Background

In general, standardisation of identification systems using DNA barcodes will lead to an increased confidence in the diagnosis of species identity and will facilitate numerous practical (applied research) applications. For example, identification of mutilated specimens and tissue samples using DNA barcodes can be used to gain insight into bird-airplane collisions and thus help to prevent future bird strike events. Barcoding will also help to control quotas of commercially important organisms (e.g., shrimps, prawns) and identify sources of pharmacologically valuable compounds, (e.g., sponges, microfungi). It will facilitate the identification of invasive species tremendously, thus allowing for adequate precautionary measures to be taken in regard to, for example, phytopathogenic fungi, economically important arthropods, weeds, and fouling invertebrates. The substantiation of definite changes in the diversity and population densities of local and regional groups of organisms will support the demonstration of habitat changes, and will show which types of organisms  have the greatest potential for being useful as environmental health indicators (e.g., North Sea Information System organisms, frogs, nematodes).