eDNA

The results from this study will provide protocols for the collection, processing and analysis of environmental deoxyribonucleic acids (eDNA) samples for monitoring aquatic invasive species like Asian carp. These protocols have the potential to be used by fishery management agencies to monitor aquatic invasive species throughout the United States.

Sea lampreys are a species that invaded the Great Lakes presumably following the improvements made to the Welland Canal in 1920. First reported in Lake Erie in 1921, sea lampreys subsequently spread rapidly to the upper Great Lakes and had an established spawning population in all of the upper Great Lakes by 1947 (Applegate 1950). Following their introduction, sea lamprey devastated the commercial...

The results of this study will advance our understanding of environmental DNA (eDNA) and how eDNA signatures change as fish behavior changes over the course of the open water season. This will further develop eDNA as an easy sampling method to collect information about invading populations or cryptic species that are difficult to capture so that resource managers can be given better information to...

Aquatic invasive species are a significant problem throughout the world. They cause millions of dollars in damages to industry, devastate natural ecosystems, and ruin outdoor recreational areas. Preventing their spread is imperative to preserving our natural resources. One potential pathway invasive fishes can spread is by harvesting and transporting baitfish. Often shipments of baitfish are...

The unpredictability of DNA degradation in the environment has plagued the ability of scientists to interpret environmental DNA (eDNA) data since the technique has been used for early detection of aquatic invasive species (AIS) such as silver and bighead carps (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) throughout the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS), Des Plaines River, near...