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Strategies and challenges in detecting non-indigenous species in the Great Lakes
Citation:
Meredith, C., A. Trebitz, J. Hoffman, C. Hatzenbuhler, E. Pilgrim, S. Okum, J. Martinson, AND G. Peterson. Strategies and challenges in detecting non-indigenous species in the Great Lakes. Ecological Society of America Virtual Conference, Salt Lake City, UT, August 02 - 07, 2020.
Impact/Purpose:
Understanding the utility of various tools and approaches for biological monitoring is a major goal of SSWR research area 3.01A-2.1. This presentation will synthesize findings from across various sampling efforts to broadly address monitoring lessons learned. Data sets used in the analyses come from various ORD partnerships (e.g., with US-FWS, GLNPO) and will help inform aquatic invasive species early-detection monitoring efforts being conducted by multiple federal, state, and tribal entities.
Description:
Great Lakes coastal systems are vulnerable to introduction of a wide variety of non-indigenous species (NIS). Early-detection efforts have focused on a variety of strategies include conducting high-intensity sampling, deploying a wide range of sampling gear types, and performing DNA analysis of tissue and water samples. Recent findings have illustrated the pervasiveness of NIS in areas of Lake Superior typically considered less-impacted by NIS, including dreissenids in the Apostle Islands and the spiny water flea in Isle Royale. In addition, two fish species previously unknown to Lake Superior were first identified in Duluth Harbor by conducting high-intensity sampling of larval fish and then analyzing that tissue via DNA metabarcoding. Some of the challenges in incorporating DNA technology into this early-detection strategy may be overcome in the future by adding records to DNA libraries and by implementing sampling, laboratory, and analysis techniques to better identify false-negative and false-positive occurrences. These challenges are illustrated by a recent study zooplankton sampling effort in Lake Superior, in which a number of rare and/or invasive taxa were identified using DNA metabarcoding. Impact statement: Understanding the utility of various tools and approaches for biologi