There are few fields that have had such a rapid and profound impact on ecology as environmental (e)DNA. eDNA tools such as metabarcoding and metagenomics provide an unprecedented opportunity to truly understand how communities are being shaped by both natural and anthropogenic stressors. Among other things, eDNA offers the capacity to monitor and assess critically important, but commonly overlooked, components of biodiversity, such as bacteria, diatoms and fungi. It also allows us to simultaneously capture community structure, function and connectivity – giving us a deeper understanding of the ecological effects of stressors than we’ve ever been able to achieve with traditional monitoring techniques. In this presentation, I will examine the breadth of capabilities eDNA offers as a biomonitoring tool, and discuss its challenges and limitations. Following on from that, I will provide some insight into innovative approaches that are extending the biomonitoring applications of eDNA. For example, using machine learning to transform eDNA surveys into predictive ecological models for classifying the condition of aquatic systems; and the development of eDNA-based non-invasive tools for monitoring Australia’s unique terrestrial diversity.