Curtin Miri water survey picks up invasive green iguana DNA
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A water sample from Curtin Malaysia's Miri campus has yielded DNA from the non-native common green iguana, giving researchers a lead for biodiversity monitoring rather than a confirmed count of live animals.
The result was reported on October 15 as part of the 2026 Curtin Global BioBlitz. More than 100 students and researchers took part across Miri, Perth and Singapore. Across the survey, 26,572 distinct DNA sequences were analysed and 572 species identified; those totals are not a species count for the Miri campus alone.
Environmental DNA comes from genetic material organisms leave in their surroundings. It can flag a species without researchers seeing an animal, but the iguana signal does not establish where the material came from or whether live iguanas remain on campus.
For Sarawak's environmental monitoring, the useful next step is follow-up checking of the signal, not treating a positive sample as proof of an established population. Results can be explored through Curtin's eDNA Viewer, while the university plans to extend the initiative to all six global campuses for longer-term comparisons.
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