GOTeDNA: A Centralized Interactive Guidance and Reporting Tool for Environmental DNA
Anaïs Lacoursière‐Roussel, Kayley J. Head, Luke McLean, Melissa K. Morrison, Timothy J. Barrett, David Beauchesne, Renée Bernier, Kevin Cazelles, Marion Chevrinais, Claudio DiBacco, Anne‐Laure Ferchaud, Nellie Gagné, Erin K. Grey, Nicholas W. Jeffery, Michael T. Kinnison, Francis LeBlanc, Meghan C. McBride, Geneviève J. Parent, Marc Trudel, Kimberly L. HowlandABSTRACT
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is transforming biodiversity monitoring by enabling the generation of high‐volume, machine‐readable biological data. When standardized and accessible, these digital assets can support ecosystem management through advanced computational methods, data integration, and temporal analytics. While substantial methodological guidance exists for eDNA field and laboratory protocols, a major unresolved challenge is determining the optimal timing of sampling. Inadequate alignment between sampling schedules and species‐specific phenology or DNA persistence can result in false negative detections, inefficient resource allocation, and misinterpretation of ecological patterns over time. To address this gap, we developed GOTeDNA (Guidance on Optimal Timing for eDNA), an interactive Shiny application that creates a dynamic loop where user‐reported observations inform evidence‐based guidance on eDNA methods. Here we describe the tool's core functionalities, including standardized data templates and statistical models developed from extensive inshore and offshore eDNA datasets spanning the Atlantic Maritime region to the Eastern Canadian Arctic. GOTeDNA provides detection rates for DNA metabarcoding, capabilities for high‐level field, laboratory, and bioinformatic protocol comparisons, and guidance on optimal sampling times for each method. Key features include: (1) Protocol exploration, (2) monthly species detection probabilities, (3) sampling effort recommendations, (4) seasonal detection heatmaps, and (5) data variability assessments. Users can explore their own data or query the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS)‐GOTeDNA database. As the database grows, the tool's guidance accuracy will increase. We outline a framework for future expansion, including the development of customizable dashboards and the integration of more advanced analytical tools. Finally, we discuss how the GOTeDNA workflow has the potential to advance the achievement of standardized data formats and computational approaches to enhance the reliability, comparability, and reproducibility of rigorous eDNA‐based decision‐making in ecosystem management.