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Researchers join cavers to study elusive species on Christmas Island
Curtin University researchers have joined with expert cavers on a mission to learn more about new and elusive underwater species, by exploring the hidden depths of caves across Christmas Island, off the north coast of Western Australia.
The Curtin research team partnered with the Western Australian Speleological Group (WASG) to collect water and sediment samples from the bottom of 23 caves and springs, and then analysed the DNA species shed in the water using the powerful survey technique called ‘eDNA metabarcoding’.
Using this technique, the team was able to detect new and elusive species such as the Indonesian shortfin eel, previously found on Christmas Island and in caves across the Indo-Pacific, freshwater jellyfish, typically found in calm freshwater lakes and reservoirs around the world but not on Christmas Island, and slender springtails, previously found in caves on mainland Western Australia, but never on Christmas Island.