That is the power of environmental DNA, or eDNA, as revealed in new research led by University of Florida biologist David Duffy, Ph.D., which traced the DNA harbored by the Avoca River from its origin in the Wicklow Mountains to where it spills into the Irish Sea.

Read more about How River DNA Can Track Fish, Frogs, Fungi and Human Feces — All at Once.

A study led by University of Florida researchers is the first to sequence environmental DNA, or eDNA, from sea turtles — genetic material shed as they travel over beaches and in water. The research project is also the first to successfully collect animal eDNA from beach sand. The techniques could be used to trace and study other kinds of wildlife, advancing research and informing conservation strategies.

“We wanted to test the boundaries of this technology, which hadn’t really been applied to sea turtles before and certainly not on sand,” said David Duffy, UF assistant professor of wildlife disease genomics and Rising Star Condron Family Endowed Assistant Professor. “This is a way to survey areas for elusive animals or species that can be hard to study otherwise. It’s essentially wildlife forensics.”