Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling is rapidly transforming how we monitor fish and other marine life. Yet, existing autonomous eDNA samplers are typically fragile, expensive, and not designed to withstand the harsh, high-energy conditions found at marine energy test sites. At locations such as PNNL-Sequim’s marine energy testbed, where currents can reach 2 m/s in a 12 m-deep channel, samplers must survive strong flows, high debris loads, and long unattended deployments while still delivering high-quality, regulatory-relevant data.
In this course, you will design a low-cost, open-source autonomous eDNA sampler tailored to these conditions. Your design will: (1) provide extra durability and ruggedization; (2) enable easy and safe deployment and recovery; (3) allow easy and safe maintenance, including straightforward swapping of filters, reagents, and batteries; (4) offer long battery life and reagent shelf life; (5) support long-term, on-board sample storage and preservation; (6) achieve quick sample pumping so that collections can be completed within short slack-tide windows; and (7) enable concurrent triplicate sampling.
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(in class on January 16, 2026)
Design requirements will be discussed in class on January 16, 2026 during Week 1 with Dr. Lenaïg Hemery from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).
Please read and watch the following material before this class:
Environmental DNA for fish monitoring at marine energy sites: opportunities, challenges, and potential technological solutions
Cowles, T. (2019). Understanding the Requirements of the Mission and Platform Capabilities. in Challenges and Innovations in Ocean In Situ Sensors: Measuring Inner Ocean Processes and Health in the Digital Age. Eds. Delory, E. & Pearlman, J. Chapter 7.1, pg. 339-352. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-809886-8.00007-7
Mies, R., Häuer, M., & Hassan, M. (2022). Introducing readiness scales for effective reuse of open source hardware. Procedia CIRP, 109, 635-640. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2022.05.306
Moore, S., Bohm, H., & Jensen, V. (2010). How to Find Parts. In Underwater Robotics: Science, Design & Fabrication. Ed. J. Zande. Appendix V, pg. 723-726.
Read, R. L. (2020). Evaluating Open Source Ventilator Projects. https://tinyurl.com/mryuu2x2
Presentations:
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