Revolutionizing ocean research with innovative tools for citizen scientists
Cutting-edge citizen science demands cutting-edge tools to ensure participants collect clean samples and accurate data. Citizens of the Sea has developed new technologies to enable offshore yachts to collect environmental DNA (eDNA) at fast cruising speeds. By equipping the volunteer fleet with automated temperature and depth loggers, Citizens of the Sea is also collecting seabed data from some of the South Pacific’s most remote regions to contribute to global bathymetric mapping.
High-speed eDNA collection with TORPeDNA
Even in moderate offshore conditions, slowing down to two knots to tow a traditional plankton net would leave the crews of most sailboats green in the face. To facilitate eDNA collection at typical cruising speeds up to 12 knots, Citizens of the Sea and Cawthron Institute scientist Xavier Pochon pioneered the TORPeDNA, a torpedo-shaped sampler with minimal drag and maximum ease of use.
Towing the TORPeDNA behind a yacht channels water through its nose cone and into a sturdy filter. Citizen scientists can easily lift the lightweight sampler back on board and remove its end cap to retrieve the filtration disc, transferring it with sterile tweezers to a tube of DNA preservation buffer. Reassembling the TORPeDNA with a fresh filter is similarly straightforward. The crew stores sample tubes in the yacht’s refrigerator until they are transported to New Zealand for eDNA sequencing with the Illumina next-generation DNA sequencing platform.
DNAutic: A leap for competitive sailors
As the effects of climate change and pollution grow more pressing, professional racers increasingly seek to aid conservation efforts. To attract offshore racers, Citizens of the Sea partner, Sequench, developed a quicker eDNA sampling method. The DNAutic manifold, powered by a yacht’s battery, draws surface water through three hi-tech filters simultaneously. These self-preserving filters (Smith-Root Inc.) are encased within cones that preserve DNA without refrigeration, and are easily inserted or removed from the DNAutic device. After sampling, racers will reseal the used filters into their original bags, label them with GPS coordinates and date, and Citizens of the Sea scientists will handle DNA sequencing and analysis.
Vende Globe sailor Fabrice Amedeo with the DNAutic device for automatic eDNA filtering on an IMOCA offshore racing yacht.
From depth logs to a definitive seafloor map
In support of the International SeaKeepers Society, Citizens of the Sea is contributing to the ambitious Seabed 2030 project aiming to comprehensively map the seafloor. Citizens of the Sea’s fleet of sailboats will connect automated data loggers to their onboard networks to record the boat’s depth and GPS location while navigating unmapped or poorly mapped coastlines in the South Pacific. Data uploaded to this worldwide project will help verify previous charts and potentially identify uncharted reefs and undersea structures.
Small tech, big rewards
The Citizens of the Sea toolkit is designed to empower citizen scientists to easily gather accurate, impactful data. By venturing into lesser-known waters, sailors can make meaningful additions to scientific datasets and public maps, thereby aiding policymakers in making well-informed marine conservation choices.
