How the ghost DNA of fish help protect our oceans | Philipp Bayer | TEDxKingsParkSalon

The ocean is vital for life, supplying half the world's oxygen, influencing climate, and providing protein for 3.1 billion people. However, ocean ecosystems are threatened by climate change, overfishing, pollution, and mining. The speaker, a bioinformatician with the Mindo Foundation, Oceanomics Division, works with partners to find technological solutions, focusing on environmental DNA (eDNA). Similar to forensics, eDNA involves sampling water for fish DNA. Australian oceans house 5,000 marine species. The process includes collecting water samples, filtering them, and sequencing the DNA. This generates massive datasets (2-3 terabytes per current machine), which the speaker analyzes using text comparison algorithms, AI, and supercomputers to find biological meaning. A typical sample can reveal around 200 fish species. For species with sequenced genomes (less than 5%), direct comparison is used. For others, AI and machine learning make educated guesses by recognizing patterns, like identifying snapper families. This method differs from traditional fish mapping (trolling, diving) by its scalability. Australia's vast 8.9 million square kilometer marine jurisdiction cannot be covered by traditional methods. The speaker proposes using "shadow profiles" for fish, inspired by social media tracking. By sequencing non-fish DNA (bacteria, viruses) from numerous sites and times, associations with fish DNA can be inferred, revealing hidden biodiversity. This allows for scalable monitoring and countering threats like overfishing and climate change. Early detection of invasive species and tracking of rare/threatened species can inform policy and marine park placement. These technologies are current, offering faster solutions to protect oceans for future generations.