Hidden Diversity

Traditional barcoding methods do not work for all organisms. Some animals are far too small and numerous to be analyzed separately. Instead, scientists use a cutting-edge technique known as metabarcoding. Metabarcoding involves analyzing the DNA of whole communities of organisms, instead of barcoding them one by one. This allows scientists to uncover the “hidden diversity” of reefs. They can determine the species of tiny creatures that might go unnoticed by traditional barcoding methods.