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Great Lakes DNA barcode reference library: Mollusca, annelida, and minor phyla
Citation:
Daniels, S., L. Burlakova, A. Karatayev, K. Mehler, P. Hebeert, M. Pfrender, D. Lodge, AND A. Trebitz. Great Lakes DNA barcode reference library: Mollusca, annelida, and minor phyla. IAGLR, Toronto, ON, CANADA, June 18 - 22, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
Accurately assigning species labels to DNA sequences recovered from environmental samples requires comprehensive DNA barcode reference libraries. Past work by EPA/ORD and others has shown that these reference libraries have poor coverage for many aquatic invertebrates that are of interest for biological monitoring in the Great Lakes. To address this problem, EPA’s Great Lakes National Program Office, under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, has awarded funding to research groups to generate DNA barcodes for currently underrepresented invertebrate taxa. This poster describes the planned efforts of one team of grantees under this award. EPA/ORD researcher Anett Trebitz is involved as technical point of contact and because of her past work to elucidate which taxa lack barcode coverage. The DNA barcodes generated by this research will be uploaded to the publicly available Barcode of Life database (BOLD), thereby supporting expanded use of DNA-based tools for all agencies and researchers conducting biologically-based assessment.
Description:
In recent years, the research and development of DNA-based tools has improved both their sensitivity and costs. This technology has the potential to be useful in the early detection of aquatic invasive species, and can increase the scope of surveillance compared with traditional sampling approaches. The development of more complete species-specific libraries of DNA signatures is an essential step to enable more taxonomically rich and spatially extensive species surveillance and monitoring programs in the Laurentian Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Center at SUNY Buffalo State aims to expand the taxonomic coverage of The Barcode of Life Database (BOLD) DNA barcoding reference library and has assembled a large collaborative team including leading barcoding and taxonomic experts for a wide diversity of targeted taxa. By preliminary estimations, over 80% of Annelida, 50% of Mollusca, and 70% of other taxa (Bryozoa, Cnidaria, Kamptozoa, Nematomorpha, Nemertea, Platyhelminthes, and Porifera) known from the Great Lakes lack catalogued barcodes. In 2017-2019 we are planning to collect and identify 190 species and extract genetic material for barcoding. Sample collection has already begun in the profundal zones of Great Lakes, nearshore zones of Huron and Ontario, and inland lakes and streams.