DNA Barcoding of Armenian Aquatic Ecosystems

Situated at the heart of the Caucasus biodiversity hotspot and characterised by the unique Lake Sevan system, Armenia continues to develop its capacity to identify hidden biodiversity in aquatic organisms. LIB has been collaborating closely with the Scientific Centre of Zoology and Hydroecology in Yerevan since 2018, initially funded by the DAAD and the BMBF/BMFTR (CaBOL project). Over the past few years, thousands of sequences have been generated through this fruitful collaboration, most recently as part of the current project, funded by the Higher Education and Science Committee of Armenia, which has become a significant milestone towards the establishment of comprehensive reference libraries for Armenia’s aquatic fauna and flora. Extensive collecting activities, DNA barcoding and the development of scientific collections are core elements of the project and are carried out at both locations. Descriptions of new species, revisions and faunal inventories are regularly produced in collaboration with wide-ranging international networks.