Assessing Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Strategies Using Molecular Ecology Tools in Coastal Ecosystems

Coastal ecosystems are among the most productive and pivotal ecosystems on the planet. Their biological productivity is unparalleled in value from an ecological standpoint. Still, these ecosystems face increasing challenges from climatic shifts, habitat fragmentation, human anthropogenic pressure, and anthropogenic habitat destruction. Despite their biodiversity assessment methods providing some utility, they still fall short regarding marine life, especially cryptic, rare, or microscopic life forms. Today, eDNA analysis, DNA barcoding, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) are rapidly changing this scenario by enhancing precision and efficiency in biodiversity assessment. Species identification at low concentrations using water samples and monitoring biodiversity becomes easy, inexpensive, rapid, and non-destructive to the environment. This paper analyses coastal ecosystems through the spatial patterns of biodiversity while leveraging molecular techniques and illustrating the information required to formulate effective conservation strategies. It analyses several case studies where molecular techniques were used to assess species richness, invasion biology, population biology of conservation-dependent species, and impact assessment in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Incorporating molecular data into biological and geospatial frameworks allows for developing more robust, holistic approaches.