Guest editor for special issue: The invisible complement: using sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) to improve marine ecosystem reconstructions
Sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) offers a novel approach to investigating past ecosystems—from the smallest bacteria to plankton and their predators. Knowledge about paleo-ecosystems can provide broad-scale biological context to paleoceanographic reconstructions from polar to tropical environments and over up to ~2Ma. However, sedaDNA research is complicated by the miniscule amounts of DNA preserved and limited reference sequences and genomes, making it difficult to detect rare species. This session seeks to bring together the latest research aimed at improving environmental reconstructions using sedaDNA techniques. We encourage interdisciplinary studies that combine sedaDNA research with aspects of micropaleontology, biomarker, geochemical and/or modern DNA research. Technical (field, laboratory, computational optimisations, statistical tools) as well as (paleo)ecologically focused research articles are welcome.