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From DNA-sampling robots and invasive species maps to genetic libraries and mosquito birth control, USGS scientists are hard at work building up ecological infrastructure for the nation.

The Aquatic eDNAtlas Project supports effective conservation and management of freshwater biota. Rocky Mountain Research Station scientists have been at the forefront of investigating and applying eDNA sampling for aquatic species.

The eDNAtlas allows land managers, scientists, and the public to access results from samples collected from aquatic systems throughout the U.S. The eDNAtlas database contains results from thousands of sites.

See also:  eDNA for more information

In 2021 a team of scientists from the University of Iowa, US, deployed innovative eDNA detection techniques to identify water courses where the New Zealand mud snail may be hiding unseen, which should allow them to identify the scale of the problem and deploy early interventions to keep populations in check before they do visible, irreversible damage.

Invasive species are notoriously challenging to track due to their ability to rapidly spread from one habitat to another, whilst their impacts on endangered species can be even more difficult to detect. Two new studies published in the journal Current Biology have now shown that it is possible to accurately identify a variety of animal species over distances of hundreds of metres by sampling environmental DNA (eDNA), or DNA traces shed by animals into the surrounding air.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) announced that it has conducted targeted invasive carp sampling in Presque Isle Bay, Erie County, after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) detected the presence of Silver Carp environmental DNA (eDNA). While no physical invasive carp specimens have been detected, the PFBC has requested that the USFWS collect additional water samples from Presque Isle Bay in the fall when more favorable environmental conditions are present for eDNA sampling. Members of the public can report sightings of aquatic invasive species to the PFBC using its online form.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) has gone from new science on the block to a star of the show. With just a water, soil, or snow sample, ecologist Tommy Franklin and fellow scientists at the Rocky Mountain Research Station are detecting rare aquatic and terrestrial species by identifying the genetic material they leave behind.

Scientists at the Rocky Mountain Research station recently used eDNA to preserve headwater bull trout populations in a warming climate, track white nose syndrome — a killer bat fungus, and reveal the role of human transport in the spread of invasive northern pike in the Columbia River basin. A recent article highlights eDNA research at the station and features National Genomics Center Director Mike Schwartz.

Environmental DNA is developing into a powerful tool for improving the monitoring and detection of invasive species, which may be present in low numbers and therefore difficult to find. There are a wide range of ongoing efforts by federal and non-federal groups working to improve and apply eDNA to invasive species monitoring and management.

The NISC FY2020 to FY2022 Work Plans incorporated interagency work on eDNA, including the following outputs:

• The NISC white paper has been released (May 2022): Environmental DNA as a Tool for Invasive Species Detection and Management [PDF, 295 KB]

See also: Quagga and Zebra Mussels for more information

Assays of environmental DNA — traces of genetic material found in air, soil, and water — may improve scientists’ ability to detect bat roosts and track the spread of white-nose syndrome, a disease caused by a killer fungus spread easily in the close quarters of hibernacula. In this research, scientists experienced success in detecting bats in field collected samples of environmental DNA, though the technology is still in the experimental stage.

United States Geological Survey Science is Refining eDNA Techniques and Developing New Applications. Research by the U.S. Geological Survey is leading to new techniques in the use of environmental DNA, or eDNA, to detect invasive species and their spread.

Advanced tools help our scientists detect native and invasive species in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.

Environmental DNA methods are highly sensitive and accurate, making them ideal for detecting animals at low densities. However, this tool also comes with its own unique set of challenges when applied to efforts to eradicate invasive species. This research explores the use of eDNA for evaluating invasive species eradication efforts in streams and offers best practices for incorporating eDNA methods into invasive species removal projects.
Related Publication:
K. J. Carim, N. J. Bean, J. M. Connor, W. P. Baker, M. Jaeger, M. P. Ruggles, K. S. McKelvey, T. W. Franklin, M. K. Young, M. K. Schwartz. 2020. Environmental DNA sampling informs fish eradication efforts: Case studies and lessons learned

A framework from Rocky Mountain Research Station scientists can help managers decide if, when, and how to use eDNA sampling technology for invasive species monitoring or surveillance.

Citation: Morisette, Jeffrey; Burgiel, Stas; Franklin, Thomas; Wilcox, Taylor. 2022. Shedding light on shedded cells: Using eDNA sampling for surveillance of invasive species. Connected Science. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

Invasive species surveillance programs can utilize environmental DNA sampling and analysis to provide information on the presence of invasive species. Wider utilization of eDNA techniques for invasive species surveillance may be warranted. This paper covers topics directed towards invasive species managers and eDNA practitioners working at the intersection of eDNA techniques and invasive species surveillance. It provides background information on the utility of eDNA for invasive species management and points to various examples of its use across federal and international programs.

Citation: Morisette, J., S. Burgiel, K. Brantley, et al. 2021. Strategic considerations for invasive species managers in the utilization of environmental DNA (eDNA): Steps for incorporating this powerful surveillance tool. Management of Biological Invasions. 12(3): 747-775.

Northern pike are native to Alaska, Canada, and much of the central and eastern continental United States. Genetic evidence reveals the role of human transport in the spread of invasive northern pike in the Columbia River basin.

Natural resource managers in British Columbia discovered several adult male and female European green crabs on Haida Gwaii this past July. Alarm bells immediately went off for biologists in Alaska. The archipelago of Haida Gwaii, off the coast of Prince Rupert in British Columbia, is very close to Alaska. The July discovery is the closest confirmed finding of the invasive crustacean since it was first detected in the San Francisco Bay area in 1989.