Status: Completed
Start date: 29 January 2017
Completion date: 30 June 2022
Project code: P01-I-004
Species/Threats: Multiple
Download project report (PDF, 2.94 MB)
The National eDNA Reference Centre (NRC) at the University of Canberra was established in 2022, building on its national leadership role fostered by the Centre. The project team wanted to use real-time sampling techniques of environmental DNA (eDNA) to build a tool that could find an invasive aquatic species.
The team used the Asian black-spined toad to develop a specific approach that can indicate whether an individual toad is from Indonesia or somewhere else in South-East Asia. This is important for detecting the toads and working out where captured specimens have come from, before they enter Australia.
The objectives of this project were:
Species specific DNA assays for red-eared slider turtles and Asian black spined toads are being collaboratively developed.
A technical framework has been created to test the proficiency of facilities in extracting and determining the presence or absence of eDNA in water samples.
Bylemans J, Furlan E, Gleeson D, Hardy C and Duncan R (2018) Does size matter? An experimental evaluation of the relative abundance and decay rates of aquatic eDNA Environmental Science & Technology 52(11), 6408-6416. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b01071
Bylemans J, Gleeson D, Hardy C, Duncan R and Furlan E (2019) A performance evaluation of targeted eDNA monitoring and eDNA metabarcoding for freshwater fishes Environmental DNA 1(4), 402-414. https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.41
Bylemans J, Gleeson D, Hardy C and Furlan E (2018) Towards an ecoregion scale evaluation of eDNA metabarcoding primers: A case study for the freshwater fish biodiversity of the Murray-Darling Basin (Australia) Ecology and Evolution 8(17), 8697-8712. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4387
Bylemans J, Gleeson D, Lintermans M, Hardy C, Beitzel M, Gilligan D and Furlan E (2018) Monitoring riverine fish communities through eDNA metabarcoding: determining optimal sampling strategies along an altitudinal and biodiversity gradient Metabarcoding and Metagenomics 2(30457). https://doi.org/10.3897/mbmg.2.30457
Furlan E, Davis J and Duncan R (2020) Identifying error and accurately interpreting environmental DNA metabarcoding results: A case study to detect vertebrates at arid zone waterholes Molecular Ecology Resources. https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.13170
Furlan E, Gleeson D, Wisniewski C, Yick J and Duncan R (2019) eDNA surveys to detect species at very low densities: A case study of European carp eradication in Tasmania Australia Journal of Applied Ecology 56(11), 2505-2517. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13485
García-Díaz P (2019) A concise guide to developing and using quantitative models in conservation management Conservation Science and Practice 1(2), 11. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.11
Hinlo R, Lintermans M, Gleeson D, Broadhurst B and Furlan E (2018) Performance of eDNA assays to detect and quantify an elusive benthic fish in upland streams Biological Invasions 20(11), 3079-3093. https://researchprofiles.canberra.edu.au/en/publications/performance-of-edna-assays-to-detect-and-quantify-an-elusive-bent
Nichols S, Kefford B, Campbell C, Bylemans J, Chandler E, Bray J, Shackleton M, Robinson K, Carew M and E Furlan (2019) Towards routine DNA metabarcoding of macroinvertebrates using bulk samples for freshwater bioassessment: effects of debris and storage conditions on the recovery of target taxa Freshwater Biology 65(4):607-620. https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.13443
Rojahn J, Gleeson DM, Furlan E, and Haeusler E and Bylemans J (2021) Improving the detection of rare native fish species in environmental DNA metabarcoding surveys Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 31, 990-997. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3514
Rojahn J, Pearce L, Gleeson DM, Duncan, RP, Gilligan DM and Bylemans J. (2021) The value of quantitative environmental DNA analyses for the management of invasive and endangered native fish Freshwater Biology 66, 1619-1629. https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.13779
Rojahn J, Trujillo-González A, Gleeson D et al (2024) Does mesocosm validation of environmental DNA methods translate to natural environment monitoring applications? A case study detecting a high-profile invader; the red eared slider turtle, Trachemys scripta elegans, in Australia Conservation Genetic Resources 16, 63-71. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12686-023-01333-3
Rourke ML, Fowler AM, and Hughes JM (2021) Environmental DNA (eDNA) as a tool for assessing fish biomass: A review of approaches and future considerations for resource surveys Environmental DNA 4, 9-33. https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.185
Trujillo-Gonzalez A, Villacorta-Rath C, White NE, Furlan EM, Sykes M, Grossel G, Divi U, and Gleeson D (2021) Considerations for future environmental DNA accreditation and proficiency testing schemes Environmental DNA. https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.243
