Well, you’ll need more than a drop, but the increasing capability of this emerging scientific tool is leading to the exciting possibility of its use in mainstream (pardon the pun) citizen science applications. eDNA: What is it? eDNA, or environmental DNA, is simply any genetic material that has been released into a system by a living organism. This can include skin cells, urine, or hair from an animal, but it also applies to plants! eDNA is found in both terrestrial and aquatic systems, in soils, sediments, and free in the water column. eDNA has been used to study the evolutionary history of mammals, plant diet of ancient megafauna, detection of rare amphibian species, and increasingly, eDNA has become a critical tool in monitoring aquatic ecosystems for invasive plants, fish, and macroinvertebrates.
The use of eDNA to determine invasive species presence or absence is especially useful in aquatic systems because many of these invaders utilize every nook and cranny beneath the water’s surface and go easily undetected using traditional sampling methods. eDNA also allows us to detect more than what can be seen with the naked eye. During a standard aquatic survey, we may toss in a rake an pull up a collection of native water celery, but miss that new infestation of Hydrilla that’s just beginning to grow. eDNA sampling gives us a greater chance of early detection.
To learn more about how it works and its future use in citizen science, click below to keep reading the full article by Aquatics Program Coordinator Lindsay Yoder!
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