Ocean Ecology – a marine ecological survey company – has secured £21,642 in funding from Highlands and Islands Enterprise as part of a project to develop the cutting-edge lab at its existing facility at the European Marine Science Park near Oban.
The funding will be used to acquire the equipment for the extraction and purification of eDNA from sediment and water samples taken from the marine environment. eDNA analysis can be used to study biodiversity and monitor marine ecosystem changes, including water quality and the early detection of invasive species. As such, the development of Scotland’s first commercial eDNA lab may significantly benefit the country’s aquaculture industry, as the technology can be used for the detection and identification of planktonic threats and harmful pathogens.
Ocean Ecology has expanded rapidly in recent years, providing services to the growing aquaculture and renewable energy sectors. There is growing interest in eDNA analysis among the company’s client base, and this is expected to lead to substantial industry demand in the short term
“The addition of eDNA services will allow us to continue to provide services to our clients during the full life cycle of an aquaculture site, from pre-development site characterisation and licensing to compliance monitoring and diagnostics. By keeping up with regulatory change we can remain reactive to our clients’ needs. Outwith the aquaculture sector our new facility will also allow us to serve several other industries, including an expanding offshore renewable sector,” said Dr Michael Redford, Ocean Ecology laboratory manager, in a press release.
