The use of molecular tools for detecting freshwater organisms is rapidly increasing as a method for providing accurate and cost-effective ways to monitor species distributions. However, DNA-based detection of organisms relies heavily on reference DNA data, matched to taxonomic identities. Understanding what portion of the fauna reference data are available for is a first step to informing future bio-surveillance activities.
By coupling genetic data from the Barcode Of Life Database and Genbank with species records from the Atlas of Living Australia, we investigated the how well the Australian fauna are represented in DNA barcode databases. We explore the options for adopting Victoria state-wide DNA-based methods for surveying aquatic fauna and discuss options that are immediately implementable as well as those that require further investment.