eDNA Sampling Method Proves Effective for Monitoring Rare Aquatic Species

 
California, USA – The decline in the abundance of the Southern Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of North American Green Sturgeon has been a cause of concern, leading to its listing as Threatened under the Federal Endangered Species Act in 2006. Traditional survey methods have proven insufficient in providing the necessary spatial context to monitor fish densities in the Central Valley.
 

Enter the Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling method, an emerging technique that has been used successfully for detection of rare aquatic species. A recent study published by Cramer Fish Sciences – Genidaqs in PLoS ONE titled, “Detection of Adult Green Sturgeon Using Environmental DNA Analysis,” has shown its effectiveness in monitoring the presence and distribution of adult sturgeon in large river systems. The study, positively identified Green Sturgeon DNA at two locations of known presence in the Sacramento River. While further study is needed to understand uncertainties of the sampling method related to Sturgeon, the study represents the first documented detection of Green Sturgeon eDNA, indicating that eDNA analysis could provide a new tool for monitoring Green Sturgeon distribution in the Central Valley.
 
Cramer Fish Sciences – Genidaqs, an aquatic environmental consulting company, has embraced the protocols described in the publication for all its aquatic eDNA work throughout the United States and abroad. With the identification of sampling tools that are less stressful for target organisms, eDNA analysis has proven to be a relatively quick, inexpensive tool that could efficiently monitor the presence and distribution of rare and endangered aquatic species.

 
For more information on the eDNA sampling method and the study, please refer to the publication in PLoS ONE. Publication : doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0153500