Environmental DNA (eDNA) shedding and decay rates to model downstream transport of mussel eDNA

Session: 15. - Environmental 'omics: New Tools for Aquatic Ecosystem Science and Management

Brandon Sansom, University at Buffalo SUNY, [email protected]
Lauren Sassoubre, University at Buffalo (SUNY), [email protected]

Abstract

Freshwater mussels are an important component of The Great Lakes and their tributaries, yet remain threatened. Thus, timely and accurate species counts are critical for proper conservation and management. Mussels live in stream and lake sediments and can be challenging to survey given constraints related to water depth, flow, and time of year. The use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to monitor mussel distributions and diversity is a promising tool. Before it can be used as a monitoring tool, however, we need to know how much eDNA mussels shed into their environment and how long the eDNA persists. Here, we present a novel application of eDNA to estimate both the presence/absence and abundance of a freshwater mussel species common in the Great Lakes basin, Lampsilis siliquoidea. We determined that eDNA shedding was statistically similar across mussel densities, but that first-order decay constants varied between experimental treatments. Finally, we effectively modeled downstream transport of eDNA and present a model that can be used as a complementary tool to estimate mussel density. Our results suggest that eDNA has the potential to be a complementary tool to survey mussels and enhance current efforts to monitor and protect freshwater mussel biodiversity.

1. Keyword
unionids

2. Keyword
biomonitoring

3. Keyword
modeling

4. Additional Keyword
environmental DNA

5. Additional Keyword
DNA persistence

6. Additional Keyword
qPCR