A taxonomically reliable DNA barcode reference library for North Sea macrobenthos

Scientific Data, vol. 12, pp. 1198

Abstract

EU directives (e.g. MSFD, Habitats Directive), along with OSPAR guidelines, mandate sustainable marine resource management across national borders. Benthic organisms are crucial for assessing marine ecosystem health, but their morphological identification is time-consuming and costly. High-throughput sequencing, particularly DNA metabarcoding, offers an alternative. However, DNA-based monitoring requires substantial investment in high-quality DNA reference libraries. The GEANS project (Genetic Tools for Ecosystem Health Assessment in the North Sea Region) aimed to develop efficient DNA-based tools for benthic biomonitoring. GEANS created a curated DNA reference library (COI) for species relevant to North Sea macrobenthos monitoring, using new sequences, non-public barcode sequences, and mined sequences from GenBank and BOLD. The library, stored in a dedicated BOLD project with photographs and metadata, includes DNA barcodes for 4005 specimens from 715 species, representing over 29% of North Sea macrobenthos species. Arthropoda is the most represented, while Bryozoa and Annelida have the lowest coverage. This DNA library is expected to facilitate fast, cost-effective environmental health assessments in the North Sea for public authorities and academics.

Authors 15

1. Magdalini Christodoulou corresponding

   Senckenberg am Meer · OÖ Landes-Kultur GmbH (Austria)

   Affiliation as printed

   OÖ Landes-Kultur GmbH, Biodiversity Center, Linz, 4040, Austria. Magdalini.Christodoulou@ooelkg.at

   Senckenberg am Meer, German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB), Wilhelmshaven, 26382, Germany. Magdalini.Christodoulou@ooelkg.at

2. Sofie Derycke

   Instituut voor Landbouw en Visserijonderzoek

   Affiliation as printed

   Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food - Marine Research (ILVO), Oostende, 8400, Belgium

3. Kevin K. Beentjes Aachen Naturalis Biodiversity Center

   Naturalis Biodiversity Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, 2333 CR, The Netherlands

4. Hans Hillewaert

   Instituut voor Landbouw en Visserijonderzoek

   Affiliation as printed

   Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food - Marine Research (ILVO), Oostende, 8400, Belgium

5. Silke Laakmann

   Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung · Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg · Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity

   Affiliation as printed

   Alfred-Wegener-Institute (AWI), Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany

   Helmoltz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB), Oldenburg, 26129, Germany

6. Kennet Lundin

   Gothenburg Natural History Museum

   Affiliation as printed

   Gothenburg Natural History Museum, Gothenburg, S-40235, Sweden

7. Elham Kamyab

   Senckenberg am Meer

   Affiliation as printed

   Senckenberg am Meer, German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB), Wilhelmshaven, 26382, Germany

8. Sahar Khodami

   Senckenberg am Meer

   Affiliation as printed

   Senckenberg am Meer, German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB), Wilhelmshaven, 26382, Germany

9. Sara Maes

   Instituut voor Landbouw en Visserijonderzoek

   Affiliation as printed

   Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food - Marine Research (ILVO), Oostende, 8400, Belgium

10. Henning Reiss

    Nord University

    Affiliation as printed

    Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, Bodø, 8026, Norway

11. Carolin Uhlir

    Senckenberg am Meer

    Affiliation as printed

    Senckenberg am Meer, German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB), Wilhelmshaven, 26382, Germany

12. Laure Van den Bulcke

    Instituut voor Landbouw en Visserijonderzoek

    Affiliation as printed

    Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food - Marine Research (ILVO), Oostende, 8400, Belgium

13. Berry van der Hoorn Aachen Naturalis Biodiversity Center

    Naturalis Biodiversity Center · Inholland University of Applied Sciences

    Affiliation as printed

    Inholland University of Applied Sciences, AL, Delft, 2628, The Netherlands

    Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, 2333 CR, The Netherlands

14. Annelies De Backer

    Instituut voor Landbouw en Visserijonderzoek

    Affiliation as printed

    Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food - Marine Research (ILVO), Oostende, 8400, Belgium

15. Pedro Martínez Arbizu

    Senckenberg am Meer

    Affiliation as printed

    Senckenberg am Meer, German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB), Wilhelmshaven, 26382, Germany