Defense Date
11-29-2022
Graduation Date
Spring 5-5-2023
Availability
Immediate Access
Submission Type
thesis
Degree Name
MS
Department
Environmental Science and Management (ESM)
Committee Chair
Brady Porter
Committee Member
Jan Janecka
Committee Member
John Stolz
Keywords
Environmental DNA, Unionids, Conservation, Sequencing, Biological Surveys
Abstract
North America is home to approximately one third of the world's freshwater mussel species. They are highly imperiled organisms due to habitat destruction and invasive species. Traditional surveys rely on visual identification of mussels, but individuals tend to be rare and difficult to identify. An alternative method is to extract environmental DNA (eDNA) from water samples, which has advantages over traditional sampling, including less sampling effort and fewer hazards to researchers and organisms. We conducted a review of the two main eDNA approaches: single-species detection and metabarcoding. We also developed and validated metabarcoding primers for the detection of native mussels. Four primer pairs in the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase 1 were validated using an equimolar mock mixture, revealing their amplification bias. The eDNA methods described in this project could make surveys faster, more affordable, and more accurate, leading to more effective conservation of mussels and the environment.
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Bennett, M. (2023). DETECTING NATIVE FRESHWATER MUSSELS IN PENNSYLVANIA WATERWAYS: COMPARISON & VALIDATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL DNA METHODS (Master's thesis, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/2135
Included in
Biodiversity Commons, Other Animal Sciences Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons