An Observatory to monitor range extension of the Mediterranean monk seal based on its eDNA traces: collecting data and delivering results in the "Open Science" era.

The monk seal is the most endangered pinniped in the world and the only one found in the Mediterranean, where its distribution and abundance have suffered a drastic decline in the last few decades. Data on its status are scattered due to both its rarity and evasiveness and records are biased towards occasional, mostly coastal encounters. Nowadays, molecular techniques allow us to detect and quantify minute amounts of DNA traces released into the environment (eDNA) by any organism.