With assistance from the University of San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), Viking added real-time environmental DNA (eDNA) sequencing of phytoplankton – microscopic, single-celled plants in the ocean – aboard its expedition ship, Viking Octantis.
The vessel’s PCR lab “has been converted into an advanced scientific environment where visiting scientists contributing to the Genomics at Sea Program (GASP) are able to monitor the environmental impact on phytoplankton without the need to transport samples to a distant shoreside facility,” Viking said.
Viking Octantis’ sister ship, Viking Polaris, “will also be transitioned to further support research efforts before both ships return to Antarctica later this year,” the company said. “This marks a significant milestone in marine research and exploration, as Viking becomes the first travel company to support real-time environmental genetic sequencing capabilities on board its vessels.”
Added Andrew Allen, a professor of marine biology at Scripps and JCVI: “Through this work we will obtain a new and more comprehensive view of the genetic diversity of plankton, which will advance our ability to assess the biological response of the ocean to climate change and other stressors,” said
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