Breadcrumb
eDNA
We're studying the variety of fish living along the Northern California Coast. We seek to describe fish diversity as well as detect and monitor species of cultural and conservation concern. To do this, we are using a technique called eDNA metabarcoding, which allows us to detect rare and newly introduced species that have not been detected by more traditional methods.
This study is one of the first to look closely at fish biodiversity in this region. Our goal is to learn more about species that are largely understudied in the area. A better understanding of the fish diversity in the area will allow fisheries managers and Tribal stewards to make better decisions and give them a greater capacity to sustainably interact with ecosystems that have supported people for thousands of years.
We collected monthly water samples from marine and estuary sites along a 168 km span of the Northern California coast. Twelve sites were sampled each month for a year and included a estuary sites and a marine site in and near the Eel River, Little River, Redwood Creek, Klamath River, and Smith River estuaries, as well as a site in Humboldt Bay. Over the past two years, we have detected around 140 species of fish across all sample sites.
