marine species are currently in the area so we can identify changes to reef health in the future,” he said.

“It is intriguing to think how this information will compare if students repeat sampling in 10, 20, 50 or even 100 years, and how the health of the Lord Howe Island Marine Park fares against other world heritage areas across the globe.”

“It’s a critical time for coral reefs and the fish they support, so we are grateful that the students and staff were willing and able to assist with this important project.”

Lord Howe Island is home to the world’s most southern coral reef and is home to a unique range of plants and animals.

As well as the students' sampling, eDNA samples were collected in inshore and offshore locations around Lord Howe Island corresponding with existing long-term monitoring sites.

Mr Gilligan said the DNA sampling is one of the many ways they keep track of the types and abundance of different marine species within the Lord Howe Island Marine Park.

“It’s great that we can use this kind of sampling to understand the waters of Lord Howe Island better. We hope this will help us with our ongoing management of the marine park.”

Year 6 student Zara Cruikshank said taking part in the day reminded her of the importance of looking after our oceans.

“The ocean takes up most of the world, so we need to look after it. It’s been so fun learning about how sampling eDNA can help us do that.”

“I love the Lord Howe Island Marine Park because it is a special place that is world heritage listed, and I feel so privileged to live here,” she said.