Cnidarian librarians: Building an eDNA reference library to mitigate spread of invasive soft corals in Hawaiʻi

Abstract

Cnidarian taxa relevant to Hawaiʻi biodiversity monitoring and invasive-species response remain underrepresented in molecular reference databases, limiting both tissue-based identification and environmental DNA (eDNA) applications. This limitation is increasingly important as introduced cnidarians have been documented from bays, harbors and reefs on Oʻahu, where rapid detection tools are needed for management response. Hawaiʻi’s geographic isolation and extensive coastline make eDNA an attractive complement to field surveys, but its success depends on regionally relevant barcode references. To address this gap, we developed a Hawaiʻi-focused cnidarian reference library using contributions from the Invertebrate Zoology collection at Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum (BPBM) and supplementary contemporary samples. The BPBM provided 108 tissue isolates from 100 ethanol-preserved specimens collected between 1928-2025. Through coordination among museum, academic, and management partners, this effort produced 113 publicly accessible sequences from one to five genetic markers for 41 BioSamples published to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). This voucher-linked resource strengthens genetic confirmation of soft coral and related cnidarian identifications in an isolated subtropical archipelago where introduced and invasive taxa have the potential to spread, persist, and overgrow native reef communities. Broadly, the library establishes a foundation for future sequencing, assay development, and eDNA based monitoring across Hawaiʻi.