Science Centres: Aquatic Biodiversity and Biosecurity

DNA sequences of unusual looking bluefin tuna in relation to three known species. All of the suspect specimens appear to be either Pacific or southern bluefin tuna, which are managed under the NZ fisheries quota system.

NIWA is participating in an international research effort to assemble a DNA barcode library for all marine fishes by 2010. The endeavour forms part of the wider Barcode of Life initiative.

DNA barcoding makes it possible to assign unidentified specimens to their correct species when matched against a barcode library. Laboratories around the world are using standard methods and the same region of DNA to barcode marine fishes. The information is stored on a central database, which will be freely available when complete.

So far, NIWA has barcoded 270 New Zealand and Antarctic marine fish species in conjunction with the University of Guelph in Canada (one-tenth of the fish species barcoded globally).

NIWA scientists have recently applied this tool to identify suspect fish fillets and some unusual looking bluefin tuna for the Ministry of Fisheries.