eDNA Metabarcoding Analysis of Marine Water Samples from Caribbean Research Expedition

The Blue Belt Programme, the UK Government's flagship marine conservation initiative, conducted an offshore research expedition called 'Beyond the Reef' to Caribbean UK Overseas Territories (Anguilla, Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos Islands) to safeguard over four million square kilometres of ocean. Cefas collected 417 water samples (348 samples and 69 field negatives) during this expedition using filtration methods. This contract requires a specialist supplier to process these samples and identify fish and shark species present in the sampled waters using eDNA metabarcoding technology. The supplier must extract DNA from Sterivex filters, amplify specific genetic markers (12S rRNA region) using two primer sets targeting teleost fishes (MiFish-U) and elasmobranchs (MiFish-E), index pooled PCR products, and conduct high-throughput sequencing to generate demultiplexed paired-end sequence data. The work must be completed to publication-standard quality with full transparency and collaborative input on laboratory procedures. The contract runs from 1 September 2026 to 1 December 2026, with possible extension to 1 March 2027 if needed.