Raise your game in biodiversity conservation with open e-course on environmental DNA

What if you could detect species without observing them? What if nature sends out a reliable signal disclosing the presence of species that we can capture and interpret with great accuracy? How can we improve our efforts to monitor and conserve species habitats and ecosystems with such information in our hands?

A new Massive Open Online Course, developed by the Ecosystems and Landscape Evolution research group, offers a unique opportunity to learners around the world and ETH Zurich students to delve into the world of eDNA analysis. Guided by a team of ETH Zurich and WSL ecologists, course participants will learn about different sampling techniques, laboratory methodologies, and data interpretation.

As eDNA plays a groundbreaking role in understanding and conserving ecosystems, three case studies are put in the spotlight to address pressing ecological questions about biodiversity in three different types of ecosystems. They showcase the fieldwork and subsequent analysis of samples collected from the tropical rainforests of Colombia, the coastal waters of Brittany, France and the forest reserves of Switzerland. Through the lens of socio-environmental issues such as deforestation, ecological restoration, overfishing and natural forest management, the course aims to reach not only environmental scientists but also engage policymakers, conservationists, and citizen scientists alike.