E-DNA / Electrofishing Project
Forest Research Improvement Association of Alberta (FRIAA)
Poseidon Environmental has conducted an exciting project comparing the efficacy of eDNA sampling and electrofishing for identifying the presence of Species At Risk. Results from this project will provide an additional tool for prioritizing remediation efforts based on the presence of Species At Risk. These results will also provide insight into the value of eDNA sampling in comparison to electrofishing specific to the Alberta headwater streams.
What Is eDNA? Environment DNA (eDNA) is DNA that has been shed from an organism into their environment. eDNA is sampled by having water samples analyzed for species specific genomic assays. Filtered water samples are then sent to a lab for analysis of eDNA of either a focal species or community composition. Our target species for this project was the Athabasca rainbow trout, a unique species in the Hinton region that occupies small, cool headwater streams.
