Developing DNA Methods to Monitor Invasive Species and Biodiversity in Estuaries - NERRS/NSC(NERRS Science Collaborative)

This project tested the use of eDNA methods to identify fish communities, assess biodiversity, and detect invasive crabs in different types of estuaries and connected streams. Samples were collected at Apalachicola, Great Bay, He’eai, Hudson, South Slough and Wells Reserves in 2018 and 2019. The project deployed two methods to analyze DNA in water samples: metabarcoding that identifies a wide range of species, and digital droplet Polymerase Chain Reaction (ddPCR) that identifies a single target organism. The team conducted baseline community assessments for fish at five reserve sites and conducted a survey of anadromous fish in a tributary stream at the sixth reserve. The project found that fish community and biodiversity assessments are well suited to eDNA applications, while invasive crabs are much harder to detect because they
do not shed much DNA. The project developed protocols and recommendations for the collection, filtering, and extraction of eDNA samples at estuarine sites, and provided information which will support the design of sampling programs for fish communities.