FRESHBAR – Barcoding of freshwater organisms for improved assessment of biodiversity
Project overview
More related research
Short summary
DNA can be used to identify freshwater organisms using an environmental sample such as water or scraped biofilm. DNA-based methods could serve as the automated identification method for large-scale biological monitoring. On top, we are getting new insights into the taxonomy of aquatic organisms.
FRESHBAR is both a finalized project, as well as still active, as its results are a rich source for research within diatom taxonomy.
FRESHBAR was one of eight research projects focusing on the development of DNA methods for national environmental monitoring. The project was financed by the Environmental Protection Agency’s environmental research grant in collaboration with the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management. FRESHBAR covered both diatoms and invertebrates (see final report). For benthic diatoms, continued work regarding both taxonomy, the development of laboratory methods, and of molecular indices, is ongoing. Thus, the project page is kept alive and will be updated successively with new results, and updates on the molecular method with focus on environmental assessment.
Final report: Kahlert, M., Johnson, R.K., Goedkoop, W., Brodin, Y., Lyrholm, T., Zimmermann, J. 2024. FRESHBAR – Streckkodning av sötvattenorganismer för förbättrade bedömningar av biodiversitet. Rapport 7130, Naturvårdsverket (in Swedish with English summary)
