In the context of assessing and better understanding spatial and temporal patterns of marine biodiversity and their changes, the HIFMB Focus Group Marine Molecular Ecology estimates marine metazoan biodiversity by using novel molecular genetic tools for the simultaneous identification of many species in marine assemblages and communities.
By the evaluation of multispecies identification approaches to describe marine communities, including the establishment of best-practice work flows, we contribute to a better understanding how the genetic material in the environment (environmental DNA, eDNA) mirrors the biodiversity in the field. Here, a central issue is the estimation of the methodological sensitivity and possible errors to describe the present status of marine metazoan communities. With this, the Focus Group evaluates biodiversity from genetic data to be compared or supplemented to conventional methods assessing biodiversity. Together with HIFMB scientist and collaborators, we aim at integrating eDNA analyses in biodiversity research to draw the big picture on community compositions, structures and functions, interactions in communities and their responses in relation to biotic and abiotic conditions and changes.
Would you like to learn more about the people and their projects? Listen to our podcast episodes:
Alica – Species Detective Without Sorrow
Our team for Marine Molecular Ecology
Alica Ohnesorge
Molecular Ecologist
Channen-Nathalie Herbrand
Trainee biology laboratory assistant
Dandan Izabel-Shen
Microbial Ecology/ Molecular Ecology
Kingsly Chuo Beng
Ecologist
Ruben Lietzau
Training as biology laboratory technician
Silke Laakmann
Marine BiologistNews and articles on the topic
Traces of Diversity
Every litre of seawater is full of genetic material from all kinds of different organisms. Biologist Silke Laakmann and her team are pioneering techniques that use these DNA traces to determine the biodiversity of marine communities.