About the documents

The metagenomics research project was commissioned as part of the Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Unconventional Gas Development and Large Coal Mining Development’s (IESC’s) Chemical and Ecology research priorities. The project aimed to explore how different sampling and analysis methods may influence the assessment of the impacts of mining on groundwater ecosystems (biota and water chemistry). Conventional methods for collecting and processing samples from alluvial and sandstone aquifers in NSW were compared with metagenomic approaches.

The research was split into three stages:

• Bioassessment of groundwater ecosystems. Sampling methods and analysis of eDNA for microbes and stygofauna in shallow alluvial aquifers
  • Stage 1 evaluated methods for sampling stygofaunal and microbial communities in shallow alluvial aquifers, including assessing the suitability of eDNA-based approaches for use in routine monitoring and assessment of groundwater biota.
• Bioassessment of groundwater ecosystems II. Sampling methods and analysis of eDNA for microbes and stygofauna in shallow sandstone aquifers
  • Stage 2 built on the Stage 1 report by exploring the suitability of sampling methods, including eDNA-based approaches, for characterising the biota in shallow sandstone aquifers.
• Bioassessment of groundwater ecosystems III. A comparison of eDNA metabarcoding and metagenomics for assessing groundwater communities
  • Stage 3 builds on the earlier stages by exploring the more technical aspects of eDNA analysis for characterising the biota in shallow aquifers. Specifically, this stage explores methods to improve the quantitative comparison of eDNA samples and compares the metabarcoding approach used in Stages 1 and 2 with metagenome analysis of those same samples.