Marine Biodiversity Networking Friday: The Gulf eDNA Network: Building Regional Connections for Biodiversity Science and Monitoring

On June 12, 2026, from 1:00 to 2:00 PM UTC+0, we will host a special session with Yasmina Esmaeili focusing on the Gulf eDNA network. The Gulf eDNA Network (GeN) is a collaborative initiative focused on connecting researchers, agencies, museums, conservation organizations, and community partners across the Gulf of Mexico to advance biodiversity monitoring through environmental DNA (eDNA). Rather than operating in isolated research silos, the network provides a platform to foster communication, collaboration, data sharing, and interdisciplinary partnerships among groups working in coastal and marine ecosystems throughout the region. Yasmina will introduce GeN, discuss how the network was formed, and highlight ongoing regional efforts to strengthen collaborations focused on biodiversity monitoring in the Gulf. She will discuss the results of a region-wide gap analysis, the development of reference libraries, scientific coordination through partnerships with museums and resource managers, and strategies for integrating eDNA into regional monitoring frameworks. Finally, the talk will highlight opportunities for future collaboration and emphasize the importance of building an interconnected Gulf-wide community to improve our collective capacity to understand, monitor, and conserve coastal ecosystems in a rapidly changing environment.

Speakers

Yasmina Shah Esmaeili Researcher, The University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute, USA

Dr. Yasmina Shah Esmaeili, an ecologist affiliated with The University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute, applies molecular tools, including eDNA metabarcoding and genomic approaches, to study biodiversity, ecosystem health, and species interactions in coastal and marine ecosystems. Her research focuses on biodiversity assessment, invasive species detection, trophic ecology, and molecular resource development to support long-term ecosystem monitoring and conservation efforts. By integrating molecular ecology with conservation and environmental monitoring, her work advances understanding of how human activities and environmental change affect marine biodiversity. As a strong advocate for community-based science, Dr. Shah Esmaeili co-founded the Gulf eDNA Network, a collaborative initiative that brings together researchers, agencies, museums, and stakeholders across the Gulf to advance biodiversity monitoring and molecular ecology research.

Moderator

Sophie Seeyave CEO, Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO), UK

Sophie Seeyave is the CEO of the Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO), based at Plymouth Marine Laboratory in the UK. She provides leadership to POGO, an international organisation and UK charity, whose membership consists of 59 oceanographic research institutions in 34 countries, working together towards global ocean observations, through innovation, capacity development and outreach/advocacy. Her role involves engagement with other international and intergovernmental initiatives, such as the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). She serves on the Executive Committee of the Ocean Biomolecular Observing Network (OBON), a UN Ocean Decade Programme led by POGO. She holds a BSc in Oceanography and a PhD in Marine Ecology from the University of Southampton (UK). We will continue with the Networking Fridays during the next months. More information about future sessions as well as presentations and videos from previous sessions can be found here. Please do not forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel.  Twitter Hashtag: #netfridays. Expect some very exciting mornings, afternoons or evenings, depending on where you are… If you need any additional information please send an email to Catarina Paes Duarte. Marine Biodiversity Networking Friday on the The Bridge Program: Bridging Networks to Advance Collaboration and Communication on Marine Biosecurity Marine Biodiversity Networking Friday on Marine Protected Areas for Europe: systematic planning and dispelling myths Marine Biodiversity Networking Friday on Weddel Sea Observatory of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Change