Utilizing eDNA in Freshwater Stream Assessments for Mussel Introduction
Elliot Foster
Tom Dombrowski
Prince William County Dept. of Public Works, Environmental Management Division
Woodbridge, Virginia
Authors: Dombrowski, T., Foster, E.
In partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Service, George Mason University, and the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, Prince William County plans to introduce freshwater mussels into completed stream restoration projects flowing into Potomac. The primary goal of this effort is to improve water quality in local watersheds and the Chesapeake Bay using the mussels’ natural filtration of nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment, E. coli, and other pollutants.
Restored streams selected during the site assessment process are stable and unlikely to be disturbed in the future. They have suitable physical habitat, hydrologic conditions, and water chemistry.
Fish diversity is another important factor in stream selection. The county is looking for specific host species required for parasitic mussel larvae to metamorphosize into juveniles. For this process to occur, the right hosts for the selected mussels must be present on-site to establish self-sustaining populations. It is also necessary to find any preexisting mussel populations in the creeks. Field assessments alone such as electroshocking fish may produce incomplete results, so the County is using environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis to assist in the process.
Analyzing eDNA involves sending stream water filter samples to a lab that extracts the eDNA, runs it through a genetic database, and generates a list of any organisms that shed DNA into the water column where it eventually flows through the sample location. Using this method alongside electroshocking provides a more complete inventory of existing fish.
The Prince William County Mussel Introduction provides an opportunity to discuss eDNA as a cost-effective method to use in addition to traditional field assessments.
About Elliot Foster
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About Tom Dombrowski
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