What is eDNA?
All organisms shed genetic material into their environment through
feces, mucus and urine. This DNA is known as environmental DNA or eDNA.
Just as how forensic scientists use DNA to prove presence at a crime
scene, eDNA can be used to detect aquatic organisms.
What does it mean to find eDNA?
A positive result indicates that an organism of the target species was
in the area recently. A negative result does not necessarily mean that
no organisms are in the area, just that there was no eDNA in the sample.
What can’t eDNA tell us?
At the technology’s current level, eDNA cannot quantify the
number of organisms in the area. It also cannot give real-time
information on the organism’s location, or where it
originated from. Environmental DNA is currently only useful for
What can eDNA be used for?
Environmental DNA can be applied toward any project that seeks to know
if a species is present or absent. Please see our applications page for
How can eDNA be used to help stop invasive species?
Locating species that are low in abundance proves difficult and
requires the costly escalation of efforts to increase detection
probability. Environmental DNA, however, uses a more sensitive
forensics approach to find species ‘sight unseen,’
enabling the early detection of invasion fronts.
Why is early detection so important?
eDNA surveillance provides an early-warning indication of species
presence, allowing agencies to bring more resources to bear in
prevention and containment instead of wasting time and resources in
localization and tracking. Studies have shown that invasive species are
easier to eliminate in the early stages of invasive instead of after
they have established in an area.