Use of Environmental DNA to Determine Fantail Darter (Etheostoma flabellare) Density in a Laboratory Setting: Effects of Biomass and Filtration Method

Estimating fish abundance/biomass holds great importance for freshwater ecology and fisheries management, but current techniques can be expensive, time-consuming, and potentially harmful to target organisms. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has proven an effective and efficient technique for presence/absenc...

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Main Authors: Ramon A. Guivas, Ben F. Brammell
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-01-01
Series:International Journal of Zoology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/4731686
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author Ramon A. Guivas
Ben F. Brammell
author_facet Ramon A. Guivas
Ben F. Brammell
author_sort Ramon A. Guivas
collection DOAJ
description Estimating fish abundance/biomass holds great importance for freshwater ecology and fisheries management, but current techniques can be expensive, time-consuming, and potentially harmful to target organisms. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has proven an effective and efficient technique for presence/absence detection of freshwater vertebrates. Additionally, recent studies report correlations between target organism density/biomass and eDNA levels, although widespread application of this technique is limited by the number of studies examining this relationship in various species and settings. Additionally, filter clogging is a commonly encountered issue in eDNA studies in environments with significant sediment and/or phytoplankton algae. Frequently, a sample must be split into multiple aliquots and filtered separately in order to process the entire sample. The present study examines both the relationship between biomass and eDNA and the effects of single versus multiple filter sampling on eDNA concentrations of fantail darters (Etheostoma flabellare) in a laboratory setting. Tank tests were performed in quadruplicate at four environmentally relevant fantail biomass levels. eDNA samples were collected and processed in parallel (one as a whole through a single filter and one in parts through multiple filters). Species-specific primers and a probe were developed for E. flabellare from cytochrome b sequences obtained from locally collected specimens, and real-time quantitative PCR was used to analyze eDNA levels at each biomass. Significant correlations were observed with increasing biomass for both methods, although this relationship was stronger for samples processed by the multiple filter method. These data should be useful in eDNA studies in which turbidity necessitates the use of multiple filters per sample as well as in the use of eDNA to estimate darter populations.
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spelling doaj-art-e903072ed56c43aca504d54f7ba3aba52025-08-20T03:21:09ZengWileyInternational Journal of Zoology1687-84771687-84852020-01-01202010.1155/2020/47316864731686Use of Environmental DNA to Determine Fantail Darter (Etheostoma flabellare) Density in a Laboratory Setting: Effects of Biomass and Filtration MethodRamon A. Guivas0Ben F. Brammell1Department of Science and Health, Asbury University, Wilmore, KY 40390, USADepartment of Science and Health, Asbury University, Wilmore, KY 40390, USAEstimating fish abundance/biomass holds great importance for freshwater ecology and fisheries management, but current techniques can be expensive, time-consuming, and potentially harmful to target organisms. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has proven an effective and efficient technique for presence/absence detection of freshwater vertebrates. Additionally, recent studies report correlations between target organism density/biomass and eDNA levels, although widespread application of this technique is limited by the number of studies examining this relationship in various species and settings. Additionally, filter clogging is a commonly encountered issue in eDNA studies in environments with significant sediment and/or phytoplankton algae. Frequently, a sample must be split into multiple aliquots and filtered separately in order to process the entire sample. The present study examines both the relationship between biomass and eDNA and the effects of single versus multiple filter sampling on eDNA concentrations of fantail darters (Etheostoma flabellare) in a laboratory setting. Tank tests were performed in quadruplicate at four environmentally relevant fantail biomass levels. eDNA samples were collected and processed in parallel (one as a whole through a single filter and one in parts through multiple filters). Species-specific primers and a probe were developed for E. flabellare from cytochrome b sequences obtained from locally collected specimens, and real-time quantitative PCR was used to analyze eDNA levels at each biomass. Significant correlations were observed with increasing biomass for both methods, although this relationship was stronger for samples processed by the multiple filter method. These data should be useful in eDNA studies in which turbidity necessitates the use of multiple filters per sample as well as in the use of eDNA to estimate darter populations.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/4731686
spellingShingle Ramon A. Guivas
Ben F. Brammell
Use of Environmental DNA to Determine Fantail Darter (Etheostoma flabellare) Density in a Laboratory Setting: Effects of Biomass and Filtration Method
International Journal of Zoology
title Use of Environmental DNA to Determine Fantail Darter (Etheostoma flabellare) Density in a Laboratory Setting: Effects of Biomass and Filtration Method
title_full Use of Environmental DNA to Determine Fantail Darter (Etheostoma flabellare) Density in a Laboratory Setting: Effects of Biomass and Filtration Method
title_fullStr Use of Environmental DNA to Determine Fantail Darter (Etheostoma flabellare) Density in a Laboratory Setting: Effects of Biomass and Filtration Method
title_full_unstemmed Use of Environmental DNA to Determine Fantail Darter (Etheostoma flabellare) Density in a Laboratory Setting: Effects of Biomass and Filtration Method
title_short Use of Environmental DNA to Determine Fantail Darter (Etheostoma flabellare) Density in a Laboratory Setting: Effects of Biomass and Filtration Method
title_sort use of environmental dna to determine fantail darter etheostoma flabellare density in a laboratory setting effects of biomass and filtration method
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/4731686
work_keys_str_mv AT ramonaguivas useofenvironmentaldnatodeterminefantaildarteretheostomaflabellaredensityinalaboratorysettingeffectsofbiomassandfiltrationmethod
AT benfbrammell useofenvironmentaldnatodeterminefantaildarteretheostomaflabellaredensityinalaboratorysettingeffectsofbiomassandfiltrationmethod