The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Great Lakes Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Early Detection and Monitoring (EDM) program began incorporating environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding as a molecular AIS detection tool. From 2021-2023, the EDM metabarcoding program conducted pilot studies to determine the best approach for implementing a long-term multi-taxa geneomic monitoring program. Research objectives included the utility of using ethanol decant from ichthyoplankton (larval fish) samples for eDNA metabarcoding analysis along with a comparison against eDNA analysis from water filtration samples. The results from these years of experimental research has guided the EDM program to build a protocol around point water filtration eDNA samples. This multi-year eDNA project is the groundwork for what will become the EDM metabarcoding monitoring program at high priority AIS locations across the Great Lakes basin. The protocol and database for these slight variations of eDNA metabarcoding data collection are made available in this reference record. Data collected in 2021 and 2022 are in the same general format and within a single database. Data from 2023, because of the variation from 2021/2022, is in a separate database. Again, each year of these databases represents slightly different protocols or objectives that were determined prior to sample collection. However, the taxonomic assignment results underwent a similar pipeline each year.

A metabarcoding eDNA detection means that a DNA sequence matching that species was assigned in the sample and does not necessarily mean that the fish was present at the time of sampling. Environmental DNA can enter the waterbody many ways including originating from live or dead fish, transported via boat, bird, or water current.

For more information or questions, please contact the eDNA Program Coordinator, Nick Frohnauer at (nicholas_frohnauer@fws.gov).