eDNA is useful in biodiversity monitoring and ecosystem assessments for Great South Bay
Molloy Faculty Mentor
Elizabeth Suter
Presenter Major
Earth and Environmental Science
Presentation Type
Poster
Location
Wilbur 2nd Floor Corridor, Wilbur Arts Building, Molloy University
Start Date
1-5-2026 10:30 AM
End Date
1-5-2026 11:15 AM
Description (Abstract)
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is genetic material that is lost from organisms in aquatic environments that can be used to trace their presence and distributions. However, it is not yet widely incorporated into biodiversity monitoring programs. In this study, samples from Great South Bay (GSB), NY, were used to assess the usefulness of eDNA as a biodiversity monitoring tool by sequencing the broad eukaryotic marker gene, CO1. An assessment of extraction methods revealed that the DNeasy Power Water (Qiagen) resulted in greater species richness and less variability than the phenol-chloroform method. CO1 was shown to be accurate in detecting elasmobranch species when compared to tests using the same gene target from nearby studies. Spatial distributions and temporal patterns of elasmobranchs were reflective of known regional behaviors. Lastly, eDNA was shown to be useful for assessing biodiversity at oyster reef habitats when compared to control sites.
No human subjects were used in this study.
Keywords
eDNA, elasmobranchs, Great South Bay, DNA extraction, oyster reef, biodiversity
Related Pillar(s)
Study
eDNA is useful in biodiversity monitoring and ecosystem assessments for Great South Bay
Wilbur 2nd Floor Corridor, Wilbur Arts Building, Molloy University
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is genetic material that is lost from organisms in aquatic environments that can be used to trace their presence and distributions. However, it is not yet widely incorporated into biodiversity monitoring programs. In this study, samples from Great South Bay (GSB), NY, were used to assess the usefulness of eDNA as a biodiversity monitoring tool by sequencing the broad eukaryotic marker gene, CO1. An assessment of extraction methods revealed that the DNeasy Power Water (Qiagen) resulted in greater species richness and less variability than the phenol-chloroform method. CO1 was shown to be accurate in detecting elasmobranch species when compared to tests using the same gene target from nearby studies. Spatial distributions and temporal patterns of elasmobranchs were reflective of known regional behaviors. Lastly, eDNA was shown to be useful for assessing biodiversity at oyster reef habitats when compared to control sites.
No human subjects were used in this study.
