The DiadSea team has carried out its first experimental environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling in the Mondego River estuary, in Portugal’s Centre Region. This pioneering fieldwork aims to correlate the presence of shad with river plume dynamics and to address existing data gaps in the monitoring of diadromous fish populations.
The results will contribute to DiadSea’s ongoing work to propose shared, transnational solutions to the challenges faced by diadromous species, fish that migrate between fresh and saltwater during their life cycle.
The sampling campaign was conducted by researchers from the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle – Station de Dinard, the University of Évora, the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, and the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). The eDNA approach involves extracting genetic material directly from water samples, enabling scientists to detect the presence of fish species without the need for capture. This non-invasive method offers an efficient and innovative tool for biodiversity monitoring, particularly in sensitive or hard-to-sample ecosystems.
Supported by the Interreg Atlantic Area programme and endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade, the DiadSea project focuses on improving the management and conservation of diadromous migratory fish in the Atlantic Ocean—species that are especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
The results will contribute to DiadSea’s ongoing work to propose shared, transnational solutions to the challenges faced by diadromous species, fish that migrate between fresh and saltwater during their life cycle.
The sampling campaign was conducted by researchers from the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle – Station de Dinard, the University of Évora, the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, and the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). The eDNA approach involves extracting genetic material directly from water samples, enabling scientists to detect the presence of fish species without the need for capture. This non-invasive method offers an efficient and innovative tool for biodiversity monitoring, particularly in sensitive or hard-to-sample ecosystems.
Supported by the Interreg Atlantic Area programme and endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade, the DiadSea project focuses on improving the management and conservation of diadromous migratory fish in the Atlantic Ocean—species that are especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
Publish date: 2026-01-09
