Standardizing DNA-based methods for non-native species surveillance
Citation:
Darling, J. Standardizing DNA-based methods for non-native species surveillance. 2024 International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species (ICAIS), Halifax, CANADA, May 12 - 16, 2024.
Impact/Purpose:
Outlines current efforts toward standardization of DNA-based approaches for monitoring/surveillance of invasive species in aquatic systems. Review of current literature and ongoing project at national and international scales. Provides overview of needs for standardization and approaches toward achieving standards
Description:
The potential utility of DNA-based approaches for early detection and monitoring of non-native aquatic species (NAS) has been widely recognized for more than a decade. Still, we have yet to see broad adoption of these methods by decision-makers and natural resource managers. This hesitancy to incorporate DNA-based tools into routine monitoring stems in part from the lack of widely adopted standards for field, laboratory, and analytical methods associated with DNA-based target species detection. The absence of such standards creates challenges for building trust between data generators and end users and erects barriers to development of new DNA-based tools. Here I assess progress toward standardization of DNA-based non-native species surveillance in freshwater and marine environments. I discuss the variety of methods appropriate for NAS detection (including both targeted and community-based approaches) and address relevant differences in criteria for standardization and the possibility of achieving efficiency through modular design of monitoring workflows. I also review a number of recent and ongoing efforts by regional, national, and international bodies aimed at developing standards for DNA-based biodiversity monitoring and assess the relevance of these efforts for NAS surveillance. I propose that by adhering to several central principles, standards for DNA-based NAS detection can be developed that encourage broader adoption of and investment in the technology, helping ultimately to achieve the promise of these important tools.
