A scientist works with eDNA aquatic sampling equipment at Havasu Creek near the mouth of the Colorado River

Thomas Franklin (depicted) is the eDNA Program Leader at the U.S. Forest Service, National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation. The USGS Southwest Biological Science Center's eDNA project is collaborating with the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service on various projects that are aimed at using eDNA as a standard practice for detecting aquatic biological threats in the desert Southwest. Here, Mr. Franklin is filtering water with standard sampling equipment at a shallow section of Havasu Creek near the mouth of the Colorado River, Arizona.

A note on safety: On this trip, temperatures were between 110-120 F during the day. To avoid heat-related illness, staff use good safety practices by keeping shirts damp that facilitate evaporative cooling. While all staff on field trips wear PFD devices when they are in or near deeper water, in this particular scenario, when the water is very shallow and sampling is conducted from the bank, PFD equipment can further cause overheating in sunny, hot tributary canyons. The SBSC employs strict safety protocols that are specific to each type of field research conducted throughout a day during wilderness research trips. 

Photo by Kim Dibble, USGS.

See USGS Science Supports Management of Invasive Species | U.S. Geological Survey for more information.