Detecting the movement and spawning activity of bigheaded carps with environmental DNA

Richard A. Erickson, Christopher B. Rees, Alison A. Coulter, Christopher M. Merkes, Sunnie G. McCalla, Katherine F. Touzinsky, Liza Walleser, Reuben R. Goforth, Jon J. Amberg
2016 Molecular Ecology Resources  
Bigheaded carps are invasive fishes threatening to invade the Great Lakes basin and establish spawning populations, and have been monitored using environmental DNA (eDNA). Not only does eDNA hold potential for detecting the presence of species, but may also allow for quantitative comparisons like relative abundance of species across time or space. We examined the relationships among bigheaded carp movement, hydrography, spawning and eDNA on the Wabash River, IN, USA. We found positive
more » ... ips between eDNA and movement and eDNA and hydrography. We did not find a relationship between eDNA and spawning activity in the form of drifting eggs. Our first finding demonstrates how eDNA may be used to monitor species abundance, whereas our second finding illustrates the need for additional research into eDNA methodologies. Current applications of eDNA are widespread, but the relatively new technology requires further refinement. a These authors contributed equally to this work. b These authors also contributed equally to this work.
doi:10.1111/1755-0998.12533 pmid:27087387 fatcat:cnsvipmetvaa3dlud7imntbglu