Journal article
Environmental DNA Reveals Distinct Regions of Extraordinary Marine Biodiversity to Inform a Newly Established Marine Park—Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia
Diversity & distributions, Vol.32(9), e70258
2026
Abstract
Aim
Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia, is a globally significant refuge for many marine megafauna species. The recent designation of a marine park in Exmouth Gulf underscores its environmental, social and cultural significance but remains a site of competing interests. Broadscale biodiversity monitoring to mitigate impact to this largely understudied but highly significant marine bioregion is sorely needed to inform marine park zoning, management and future protection of its environmental assets.
Location
Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia (WA).
Methods
This study applied four metabarcoding assays targeting mitochondrial genes 16S (Fish16S), CO1 (CO1-elasmo) and 12S (MiFish-U/E) to surface seawater eDNA samples collected from 19 sites encompassing 3000 km2 across four major regions within Exmouth Gulf.
Results
A total of 487 unique taxa were identified, including 440 bony fish, 37 elasmobranchs, 7 birds, 2 mammals and one reptile. Exmouth Gulf exhibited significantly distinct communities between its western, central, southern and eastern regions, driven by bony fish assemblages, although bony fish richness and diversity did not vary. The eastern gulf contained the highest richness of elasmobranchs and threatened species across classes (IUCN Red List), with Tent Island being the most elasmobranch rich and Urala Creek housing the most threatened species of all sites. Globally Critically Endangered (CR; IUCN Red List) species were identified within all four regions, with three out of the four CR species detected in the eastern gulf.
Main Conclusions
This underscores that Exmouth Gulf in its entirety provides critical habitat for threatened species, holding remarkable conservation value and reasserting the global ecological significance of this bioregion. The evident prominence of the eastern gulf and Urala Creek also highlights how eDNA approaches can be used to help identify fine-scale areas of highest conservation importance to better inform marine spatial planning.
Details
- Title
- Environmental DNA Reveals Distinct Regions of Extraordinary Marine Biodiversity to Inform a Newly Established Marine Park—Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia
- Authors/Creators
- Jessica R Pearce - The University of Western AustraliaMarcelle Ayad - The University of Western AustraliaSallyann Gudge - Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and AttractionsKarissa Lear - Murdoch UniversityRebecca L Bateman-JohnMatthew W Fraser - The University of Western AustraliaBianca Graham - La Trobe UniversityJoshua L Bonesso - Australian Institute of Marine Science
- Publication Details
- Diversity & distributions, Vol.32(9), e70258
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- Identifiers
- 991005913590607891
- Copyright
- © 2026 The Author(s).
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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