Evaluation of Environmental DNA for biodiversity detection in a Mediterranean Marine Protected Area

In this thesis, we wanted to evaluate if Environmental DNA could be a valuable resource for the detection of biodiversity in the context of Marine Protected Areas. In particular, we analyzed samples from two different sites of Porto Cesareo MPA (Puglia), using three different molecular markers: COI, EUKA and Tele02. From the dataset obtained, several analyses were conducted (OTU richness, Dice index, IndVal), to assess alpha- and beta-diversity and the overall taxa content. Data were then compared with historical sightings to assess if eDNA can estimate the effective biodiversity of the MPA, and if it could be a useful instrument to be used together with traditional methods.