Environmental DNA (eDNA)/RNA (eRNA) is the genetic material organisms leave behind in their environment, including in water, soil and air. Canada’s natural ecosystems face mounting threats from climate change, land use and resource extraction. To ensure effective decision-making to protect, preserve and remediate ecosystems, reliable, up-to-date information on species distribution, community composition and the presence of invasive and rare species is crucial. This project is bringing eDNA monitoring technology from the laboratory to the field—harnessing the power of eDNA, which provides a faster, less expensive way to conduct species monitoring, compared to traditional approaches. The team will use a portable lab setup (BentoLab) and a portable DNA sequencer (MinION) to develop and optimize a tailgate protocol for isolating and sequencing eDNA in the field or at a basecamp. This near real-time analysis would allow decision makers and field crews the flexibility to adjust their approach—for example, conducting more intensive sampling on specific areas where species at risk at detected, or deploying management responses where invasive species are detected—without having to organize and fund a crew to redeploy to that site later.

The project will:

• Leverage existing field programs conducted by the ABMI and Ducks Unlimited to test and validate the method to ensure that this technique provides evidence-backed, high-quality data. The data collected from this tailgate eDNA sequencing method will be compared to both conventional data collected by these surveys as well as to molecular analysis using standard laboratory protocols. After validation, these protocols will be developed into standard operating protocols (SOPs) and software tools that can be broadly used with limited training.
• Share engagement materials and technical reports for public use and host workshops to expand environmental genomics capacity in Alberta.