Center for Aquatic Conservation, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
Sampling Fact Sheet for
eDNA Surveillance
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal – Aquatic Nuisance Species Dispersal Barrier
Background:
River managers and stakeholders have been working together to
stop the spread of nuisance fish between the Mississippi River Basin
and the Great Lakes since the late 1990’s. To do this, they have
constructed a series of electrical barriers near Romeoville, Illinois. 29 June 2009
These barriers are a non-lethal deterrent to fish that do not interfere
with water flow and minimize impact to navigation in the Chicago
Sanitary and Ship Canal (a man-made waterway that provides a
direct hydraulic connection between Lake Michigan and the
Mississippi River Basin). Without intervention, invasive species such
as the Asian carp can transfer between the basins, competing with
native species for food, living space, and spawning areas with major
negative impact to the economy and the environment.
An interagency group of fisheries scientists developed an Asian
carp monitoring program to determine the level of threat to the Great
Lakes by identifying the leading edge of the invasion of Asian carp.
As part of this plan, a team from the University of Notre Dame team
led by Dr. David Lodge began genetic testing of water samples to
detect for presence of bighead and silver carp (collectively referred to
as Asian carp) in the Illinois Waterway using a new technique called
the environmental DNA (eDNA) method in the spring of 2009. In
the summer of 2009 they found DNA fragments closer to the barrier
than had been detected earlier, indicting that Asian carp were closer
to the Great Lakes than previously thought. Once Asian carp reach Preliminary Results:
the barrier it will significantly change how it is operated and
maintained in the future and increases the threat of Asian Carp
invasion into the Great Lakes to the highest level. Of the 10 samples analyzed in the Dresden Island pool, 6 were
positive for Silver Carp, indicating that silver carp were
Overview: present on 10 July 2009.
All fish, including Asian carp, release DNA into the environment
Of the 11 samples analyzed in the Brandon Road pool, 6 were
naturally in the form of slime, feces, and urine. These substances and
positive for Silver Carp, including multiple samples at the base
the DNA within them slowly degrade in the environment, but can be
of Lockport Lock and Dam, indicating that silver carp were
collected in water samples if caught soon enough. These water
present on 29 June 2009.
samples are filtered and the DNA is collected and processed to
identify the presence or absence of Asian carp using the These results do not necessarily identify the leading edge of
environmental DNA (eDNA) method developed by researchers at invasion because no samples were taken farther upstream,
Notre Dame University. north of the Lockport Lock and Dam.
Current Sampling Effort:
Water samples were collected from the Dresden Island Pool on 29 Primary investigators:
June 2009 and from the Brandon Road Pool on 10 July 2009 (map
above). Each water sample was 2 liters, and multiple samples were David M. Lodge, Professor, Director, Center for Aquatic Conservation,
taken at some locations. No samples were collected below the Univ. of Notre Dame
Dresden Island Lock and Dam or above the Lockport Lock and Dam.
The eDNA method was applied only to silver carp W. Lindsay Chadderton, Director of Aquatic Invasive Species, Great
(Hypophthalmichthys molitrix). Our future work will consider Lakes Project, The Nature Conservancy
variable volumes of water, locations above Lockport, and the
detection of bighead carp (H. nobilis). Positive detection means that Andrew R. Mahon, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Univ. of Notre
silver carp eDNA was detected in a water sample. Negative detection Dame
means that no silver carp eDNA was detected; negative results can
occur when no silver carp are present and when fish abundance is too Christopher L. Jerde, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Univ. of Notre
low to detect. Additional water samples were collected 3 August Dame
from areas near the Lockport Lock and Dam and from the Lockport
Lock to north of the barriers.
For additional project information please visit our website http://aquacon.nd.edu/