In July 2025, researchers from CIIMAR and INESC TEC successfully carried out a new round of field trials for the autonomous eDNA BioSampler aboard TEC4Sea’s scientific ship Mar Profundo. The tests, conducted off the coast of Porto, marked a major step forward in advancing autonomous marine biodiversity monitoring.
For the first time, the BioSampler was integrated with an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), enabling precise deployment at depths of 20 and 75 meters. At each depth, 2 liters of seawater were filtered in triplicate, with autonomous sampling protocols validated against traditional manual methods using a Niskin bottle and peristaltic pump.
The preserved samples will undergo eDNA extraction and next-generation sequencing in September. These analyses will target multiple trophic levels, from microbial communities and phytoplankton to fish and cetaceans, providing a comprehensive view of local biodiversity.
The July campaign follows earlier shallow-water trials in May 2025, which demonstrated consistent performance between manual and autonomous sampling. Together, these results confirm the reliability of the BioSampler and its potential to reduce variability caused by manual collection, ensuring more robust biodiversity assessments.
By proving its capability for deeper-water autonomous deployment, the eDNA BioSampler is now one step closer to becoming a breakthrough tool for large-scale, standardized, and non-invasive monitoring of marine ecosystems in the context of climate change and biodiversity protection.
