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Integration of DNA barcoding approaches into aquatic bioassessments
Citation:
JACKSON, S. A., M. BAGLEY, E. Friedman, I. Turcsanyi, S. Swenson, A. C. ROTH, A. Driskell, AND L. Weight. Integration of DNA barcoding approaches into aquatic bioassessments. Presented at North American Benthological Society, Salt Lake City, UT, May 25 - 30, 2008.
Impact/Purpose:
This research aims to evaluate the utility of population genetic measurements for describing the current condition and vulnerabilities of biological populations exposed to anthropogenic stressors.
Description:
The Clean Water Act directs states to protect water resources by developing criteria based in part on biological assessments of natural aquatic ecosystems. Current protocols can be limited by the availability of taxonomic expertise and concerns about precision and accuracy in morphological identification of larval invertebrates. Integration of DNA barcodes into these protocols would provide a standardized, objective and accessible platform for taxonomic discriminations, reducing classification errors and increasing taxonomic resolution. The goal is to evaluate the cost, time and distriminatory ability associated with DNA barcoding. DNA barcodes (cytochrome oxidase I [COI] sequences) were generated for species of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera collected as part of Maryland's 2007 wadeable stream survey and added to a publically available DNA barcode database. Twenty percent of specimens subjected to an independent morphological re-identification revealed genus-level agreement of 90%. Molecular placement of DNA barcodes on a taxon ID tree showed genus-level agreement with morphology, with distinct genetic groups therein. These study results will be used to determine how to incorporate DNA barcoding into bioassessment programs to leverage morphological taxonomy and DNA barcoding approaches.