Authors:

Cristina Gonzalez

Date Created:

Not specified

Course Title:

Professor:

Not specified

About Paper:

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is genetic material shed from organisms into their surroundings, such as through skin cells or mucus. eDNA extracted from water samples can be used to identify species present in the corresponding body of water through metabarcoding, a method that uses primers to amplify regions of DNA that vary among species. These DNA segments are sequenced and compared to a sequence database to determine taxonomy. eDNA is a potentially valuable tool for monitoring fish diversity in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), without requiring the ability to visually identify species. However, primers and reference sequence databases have limitations that can affect the accuracy of taxonomic assignment. In this study, eDNA samples were collected alongside the California Coastal Fisheries Research Program's annual angling survey of California MPAs. To validate the approach, 8 eDNA samples were collected from two tanks housing Northern California marine fish. Nineteen fish species were identified in the tank samples. Of 11 rockfish species (Sebastes spp.) listed as present in the tanks, 4 were not identified by eDNA. These preliminary results indicate that eDNA has the ability to provide species-level identification of Northern California marine fishes, but is restricted in its capacity to identify closely related rockfish species. Creating a Trait Database of Edible Trees for Climate-Ready Urban Food Systems Kelly Graziadei

Source:

UC Davis / Environmental Toxicology / 2023

Topics:

No topics listed

Co-authors:

Cristina Gonzalez