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Exploring DNA metabarcoding of diatoms and periphyton in a national survey of streams and rivers
Citation:
Pilgrim, E., N. Smucker, J. Darling, C. Nietch, AND M. Bagley. Exploring DNA metabarcoding of diatoms and periphyton in a national survey of streams and rivers. 2020 SETAC North America Annual Meeting, Virtual, November 15 - 19, 2020.
Impact/Purpose:
The purpose of this presentation is to present the latest research related to the use and development of DNA barcoding/DNA metabarcoding as an effective tool for characterizing the periphyton community and its response to differences in environmental condition.
Description:
Diatoms and other biota within periphyton are useful indicators of stream condition and impairment, particularly regarding effects of nutrient enrichment caused by human activities in watersheds. Periphytic biota can be effectively used in stream monitoring programs and bioassessment indices, but they require accurate identification and enumeration, which has associated challenges in terms of method standardization, taxonomic expertise, cost, and time. In consideration of these challenges, our study examines the use of DNA metabarcoding for molecular genetic identification of diatoms and other biota in the periphyton collected from ~2000 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 periphyton, 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 analyses and results, lessons learned, and plans for future work in applying molecular genetics to diatom/periphyton bioassessment. We will discuss how the data from multiple genetic data sets, including rbcL for diatoms, 16S for prokaryotes, and 18S for eukaryotes, has the potential for developing indicator taxa and biomonitoring tools responsive to effects of nutrient pollution.
