Every organism leaves traces of DNA in its environment - through skin cells, hair, pollen, or even slime. Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling captures these traces offering a powerful way to profile biodiversity across ecosystems. Each eDNA sample contains genetic material from a vast array of species, making interpretation complex and sharing of data essential.
So many different groups monitor the environment, each with their own specific purpose. Without large-scale data sharing, only a portion of the information collected is ever utilised. Hence, there are many examples of missed opportunities where eDNA of organisms was present in New Zealand datasets collected for another purpose, but results were not widely accessible. Supporting open and accessible data sharing allows us to improve our understanding of the environment, strengthen evidence-based decision making, and better target actions - ultimately contributing to a healthier environment for all.
The Ministry for the Environment has partnered with GBIF New Zealand and Wilderlab, to fund Epi to develop the eDNA Bridge — an R package that streamlines the process of uploading eDNA datasets from the laboratory directly to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). This provides a scalable, standardised pathway for publishing eDNA data once it has been approved for open sharing, and will become the default option for laboratories such as Wilderlab.
Publishing data to GBIF ensures that eDNA datasets are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR), persist beyond individual projects, and can be reused for research, environmental management, national reporting, and international biodiversity commitments. Data providers retain control over what is shared, with permissions, provenance, and sensitivity settings managed through established GBIF standards.
Sharing data to GBIF allows researchers, agencies, and communities to view eDNA and other biodiversity records from New Zealand and internationally unlocking new opportunities for analysis, monitoring, management and conservation at multiple scales.
The eDNA Bridge package is freely available hosted on the GBIF International GitHub repository. As part of our pilot, approximately 4,500 eDNA samples from local government (Hawkes Bay Regional Council), an independent research agency (Earth Sciences NZ, previously NIWA) and central government (Department of Conservation) have been uploaded representing over 750,000 individual taxa. This initiative marks a significant step toward open, integrated, and reusable eDNA data for Aotearoa New Zealand, and provides a foundation for future integration of emerging monitoring technologies into national environmental information systems.
Come along to a webinar on Friday 13, February 2026 to hear more about this exciting project, learn how eDNA data can move from lab to national and global platforms and explore opportunities to engage.