Is it possible to automatically monitor organisms in Norwegian waters?

Is it possible to automatically monitor organisms in Norwegian waters In 2019, the Norwegian Environment Agency requested the development of a new technology that detects eDNA in Norwegian waters automatically (Miljødirektoratet, 2023). The request has been issued to gain insight into which species exist in the water, in order to regulate unwanted species and map original species. The revolutionary FORDETECT technology has been developed to contribute to this. The technology is Norwegian and has been developed by institutes, universities, and companies across Europe for almost 22 years. FORDETECT is a lab-on-chip technology that uses molecular biological methods to detect microscopic eDNA/eRNA residues in water samples. Our project aims to compare the automatic FORDETECT technology with two manual laboratory methods, PCR and LAMP. This was conducted by detecting eDNA from the highly endangered eel in water samples obtained from our local water, “Borrevannet”. The samples were filtered and extracted. After close examination of the results from PCR and LAMP, in addition to FORDETECT, we conclude that the FORDETECT technology can become much more efficient and economically sustainable than traditional manual laboratory methods. However, the technology is still in an early development phase, which means it has not yet reached its full potential. Nevertheless, we see the great advantages this technology can provide for monitoring biological activity, and strongly encourage further development of FORDETECT. In the near future, this technology can ensure and maintain a high quality of life for aquatic creatures all over the world. This is done by preventing the spread of unwanted and harmful organisms to a significant extent.