Date of Award
Fall 2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS) in Biology
Department
Biology
Committee Chair
Dr. Christopher Murdock
Abstract
The study of environmental DNA (eDNA) has provided researchers with a more accessible and sensitive way to identify the presence of specific species compared to traditional monitoring methods. eDNA enables species detection by analyzing environmental samples such as water or soil, which contain genetic material shed by organisms in a given area. Research indicates that eDNA techniques have become a valuable method for monitoring threatened and invasive species, proving particularly reliable for detecting aquatic species compared to traditional techniques. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) has been used in numerous eDNA studies, as it provides for greater accuracy than conventional PCR. Cyprinella caerulea, commonly known as the blue shiner, is a federally-listed (threatened) fish species that was once abundant in many watersheds across the southern United States. In this study, we surveyed six sites in Little River, specifically within Little River Canyon National Preserve in Alabama. Previous studies on C. caerulea indicated their presence within this watershed. Any amplification of C. caerulea DNA was analyzed using computer software and displayed on real-time graphs, with results compared based on the corresponding season of collection and any variation at sites. Our results illustrate the effectiveness of eDNA detection for monitoring threatened species, suggesting that all future studies of C. caerulea and other endangered species could benefit from this same process. Although this study shows that history can serve as a starting point for developing monitoring surveys over time, future studies should evaluate detection probability across various interactions, focusing on seasonality and organismal behavior over extended periods of collection times.
Included in
Biology Commons, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, Genetics Commons, Molecular Genetics Commons