Author(s): Ruiyu Ding; Jianmin Zhang; Yurong Wang

Linked Author(s): Yurong Wang, Jianmin Zhang

Keywords: Environmental DNA; Flow condition; Dilution; Grass Carp

Abstract: Environmental DNA technology has become an important tool for monitoring the spatial and temporal distribution and abundance of aquatic organisms. However, the dilution and diffusion patterns of environmental DNA by water flow in river systems are still unclear, and the complex flow conditions also severely limit the accuracy of quantitative environmental DNA concentrations and biomonitoring results. In this study, four different flow conditions were set in two artificial flumes of different widths under standardized laboratory conditions, and the release solution containing environmental DNA of grass carp was discharged steadily upstream of the artificial flume, respectively. Water samples were collected at uniform intervals from the discharge point downstream, and the concentration of grass carp environmental DNA in the water samples was quantified by qPCR using TaqMan probe method. In this way, the effect of water flow conditions on the dilution pattern of environmental DNA admixture was investigated. The results showed that the process of releasing environmental DNA into the flumes and mixing with the water flow was in two stages, with a large attenuation in concentration near the discharge point and then leveling off. The water flow rate has a significant effect on the environmental DNA mixing and dilution process, the higher the flow rate, the higher the degree of dilution. The results of the study lay the foundation for the development of a model of environmental DNA dilution and transport to achieve more accurate traceability and abundance estimation of aquatic organisms.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3850/978-90-833476-1-5_iahr40wc-p1410-cd

Year: 2023