Ponce Jake J, Arismendi Ivan, Thomas Austen
Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America.
Molecular Division, Smith-Root, Inc., Vancouver, WA, United States of America.
PeerJ. 2021 Aug 9;9:e11835. doi: 10.7717/peerj.11835. eCollection 2021.
Environmental DNA (eDNA) detection of aquatic invasive species is currently at the forefront of aquatic conservation efforts because the methodology provides a cost effective and sensitive means to detect animals at low densities. Developments in eDNA technologies have improved detection probabilities for rare, indicator, and invasive species over the past decade. However, standard lab analysis can take days or weeks before results are available and is prohibitive when rapid management decisions are required for mitigation. Here, we investigated the performance of a real-time quantitative PCR system for on-site eDNA detection of New Zealand mud snails (). Six sites in western Washington, USA were sampled using the rapid eDNA technique and traditional methods, with five samples per site. On-site eDNA detection of mud snails resulted in a 10% increase in positive sites (16/30 = 53% positive) relative to visual surveys (13/30 = 43% positive). In addition, positive associations were observed between mud snail eDNA concentration (eDNA copies per reaction) and the number of mud snail individuals at each site ( = 0.78). We show that the rapid on-site eDNA technology can be effective for detection and quantification of New Zealand mud snails in freshwaters. This on-site eDNA detection approach could possibly be used to initiate management protocols that allow for more rapid responses during the onset of biological invasions.
环境DNA（eDNA）检测水生入侵物种目前处于水生保护工作的前沿，因为该方法提供了一种经济高效且灵敏的手段来检测低密度的动物。在过去十年中，eDNA技术的发展提高了对稀有、指示和入侵物种的检测概率。然而，标准的实验室分析可能需要数天或数周才能得到结果，并且在需要快速做出缓解管理决策时是不可行的。在此，我们研究了一种实时定量PCR系统用于现场eDNA检测新西兰泥蜗的性能。在美国华盛顿州西部的六个地点，使用快速eDNA技术和传统方法进行采样，每个地点采集五个样本。相对于目视调查（13/30 = 43%阳性），现场eDNA检测泥蜗使阳性地点增加了10%（16/30 = 53%阳性）。此外，在每个地点观察到泥蜗eDNA浓度（每个反应的eDNA拷贝数）与泥蜗个体数量之间存在正相关（r = 0.78）。我们表明，快速现场eDNA技术可有效地检测和定量淡水中的新西兰泥蜗。这种现场eDNA检测方法可能可用于启动管理方案，以便在生物入侵开始时能够做出更快速的反应。
