Press briefing - Mapping marine life in a warming ocean: UNESCO briefing on eDNA Expeditions ahead of COP17

PRESS BRIEFING   Mapping marine life in a warming ocean: UNESCO briefing on eDNA Expeditions ahead of COP17   Ahead of the UN Biodiversity Conference, UNESCO will brief journalists on the global rollout of its eDNA Expeditions, its flagship marine biodiversity programme. Through the collection ofwater samples, the programme will trace the movements of ocean species and how they may be affected by climate change. Building on the success of the pilot phase, repeated sampling missions will now be carried out across 30 marine protected areas worldwide, including five of the most remote World Heritage Sites on the planet. Press briefing on UNESCO’s eDNA Expeditions Date: Thursday 15th October 2026, 13:00 GMT Format: Online, with Q&A Accreditation: click here to register. Briefing materials under embargo until 22 October 2026, 00:01 GMT. What once required years of survey work and millions of dollars, will now take just weeks and a few samples of seawater: this is the key takeaway from the environmental DNA (eDNA) pilot programme which UNESCO and its Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission is rolling out across marine protected areas all over the world. Building on the successful trials conducted with local scientists and schoolchildren which detected nearly 4,500 species, UNESCO is leading two parallel campaigns: repeated samplings over three years in 25 marine protected areas to reveal trends, species movements and provide early detection for invasive species ; and one-off samplings in five of the most remote marine World Heritage Sites to give a first snapshot of local biodiversity where traditional surveys have been impractical or impossible. The press briefing will include a Q&A and cover: The 30 sites being sampled as part of the global rollout, with some first results, images and content from the initial missions. What the pilot phase revealed, and what repeated sampling can now show about marine species moving as the ocean warms. How eDNA sampling reveals whether existing marine protected areas still harbour the species they were created for, and where new ones are needed. How the method is being taught to site managers, local scientists and schoolchildren, including in Africa and small island developing states. Speakers: Ward APPELTANS, Head of the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) at UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. Tales CARVALHO RESENDE, World Heritage Marine Programme of UNESCO Saara SUOMINEN, Scientific Officer for Genetic Data at UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.   Learn more What are eDNA sampling expeditions? Results of the pilot programme (2022-2024) UNESCO - Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission   Press contact François WIBAUX, f.wibaux@unesco.org, +33 (0) 1 45 68 07 46   UNESCO Newsroom All our press releases   Social media

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