Scientists collected DNA from seawater at 316 sites across Japan;126 fish species farther north

The waters surrounding Japan have been changing in ways that may not be immediately visible to the people who depend on them. But one day the oceans may not look like before and may not inhabit the same species we are familiar with. According to Phys.org, a nationwide study of marine environmental DNA (eDNA) in Japan has found evidence of fish species appearing farther north than previously recorded. Scientists are turning to a disparate source of evidence to understand these changes: the DNA left behind in seawater.In a nationwide study, researchers analysed thousands of water samples collected along Japan's coastline, noting 126 fish species in locations farther north in previously recorded indications. The findings offer a closer look at how marine habitats may be changing as ocean temperatures rise, with potential consequences for fishing communities, local food traditions and the ecosystems that support coastal life.How a bucket of seawater can reveal marine lifeResearchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) conducted what the institution described as Japan's largest marine environmental DNA study. Published in the journal Diversity and Distributions on ...