ENVIRONMENTAL DNA ( EDNA ) For the next 11 days , they would see the river from the seat of a kayak . They would sleep on her gravel bars . And would spend every day working together to complete the first continuous waterfowl survey of the Sava River during nesting season ( something that would otherwise take a very long time to survey from foot ). They would also perform the first complete environmental DNA ( eDNA ) sampling of the Sava . And , to be sure they could share all the stories and discoveries , the BRD media crew followed along to turn the trip into a featurelength documentary about the river .
Why bother stopping to sample water or constantly scanning for birds ? Because politicians have plans to build 10-12 new dams on this deep green river . And the BRD team is dedicated to making sure that doesn ’ t happen . Gathering data about fish and birds that can later be used as ammunition in the courtroom is one way BRD defends the Sava . And by filming the voyage down the river , they can illustrate that these dams are a disastrous idea – for biodiversity and humans – showing that a river is worth more than just the power it can produce spinning a turbine .
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