Results of Search for Unknown DNA in Loch Ness 'Are a Bit Surprising', Says Lead Scientist

Following the completion of a recent study, Neil Gemmell, a New Zealand scientist and professor at the University of Otago, has announced that there are a few things about the results of his team’s findings in Loch Ness that “are a bit surprising.”

Gemmell's study involved gathering water samples from multiple locations and at different depths of the loch to scan for bits of animal DNA, and then working to identify it. The samples were sent to labs in New Zealand, Australia, Denmark, and France which used large sequence databases to compare the DNA found in Loch Ness with the majority of known living things. This was done to help distinguish and identify any potentially unknown genetic material.

"Is there anything deeply mysterious? Hmm. It depends what you believe. Is there anything startling? There are a few things that are a bit surprising," said Gemmell.

"What we'll have achieved is what we set out to do, which is document the biodiversity of Loch Ness in June 2018 in some level of detail,” he added.

Gemmell went on to say that the results might support one of the “main monster hypotheses”.

"We've tested each one of the main monster hypotheses and three of them we can probably say aren't right and one of them might be,” he said.

Popular explanations for the Loch Ness Monster include that it is a population of plesiosaurs that survived extinction, a giant sturgeon, an enormous sea snail, or misidentified otters and debris in the loch; although other hypotheses include more paranormal components, it is unlikely that Gemmell, a scientific materialist, would be investigating those as a possibility.

Some excitement is emerging from the press around #lochnesshunters. It is a year since we went to Loch Ness to sample its waters, and while our analyses have taken longer than expected we will finish soon. Announcement of results at Loch Ness likely in early September 2019. https://t.co/Z82yvdDTpm
— Neil Gemmell (@ProfGemmell) June 3, 2019

Gemmell said in a tweet on June 3rd that the announcement of results from the study would likely be made in early September 2019. It was originally hoped that the results would have been released by now, but the study was delayed by a series of failed bids to negotiate a deal with different production companies to document the research on film.

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