The Ocean Biomolecular Observing Network (OBON) is organising a session at the Ocean Sciences Meeting in New Orleans, USA (18-23 February 2024). We are inviting abstracts from biomolecular observation projects, whether already part of OBON or not, and hope that the session will stimulate greater participation in our programme and collaboration between different eDNA/biomolecular initiatives. Please find more information below, or via this link. If you have any questions feel free to e-mail us at observing@obon-ocean.org or contact Jodie van de Kamp (jodie.vandekamp@csiro.au).
While sensors and platforms exist for collecting in situ physical and chemical ocean measurements at global scale, there is no equivalent unified global surveillance of life in the ocean. To meet the needs of research, conservation, fisheries, and marine health communities, biological observations at appropriate phylogenetic, temporal, and spatial scales are necessary.
The global network that the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development-endorsed program Ocean Biomolecular Observing Network (OBON) is striving to develop will address knowledge gaps with finer-scale biological observations from methodologies based on the DNA, universal to life on Earth, and other biomolecules. Several recent demonstrations have validated biomolecular methodologies for aspects of fisheries management, conservation (e.g., threatened species, marine protected area design), aquaculture, biogeography, and exploration while enabling fast and inexpensive infectious disease analyses. Our vision, a global marine life surveillance program, builds on successes of these and other biomolecular research programs, enabling broadscale science-based sustainable development.
The session will feature presentations from several OBON projects, as well as other marine eDNA and biomolecular efforts, including technology development, methodology development, data frameworks, and capacity development. More information on the meeting, sessions and how to submit an abstract is available here.
Southern environmental DNA society 
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