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Alexis M Weinnig, Ph.D. (Former Employee)

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Image Collage of Landsat, pollinator, and volcanologist

Advancing the Environmental DNA Toolkit for Ecosystem Monitoring and Management

The emerging field of Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis allows characterization of species presence and community biodiversity by identifying trace amounts of genetic material left behind as organisms move through their environments. EESC scientists have been using eDNA technologies to detect native and rare species and as community biomonitoring tools.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Advancing the Environmental DNA Toolkit for Ecosystem Monitoring and Management

The emerging field of Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis allows characterization of species presence and community biodiversity by identifying trace amounts of genetic material left behind as organisms move through their environments. EESC scientists have been using eDNA technologies to detect native and rare species and as community biomonitoring tools.
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Detections of marine fauna using environmental DNA metabarcoding of seawater samples from the northern Gulf of America

We sampled seawater from nine mesophotic reef sites in the Pinnacles Trend and DeSoto Rim areas in the northern Gulf of America in October 2022 to complement and inform restoration investments for coral communities. Four primer sets were used to amplify environmental DNA (eDNA) from seawater, targeting metazoans, eukaryotic plankton and protists, corals, and fishes. Across all markers...
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Environmental DNA detections from deep seafloor habitats in the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem

Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding may have utility in biodiversity surveys of marine environments, particularly for small, rare, or cryptic taxa that are more difficult to study using traditional methods (e.g., trawling and visual surveys). For this study, we used an eDNA metabarcoding approach to characterize biodiversity in the above-seafloor water column across three West Coast...
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

RADSeq Data to assess population structure of Desmophyllum pertusum found along the United States eastern continental margin

This dataset contains metadata about the origin of the cold-water coral samples that were RAD sequenced and the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) generated for population genomic analyses. These data were used to examine patterns of genomic structure of Desmophyllum pertusum from throughout US waters along the eastern continental margin and the Gulf of Mexico. The raw sequence data...
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Oceanographic conditions at Richardson reef reveal new suitable habitat for cold-water corals

Cold-water corals create complex structures, but our incomplete knowledge of their niche space limits our ability to understand their distribution and therefore the impact of the ecosystem services they provide in the ocean. The Richardson reef complex consists of over 150 km of linear reef tracts within an area of 75 km2 between 700-900 m depth. This reef experiences rapid shifts in...
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Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Population structure of Desmophyllum pertusum found along the United States eastern continental margin

ObjectiveThe connectivity and genetic structuring of populations throughout a region influence a species’ resilience and probability of recovery from anthropogenic impacts. By gaining a comprehensive understanding of population connectivity, more effective management can be prioritized. To assess the connectivity and population genetic structure of a common cold-water coral species...
Authors
Alexis Marie Weinnig, Ainars Aunins, Veronica J. Salamone, Andrea Quattrini, Martha S. Nizinski, Cheryl Morrison
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat

Coral reefs are iconic ecosystems that support diverse, productive communities in both shallow and deep waters. However, our incomplete knowledge of cold-water coral (CWC) niche space limits our understanding of their distribution and precludes a complete accounting of the ecosystem services they provide. Here, we present the results of recent surveys of the CWC mound province on the...
Authors
Erik E. Cordes, Amanda W.J. Demopoulos, Andrew J. Davies, Ryan Gasbarro, Alexandria C. Rhoads, Elizabeth Loebeker, Derek Sowers, Jason Chaytor, Cheryl Morrison, Alexis Marie Weinnig, Sandra D. Brooke, Jay J. Lunden, Furu Mienis, Samantha B. Joye, Andrea Quattrini, Tracey T. Sutton, Catherine S. McFadden, Jill R. Bourque, Jennifer P. McClain-Counts, Brian D. Andrews, Melissa J. Betters, Peter J. Etnoyer, Gary A. Wolff, Bernie B. Bernard, James W. Brooks, Michael K. Rasser, Caitlin Adams
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat

Coral reefs are iconic ecosystems that support diverse, productive communities in both shallow and deep waters. However, our incomplete knowledge of cold-water coral (CWC) niche space limits our understanding of their distribution and precludes a complete accounting of the ecosystem services they provide. Here, we present the results of recent surveys of the CWC mound province on the...
Authors
Erick E. Cordes, Amanda W.J. Demopoulos, Andrew J. Davies, Ryan Gasbarro, Alexandria C. Rhoads, Elizabeth A. Lobecker, Dereck Sowers, Jason Chaytor, Cheryl Morrison, Alexis Marie Weinnig, Sandra D. Brooke, Jay J. Lunden, Furu Mienis, Samantha B. Joye, Andrea Quattrini, Tracey T. Sutton, Catherine S. McFadden, Jill R. Bourque, Jennifer P. McClain-Counts, Brian D. Andrews, Melissa J. Betters, Peter J. Etnoyer, Gary A. Wolff, Bernie B. Bernard, James W. Brooks, Michael K. Rasser, Caitlin Adams
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Eastern Ecological Science Center
USGS Friday's Findings - June 28, 2024

USGS Friday's Findings - June 28, 2024

Title:  From the Surface to the Deep: Assessing Biodiversity in Offshore Marine Environments with eDNA

Date:  June 28, 2024, at 2:00-2:30 pm Eastern/11...

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*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government

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