Project overview
To minimize the impacts of aquatic invasive species (AIS), it is important to detect them early and rapidly respond to their invasion. Environmental DNA (eDNA) methods are recognized as a highly sensitive and cost-effective toolset for AIS early detection. However, various eDNA methods are available to detect AIS and each has different benefits and limitations. The availability of multiple methods may confuse AIS managers when they are trying to choose which method to use to best fit their needs for sensitivity, species to detect, desired response time and budget.
This project will develop guidelines to help AIS managers decide the best method to rapidly, reliably, and cost- effectively monitor for the species of interest. To achieve this goal, we will first create AIS mock communities for quality assurance and quality control purposes by mixing DNA extracted from target AIS tissue samples. The AIS mock communities will be used as standard reference materials for comparison of detection methods. We will then collect water samples from areas with and without infestations of the target AIS in the upper Mississippi River watershed. These standard reference materials and water samples will be used to compare multiple eDNA methods, including quantitative PCR (qPCR), high- throughput qPCR (HT-qPCR), digital PCR (dPCR), and eDNA metabarcoding, for their speed, sensitivity, specificity, cost, and throughput. Based on the results, we will develop guidelines for method selection and will walk AIS managers through the options by giving seminars/webinars and by hosting an in-person workshop.