Dr. Viktoria Esther Bogantes Aguilar

Non-native organisms cause biodiversity loss to the ecosystems they enter. In marine habitats, foreign invertebrates can be introduced through ballast water or biofouling. When this occurs, native organisms must compete with the new species in addition to fighting predation. These new species can more easily thrive without natural predators. Thus, studying the presence of these introduced species is an important focus of conservation research.

Echinoderms, a group of marine invertebrates consisting of starfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, sand dollars, and brittle stars, can be morphologically analyzed and sorted into general taxonomic groups. Echinoderm identification is reliant upon morphological characteristics, but this approach can be challenging due to their complex features, which can be cryptic. DNA barcoding is a tool used in taxonomic assessment, allowing scientists to explore biodiversity with greater accuracy than relying on morphological characteristics alone.