{"id":9460,"date":"2025-07-03T02:06:37","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T02:06:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/?p=9460"},"modified":"2025-09-09T05:53:59","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T05:53:59","slug":"mamu-and-edna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/mamu-and-edna\/","title":{"rendered":"Blending traditional knowledge and science"},"content":{"rendered":"[mk_page_section bg_image=”https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/gowrie-ck-area-1-slider.jpg” bg_position=”center center” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” bg_stretch=”true” enable_3d=”true” min_height=”500″ js_vertical_centered=”true” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” section_id=”donate” el_class=”donate-1″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”70px”][mk_fancy_title font_family=”none” align=”center”]IMPROVING WATERWAYS[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider size=”67″][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section section_id=”great-1″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1563789112768{padding-right: 36px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}” el_class=”great_header_left”][mk_padding_divider size=”100″ visibility=”hidden-nb”][mk_padding_divider size=”15″ visibility=”visible-sm”][mk_padding_divider visibility=”visible-tl”][mk_fancy_title size=”28″ letter_spacing=”4″ margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none” el_class=”terrain-title-2″]BLENDING TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND SCIENCE[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider size=”60″ visibility=”hidden-nb”][mk_padding_divider size=”20″ visibility=”visible-nb”][vc_column_text el_class=”sub-head” css=”.vc_custom_1751508538441{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]JULY 2025[\/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider size=”5″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1751508783049{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]From local rivers to Sydney\u2019s Macquarie University \u2013 three Mamu Rangers and Terrain NRM\u2019s Alicia Buckle recently took a deep dive into the science behind environmental DNA.<\/p>\n

Environmental DNA (eDNA): What is it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Environmental DNA, or eDNA, is changing the way we monitor ecosystems and it\u2019s particularly useful in places where traditional monitoring would be dangerous (because of crocodiles) or would cause too much disturbance (in sensitive ecosystems or for rare and endangered species).<\/p>\n

It\u2019s being used for many things – from detecting pest fish like tilapia in our creeks and rivers or seeing whether polluted waterways are becoming healthier to monitoring endangered swordfish or finding crown-of-thorns starfish before they mature and cause major problems on the Reef.<\/p>\n

Local waterways: How eDNA sampling helps<\/strong><\/p>\n

For Mamu Rangers, eDNA analysis is helping to monitor culturally significant species without land managers having to spend countless hours searching for them, or installing cameras and traps.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are using eDNA sampling to help us determine whether species like gudgeon, barramundi and mangrove jack are present or absent in waterways,\u2019\u2019 Mamu Ranger Francis Joyce says. \u201cFrom there we\u2019ll look at how to manage our waterways better for them.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing at the laboratory was amazing \u2013 it gave us more of an appreciation of all the science that happens after our sampling, and why our project\u2019s design and sampling methods are so important.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fast Facts: eDNA in the laboratory
\n<\/strong>
\nDNA is in the biological matter in samples.<\/p>\n

Molecules called primers are released into the mixture and they attach to target sections of the DNA strands.<\/p>\n

These sections can be used as a \u2018barcode\u2019 (like we have on products at a supermarket).<\/p>\n

Many copies of the barcode sections are made.<\/p>\n

These samples are sequenced to look at what species are present. Just like at the supermarket checkout, DNA barcodes can be matched to species in a database to give us a list of animals and plants found in the sample.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1563789122720{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 34px !important;}” el_class=”great_header_right”][mk_padding_divider size=”206″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”50″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”50″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”5″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1751508936135{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1751509130114{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Funding<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Mamu Healthy Waterways Project is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government\u2019s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, and is supported by Terrain NRM.<\/p>\n

About the Mamu Healthy Waterways project<\/strong><\/p>\n

The project includes monthly water sampling across the Johnstone River catchment to test for a wide range of things including nutrients, pesticides and suspended solids. This project is \u00a0building on other water quality monitoring in the region and combining science with cultural knowledge and values.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section el_class=”grean-btn-sec” sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][mk_padding_divider size=”47″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_button dimension=”outline” url=”https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/what-we-do\/waterway-health\/murray-and-mossman\/” align=”right” el_class=”green-btn” outline_skin=”custom” outline_active_color=”#175137″ outline_active_text_color=”#ffffff” outline_hover_bg_color=”#175137″ outline_hover_color=”#ffffff”]Read More[\/mk_button][mk_padding_divider size=”100″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section section_id=”great-1-blog” sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][mk_padding_divider size=”105″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_fancy_title size=”28″ letter_spacing=”4″ margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none” align=”right” el_class=”terrain-title”]RELATED NEWS[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider visibility=”hidden-sm”][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][vc_row fullwidth=”true” fullwidth_content=”false” id=”post_grid_filter_1″][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”grid_greate_3″ css=”.vc_custom_1743711878719{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\n

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