Poster Session 5, 3:15 PM - 4:00 PM: Campus Center Auditorium [A40]
Environmental DNA (eDNA) as a Tool for Rare Freshwater Mussel Detection and Restoration Planning
Presenter: Mickala Diane Stratton
Faculty Sponsor: Allison Roy
School: UMass Amherst
Research Area: Environmental Science and Sustainability
ABSTRACT
Freshwater mussels are one of the most imperiled faunal groups in North America, with over 70% of freshwater mussel species considered to be endangered, threatened, or of special concern. Many of these imperiled species are rare on the landscape, making widespread monitoring a challenge. Traditional survey methods, such as snorkeling, are time-intensive and spatially limited. To overcome these difficulties, environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys have become an extremely desirable tool for freshwater mussel conservation. eDNA surveys collect shed organismic genetic material from environmental samples, allowing scientists to non-invasively determine species presence and distribution. In this study, we evaluated eDNA as a method for detecting brook floater (Alasmidonta varicosa), a state-listed endangered freshwater mussel species in Massachusetts. Specifically, our objectives were to: 1) assess eDNA detection in a known population, and 2) determine the potential presence of A. varicosa at sites with unknown status. For Objective 1, water samples, habitat (e.g, wetted width), and water quality (e.g., pH, specific conductivity, dissolved oxygen) were collected upstream, immediately downstream, and 100 m downstream of the known mussel population. In the lab, water samples were filtered, DNA was extracted, and then amplified using qPCR. After verifying these methods, we sampled for brook floater eDNA at 15 sites where the species has not been recently recorded (Objective 2) to guide future mussel surveys. Results will be used by managers throughout the A. varicosa range (Georgia to Nova Scotia) to inform expanded use of eDNA for species surveys and restoration efforts to support species’ conservation.RELATED ABSTRACTS
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