The spread of invasive quagga and zebra mussels poses threats to water resources and water-resource infrastructure. Water-resource agencies such as the Bureau of Reclamation need cost-effective monitoring methods to provide early detection for immediate response.
Environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques have proven effective for identifying the presence of specific aquatic species in water bodies. Partnering with the Bureau of Reclamation, USGS scientists from several states collaborated on a pilot study to evaluate the integration of eDNA sample collection at USGS streamgage stations downstream of Reclamation dams. USGS hydrologic technicians collected water samples for eDNA analysis as part of their regular streamgage visits.
The methods and results of the pilot study were published in the journal Ecosphere, and the data were made publicly available through the USGS ScienceBase Catalog.
In a related study, USGS scientists from the Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center and the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center deployed an environmental sample processor, a "lab in a can" at our streamgage station on the Snake River near Irwin, Idaho.
The following publications are associated with this study.
Adding invasive species bio-surveillance to the U.S. Geological Survey streamgage network
- Overview
The spread of invasive quagga and zebra mussels poses threats to water resources and water-resource infrastructure. Water-resource agencies such as the Bureau of Reclamation need cost-effective monitoring methods to provide early detection for immediate response.
USGS hydrologic technician James Johnsen collects a water sample for eDNA analysis as part of a pilot project evaluating the integration of bissurveillance at USGS streamgages. Environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques have proven effective for identifying the presence of specific aquatic species in water bodies. Partnering with the Bureau of Reclamation, USGS scientists from several states collaborated on a pilot study to evaluate the integration of eDNA sample collection at USGS streamgage stations downstream of Reclamation dams. USGS hydrologic technicians collected water samples for eDNA analysis as part of their regular streamgage visits.
The methods and results of the pilot study were published in the journal Ecosphere, and the data were made publicly available through the USGS ScienceBase Catalog.
In a related study, USGS scientists from the Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center and the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center deployed an environmental sample processor, a "lab in a can" at our streamgage station on the Snake River near Irwin, Idaho.
- Multimedia
- Publications
The following publications are associated with this study.
Adding invasive species bio-surveillance to the U.S. Geological Survey streamgage network
The costs of invasive species in the United States alone are estimated to exceed US$100 billion per year so a critical tactic in minimizing the costs of invasive species is the development of effective, early-detection systems. To this end, we evaluated the efficacy of adding environmental (e)DNA surveillance to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgage network, which consists of > 8,200 streamAuthorsAdam J. Sepulveda, Christian Schmidt, Jon Amberg, Patrick R. Hutchins, Christian Stratton, Christopher A. Mebane, Matthew Laramie, David Pilliod