The week's good news: Oct. 5, 2023

It wasn't all bad!

Fish swimming in the Mediterranean Sea
New technology using eDNA makes it easier to survey oceans
(Image credit: Alessandro Rota / Getty Images)

eDNA technology is changing ocean research for the better

Scientists are using eDNA to better understand what's under the sea and come up with conservation policies that work.  Also referred to as environmental DNA, eDNA "originates from cellular material shed by organisms into aquatic or terrestrial environments that can be sampled and monitored using new molecular methods," the U.S. Geological Survey explained. Scientists gather water samples and test them for animal DNA to determine if there are any invasive pests in the area and track migrations. In France, researchers used eDNA to confirm the presence of rare angel sharks in the Mediterranean Sea, and now ocean managers are taking steps to protect the species. Scientist Stéphanie Manel, a professor at the École Pratique des Hautes Études, told The Washington Post her goal is to use eDNA to create "a map of the biodiversity in the Mediterranean." The Washington Post, USGS

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.