Multiple Displace Amplification (MDA) enrichment is a fast procedure for the genomic characterization of single harpacticoid copepods

Copepods are one of the most diverse aquatic organisms and are critical to marine ecosystems. However, obtaining high-quality genomic data for copepods can be challenging due to their small size and low DNA content. Here, we relied on a technical strategy for sequencing the genome of three copepod species based on DNA enrichment from a single individual using the multiple displacement amplification method. This technique provides a reliable and efficient way to amplify small amounts of DNA, enabling the generation of sufficient DNA material for sequencing. We extracted DNA from a single individual and amplified it using the Repli-G kit (Qiagen). The amplified DNA was then sequenced using the Illumina NovaSeq platform. For one species, we also included long reads obtained with the Oxford Nanopore platform to perform a hybrid assembly. The resulting genome assemblies were evaluated in terms of contiguity and completeness. We also recovered nearly-circular mitochondrial genomes, revealing substantial rearrangements of gene features. Methods like this that facilitate the generation of high-quality genomic data will contribute to the field of copepodology, ranging from evolutionary studies, comparative genomics, phylogeny, and population genetics, among others.