This comparison study investigated the congruence of information obtained when using electrofishing and three different environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling media (water, benthic surface sediments, and trapped suspended solids) to conduct freshwater fish biomonitoring.
Sampling was conducted at Marden Creek in Guelph, Ontario, a freshwater tributary of the Speed River which had been dammed between 1832 and 2010, preventing the movement of fish and other aquatic wildlife through the local watershed. Due to the historical absence of aquatic wildlife in the creek, this area represents an optimal opportunity to explore the use of sedimentary eDNA for monitoring recent aquatic communities.
A manuscript detailing the methods, QA/QC, discussion, and conclusion based on these data has been submitted for peer review and will be published soon. The citation will be provided once available.