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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.

See also: AREF Resources for more resources

A species of exotic tick arrived in Ohio in 2021 in such huge numbers that their feeding frenzy on a southeastern farm left three cattle dead of what researchers believe was severe blood loss. The scientists from The Ohio State University have reported in the Journal of Medical Entomology on the state’s first known established population of Asian longhorned ticks, and are now conducting research focused on monitoring and managing these pests.

Ohioans are encouraged to help with research efforts: People who think they’ve spotted an Asian longhorned tick can email ticks@osu.edu for instructions on how to collect the specimen and send it to Ohio State scientists as part of ongoing surveillance. To date, the lab has received Asian longhorned ticks from residents of 11 Ohio counties. More information about spotting Asian longhorned ticks and preventing tick exposure is available on Ohio State’s Bite Site hosted by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences Knowledge Exchange.

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.

In addition to comprehensive information about the European green crab in Washington state, please see the following:

• European Green Crab Background Information - StoryMap including monitoring and how to report sightings
• Interactive European Green Crab Hub which supports coordination of ongoing emergency measures, data collection, and science.

See also:  eDNA for more information

Invasive species pose a threat across the United States and its territories, but they can be especially challenging for the U.S. South Pacific territory of American Samoa. Among the invasive pests menacing the territory are several non-native fire ant species. 

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.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists throughout the United States are busy inspecting cut flower shipments ahead of Valentine’s Day in order to protect the nation from agricultural and floral pest risks.

Provides comprehensive information on cogongrass in Georgia along with links to other southeastern state efforts on cogongrass. To date, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas have on-going research, education and/or control programs that are supported by university, state and federal agency cooperators.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) announces additional zebra mussel veligers found in the Colorado River and Government Highline Canal after increased testing. With these additional detections, both the Highline Government Canal and the Colorado River meet the criteria for being considered “positive” for zebra mussels.
See also: Colorado Parks and Wildlife announces discovery of zebra mussels in the Colorado River and the Government Highline Canal (July 16, 2024), nearly two years after the invasive species was first detected in the state. 

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.