DNA barcoding of benthic species from the Belgian part of the North Sea for diversity impact assessments

Species living in or near the seafloor fulfill a variety of ecosystem functions. Understanding how benthic communities respond to human activities is crucial to determine how such activities impact the functioning of the benthic environment. In the Belgian part of the North Sea, ILVO is extensively monitoring different benthic ecosystem components, and explores new ways to characterise the structural and functional benthic diversity. DNA-based approaches such as metabarcoding may complement and speed up the characterisation of changes noted in these communities during impact assessments. Linki... Mehr ...