Applications of eDNA for Restoration Monitoring and Mitigation Bank Development
Ally Kimpling
Paul Braun
RES
Athens, GA
Environmental DNA (eDNA) has emerged as a promising tool for aquatic biodiversity assessment and stream restoration planning. Recent advances in eDNA metabarcoding have improved detection accuracy and taxonomic resolution to a level increasingly comparable to traditional biological sampling methods, such as kick-net macroinvertebrate surveys. In many cases, eDNA sampling detects a greater diversity of taxa while also reducing the logistical and financial costs associated with mobilizing field crews and conducting laboratory-based organism identification.
Resource Environmental Solutions (RES) has recently explored the application of eDNA technologies for improving regulatory monitoring techniques within stream restoration and mitigation banking in Georgia. Paired macroinvertebrate samples were collected across RES mitigation banking sites using both methodologies: kick-net sampling according to the Georgia Mod-Qual 4 SOP, and water filtration for high throughput sequencing of collected eDNA. Taxa were identified either by hand (Mod-Qual 4) or with metabarcoding (eDNA) and compared using common groupings (EPT, functional feeding groups, habits, etc.)
Overall, eDNA samples identified greater numbers of unique taxa than the paired physical samples. Analysis of samples also showed lower dispersion among eDNA samples, indicating that metagenomic sampling methods produce more stable and reproducible community composition estimates. Although there was some dissimilarity in specific taxa detected by eDNA and traditional methods, the complementary nature of these approaches provides a more comprehensive understanding of aquatic community composition. These findings suggest that eDNA-based monitoring not only represents a cost-effective and
scalable approach for annual regulatory monitoring of macroinvertebrate communities but can also provide a faster and lower cost alternative for identifying streams with restoration potential on a local scale. RES scientists are also exploring the applications of watershed scale eDNA modeling to determine ideal locations for restoration on a regional level. By applying these technologies on both the local and watershed scale, RES hopes to improve the efficiency and scale of stream restoration and mitigation.
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