Abstract:

Hemimysis anomala is an invasive species to the lower Great Lakes region that originated from the Black Sea and the Ponto-Caspian Sea and entered the Great Lakes region through the uptake and release of ballast water from commercial ships. To prevent transport of this species to the upper lake region, environmental DNA (eDNA) has been proposed as a tool for monitoring harbor and ballast water. The objective of this experiment was to determine the length of time an eDNA signal from H.anomala is present within its environment after the organism dies or is removed. Six tanks with air bubblers were filled with 20 liters of lake water. Four of these tanks were test tanks exposed to dead organisms, and two tanks were control tanks that received no organisms. Triplicate samples were taken from each tank using a 0.45 μm filter periodically over 3 months. A DNA extraction kit with a modified protocol was used to extract DNA from the filters and a PCR protocol was followed to determine if eDNA from H.anomala was present at that timepoint. Results indicate that the eDNA was present at T0 (first time point after treatments were received) and T1, and it was not present at T2 and the succeeding timepoints. Overall, the eDNA signal from H.anomala was present for 24-48 hours after receiving the treatments. The knowledge that eDNA from H.anomala degrades rapidly is vital to confirming the species’ presence as well as monitoring populations across the Great Lakes region.


 

Team Members

Amanda Welsbacher | Abigail Melendez | David Molina | Angela Laier | (Matthew Gruwell) | (Ivor Knight) | Penn State Behrend

 

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