[Press Release] GMGI Launches eDNA Service; Advances Vision for “The Virtual Living Ocean”
(Gloucester, MA) Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute (GMGI) today announced the launch of its environmental DNA (eDNA) Service, a research service that processes and analyzes eDNA samples from scientists, conservationists, companies, and policymakers. With eDNA transforming how the research community studies and manages ecosystems, GMGI will leverage its experienced genomic research staff to deliver robust, efficient, and scientifically rigorous solutions for collecting, processing, analyzing, and applying eDNA data. The goal? To connect scientists, conservationists, and policymakers with the insights they need to monitor ecosystems at scale.
Building on years of expertise in genomic sequencing and bioinformatics to support the sustainable management of ocean resources, the eDNA Service further builds on GMGI’s early entry to the eDNA field. The service enhances GMGI’s efficiency and cost-effectiveness while expanding its capabilities to process and analyze samples for external partners. It positions GMGI and Massachusetts at the forefront of ocean technology innovation, enabling unprecedented insight into the health and biodiversity of marine ecosystems.
Massachusetts Clean Energy Center Funding Fuels Expansion
The launch of GMGI’s eDNA service comes at a moment of powerful momentum for ocean innovation in the Commonwealth. GMGI has been awarded funding through the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) as part of its new $11.3 million statewide initiative, supporting seven organizations that are expanding ocean technology research, testing, and startup support across Massachusetts.
“Massachusetts is leading the way in ocean innovation, and GMGI’s launch of its eDNA Service exemplifies that leadership,” said Bruce Carlisle, MassCEC Managing Director of Offshore Energy. “By advancing cutting-edge genomic tools to monitor and understand marine ecosystems, GMGI is helping to build the knowledge base we need for sustainable ocean management and a thriving blue economy. Through our Ocean Innovation Network, MassCEC is proud to support projects like this that connect research, technology, and industry to drive solutions.”
This critical investment will enable GMGI to build dedicated lab space for our eDNA processing and service, equip it for sequencing and analysis, and create collaborative areas for startups and partners to conduct training, planning, and experimentation. Together, these resources will strengthen Massachusetts’ blue economy and foster scientific, economic, and environmental innovation.
“This generous support from the CEC comes at a pivotal moment,” said Bonnie Fendrock, Executive Director of GMGI. “These funds will expand our vibrant eDNA program and fuel the growth of Gloucester’s science and innovation community. We are grateful for the CEC’s partnership and commitment to advancing GMGI’s mission.”
eDNA Data Powering the Virtual Living Ocean
GMGI’s eDNA work is also instrumental in the upcoming launch of The Virtual Living Ocean (VLO) — a multi-scale, interactive computational platform that uses real-world data to help us understand, manage, and predict trends and relationships among ocean organisms.
A dynamic, user-friendly, interactive, and layered multi-scale atlas of life in the ocean, The VLO will allow us to both visualize and predict the distribution of marine life and show how communities change over time in response to factors such as weather, human activity, invasive species, and climate change. The VLO’s Living Ocean Atlas database will integrate vast amounts of eDNA data collected by GMGI, its partners, and parallel global efforts—alongside physical and chemical ocean data, such as temperature, pH, and satellite imagery.
By making global ocean data as accessible as Google Maps is for land, The VLO aims to accelerate climate and conservation solutions, enhance fisheries management, democratize access to marine knowledge, and engage the public in understanding ocean ecosystems.
Together, the GMGI eDNA Service and The VLO represent a transformative leap in how science, industry, and society can understand and protect the world’s oceans.
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About Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute
Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute addresses critical challenges facing our oceans, human health, and the environment through innovative scientific research and education. By bringing world-class science and transformative workforce development to Gloucester’s historic waterfront, GMGI is catalyzing the regional economy. GMGI’s Gloucester Biotechnology Academy is a 9-month certificate training program that trains recent high school graduates for careers as lab technicians. Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute’s state-of-the-art research institute on Gloucester Harbor opened in 2018 at 417 Main Street.