Environmental DNA-based approaches for the monitoring of fish populations have come of age

Over the past 10 years, the analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) has become one of the most promising new approaches to obtain biodiversity data in aquatic environments, especially for fish. The technologies that underpin eDNA research evolve constantly, leading to a rapidly increasing quality and quantity of data. This has opened up exciting new opportunities for applied and fundamental research alike, but also challenges in terms of data analysis and interpretation. eDNA methods are rapidly penetrating biomonitoring for management purposes and increasing our understanding of ecological interactions within communities and of the drivers for biodiversity decline. The topical theme “Advances in eDNA-Based Approaches to Fish Ecology and Management” was therefore chosen for the 2019 annual conference of the Fisheries Society of the British Isles (FSBI). This symposium, which was held at the University of Hull, UK, from 15 to 19 September 2019, for the first time, brought together the international community of fish eDNA research and attracted more than 121 delegates from 27 countries with a broad geographical spread.