The analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) has become a valuable tool in a number of fields including biodiversity monitoring, the tracking of invasive species, and archaeogenomics.   eDNA is a complex mixture of DNA from degrading cells and cellular components and living cells found in an environment.  Modern genetic techniques allow for the quantitative detection of DNA from specific species, as well as for the metagenomic scans of groups of species within eDNA samples.  My lab has focused on the analysis of eDNA from aquatic environments for the presence of vertebrate species of interest.  This talk focuses on our analysis of the salmonids in the Stuart/Nechako watershed.  It highlights the lessons learned over this five-year study, the integration of citizen science into the study, and key findings.  Starting in 2020, we sampled an increasing number of creeks flowing into the Stuart Nechako watershed.  Creeks were sampled up to three time per year - after freshet, midsummer, and late summer/fall -  and tested for the presence of Chinook, Coho, and Sockeye salmon and Rainbow trout.  Results show the widespread use of creeks throughout the study area at all time points by rainbow trout and juvenile Chinook salmon while Sockeye and Coho salmon detections were rarer and associated with the late summer/fall migration.   

The Natural Resources & Environmental Studies Institute (NRESi) at UNBC hosts a weekly lecture series at the Prince George campus. Anyone from the university or wider community with interest in the topic area is welcome to attend. Presentations are also made available to remote participants through Zoom Webinar. Go to http://www.unbc.ca/nres-institute/colloquium-webcasts to view the presentation remotely.

Past NRESi colloquium presentations and special lectures can be viewed on our video archive, available here.