Searching for Shiners in Missouri
Researchers from the University of Central Missouri (UCM), in collaboration with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC), implement environmental DNA (eDNA) methods to identify and manage Topeka Shiner populations in Missouri.
The Issue: The Topeka Shiner (Notropis topeka) is a federally endangered stream fish native to the Midwest United States. In the state of Missouri, the Topeka Shiner has undergone a drastic reduction in distributional range over the last half century, leaving few remaining known populations. Although conservation and reintroduction efforts have aided in maintaining a small number of isolated populations, efficient monitoring is needed for future recovery and stability. Furthermore, effective management decisions will require a thorough understanding of the current Topeka Shiner distribution in Missouri.
Addressing the Issue: Due to the reduction and rarity of Topeka Shiners within their historic distributional range, traditional monitoring efforts (e.g., seining or electroshocking) may be unreliable (i.e., because of high potential for false negatives). Therefore, the overall aim of this project is to effectively determine the current distribution of Topeka Shiner in Missouri using environmental DNA (eDNA) methods, which may allow detection without physical capture. In addition to implementing eDNA methods to detect Topeka Shiners in the field, eDNA detection ability will be experimentally tested using controlled artificial stream units at the Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC).
Next Steps/Future Steps/Results: To date, water samples have been collected and filtered (for Topeka Shiner eDNA) from over half of the 70 Missouri stream sites that will be sampled across the duration of the project. Additionally, experimental studies using the CERC artificial streams to test Topeka Shiner eDNA detection ability under different Topeka Shiner abundances and downstream distances were completed during fall 2020. Currently, eDNA extractions from field site (completed this far) and experimental study filters are underway at CERC. Moving forward, continued/additional lab work including eDNA extractions and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) runs will be conducted at CERC and at least 30 additional stream sites will be sampled for Topeka Shiner eDNA. Together, the field and experimental studies will help illustrate a more complete picture of current Topeka Shiner distribution in Missouri waters.
Return to Molecular Section: eDNA Research
Return to Biochemistry & Physiology
Researchers from the University of Central Missouri (UCM), in collaboration with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC), implement environmental DNA (eDNA) methods to identify and manage Topeka Shiner populations in Missouri.
The Issue: The Topeka Shiner (Notropis topeka) is a federally endangered stream fish native to the Midwest United States. In the state of Missouri, the Topeka Shiner has undergone a drastic reduction in distributional range over the last half century, leaving few remaining known populations. Although conservation and reintroduction efforts have aided in maintaining a small number of isolated populations, efficient monitoring is needed for future recovery and stability. Furthermore, effective management decisions will require a thorough understanding of the current Topeka Shiner distribution in Missouri.
Addressing the Issue: Due to the reduction and rarity of Topeka Shiners within their historic distributional range, traditional monitoring efforts (e.g., seining or electroshocking) may be unreliable (i.e., because of high potential for false negatives). Therefore, the overall aim of this project is to effectively determine the current distribution of Topeka Shiner in Missouri using environmental DNA (eDNA) methods, which may allow detection without physical capture. In addition to implementing eDNA methods to detect Topeka Shiners in the field, eDNA detection ability will be experimentally tested using controlled artificial stream units at the Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC).
Next Steps/Future Steps/Results: To date, water samples have been collected and filtered (for Topeka Shiner eDNA) from over half of the 70 Missouri stream sites that will be sampled across the duration of the project. Additionally, experimental studies using the CERC artificial streams to test Topeka Shiner eDNA detection ability under different Topeka Shiner abundances and downstream distances were completed during fall 2020. Currently, eDNA extractions from field site (completed this far) and experimental study filters are underway at CERC. Moving forward, continued/additional lab work including eDNA extractions and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) runs will be conducted at CERC and at least 30 additional stream sites will be sampled for Topeka Shiner eDNA. Together, the field and experimental studies will help illustrate a more complete picture of current Topeka Shiner distribution in Missouri waters.
Return to Molecular Section: eDNA Research
Return to Biochemistry & Physiology