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A Preliminary Look At DNA Metabarcoding Stream and River Diatoms in a National Survey
Citation:
Pilgrim, E., N. Smucker, C. Nietch, J. Darling, AND B. Johnson. A Preliminary Look At DNA Metabarcoding Stream and River Diatoms in a National Survey. 2019 Society of Freshwater Science Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, May 19 - 24, 2019.
Impact/Purpose:
Presentation on our latest work in DNA metabarcoding of stream periphyton
Description:
Diatoms are increasingly being used as bioassessment tools, particularly for measuring the effects of nutrient enrichment caused by human activities in watersheds. Diatoms are effective indicators and are frequently used because they often dominate the algal component of periphyton in lotic systems. Their use in bioassessment indices depends on accurate identification and enumeration, which has associated challenges in terms of cost, time, and effort. To help with these taxonomic challenges, we have begun a preliminary study using DNA metabarcoding for molecular genetic identification of diatoms collected from ~1000 sites as part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2018-19 National Rivers and Streams Assessment. As the first national scale survey that includes molecular data for diatoms, this work presents its own challenges and opportunities for investigating DNA metabarcoding as a tool for bioassessment. We will discuss our laboratory and data workflows, early analysis results, lessons learned, and plans for future work in applying molecular genetics to diatom bioassessment. Other research at regional and watershed scales is providing additional insights into the use of diatom metabarcoding as an approach to stream bioassessment.
