Stony Brook Researchers Pioneer Eco-Friendly Biodiversity Survey in Shinnecock Bay

Ellen Pikitch, endowed professor of Ocean Conservation Science in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at the September 12 launch of the research vessel at the Marine Science Center at Stony Brook Southampton. Photo by Felix Kunza.

Stony Brook University, in collaboration with the University of Waterloo, citizens of the Shinnecock Indian Nation, Open Ocean Robotics, and McLane Research Laboratories, has unveiled a solar-powered, remote-controlled craft that can autonomously roam the Shinnecock Bay for months, gathering vital data on the species inhabiting the waters - without harming the ecosystem.

The 12-foot-long vessel collects environmental DNA (eDNA) - genetic material shed by marine organisms - allowing researchers to detect a wide range of species without direct interference. The technology offers a far more comprehensive and non-invasive way to study marine life than traditional methods like trawling, which can damage sensitive habitats.

"This is the first of its kind," said Ellen Pikitch, endowed professor of Ocean Conservation Science in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences(SoMAS), at the September 12 launch of the vessel at the Marine Science Center at Stony Brook Southampton.

Research team members reviewing remote piloting procedures for the DataXplorer (from left): Natalia Benejam, PhD student, Pikitch lab; Sunshine Gumbs, project investigator, Shinnecock Indian Nation; Elizabeth Suter, Stony Brook and Molloy College; lead investigator Ellen Pikitch; volunteer James Brown; Madeline Bouvier, marine operations lead, Open Ocean Robotics. Photo by Taylor Griffith.

Pikitch, executive director of the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science and a lead investigator on the project, has been a driving force behind Shinnecock Bay's recovery from the harmful brown and red tides of the 1980s, which devastated local marine populations like scallops and clams. Thanks to restoration efforts (including the establishment of clam sanctuaries, oyster reefs, and seagrass beds) the bay's ecosystem has seen a significant rebound.

However, traditional methods for surveying marine life - such as bottom trawling - have significant limitations, often missing key species and causing damage to the very habitats researchers aim to protect. In contrast, the eDNA method is non-destructive and highly accurate, enabling the detection of species that might otherwise go unnoticed. "We can capture the broadest spectrum of marine life possible," Pikitch explained. "Including rare and elusive species."

In collaboration with Kelsey Leonard, a professor at the University of Waterloo and member of the Shinnecock Nation, the team has partnered with environmental tech firms Open Ocean Robotics (OOR) and McLane Research Laboratories to integrate the McLane RoCSI™ eDNA sampler and the OOR DataXplorer™. The solar-powered vessel is capable of autonomously collecting and preserving DNA samples from the water, while producing zero emissions.

The remote-controlled vessel will spend the next few weeks collecting samples from 27 different sites across Shinnecock Bay.

These technologies will not only expand research capabilities but also align with the values of the Shinnecock Nation and the importance of "least-harm" approaches in scientific research.

The DataXplorer™, with a self-righting design and silent operation, will spend the next few weeks collecting samples from 27 different sites across Shinnecock Bay, which was named a global "Hope Spot" in 2022 (the first of its kind in New York), a significant designation in the marine conservation world.

The data collected will be analyzed and compared to previous survey methods, and the team expects the new system to reveal even more about the biodiversity of Shinnecock Bay. "In 14 years of traditional surveys, we detected just four species of sharks, rays, and skates," Pikitch noted. "In just a few years of using eDNA, we've already detected 12."

The next phase of the groundbreaking research will be guided by the newly formed Indigenous Advisory Council (IAC), ensuring that future studies in Shinnecock Bay incorporate Indigenous knowledge and perspectives.

- Beth Squire

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