A novel ddPCR™ assay for eDNA detection and quantification of Greater Amberjack <i>Seriola dumerilli</i> and three congeners in US waters: challenges and application to fisheries independent surveys
Incorporating eDNA in fisheries surveys would not require additional days at sea and could improve precision in fish detection and abundance. eDNA can be a valuable complement to camera gears deployed in geographic areas or seasons with poor visibility conditions, where fish may be present but cannot be confidently identified to the species level. The high correlation obtained between ROV and eDNA data collected between gear deployments adds to a growing number of studies demonstrating the potential of eDNA as an indicator of abundance for fisheries stock assessments. Time-series data from a carefully designed eDNA survey, that estimates relative abundance, could be used as an index of relative abundance for the <i>S. dumerili</i> stock assessment. To achieve this, investment into follow-up studies with increased sample sizes and spatial and temporal replication would be necessary to allow for year-to-year comparisons and validate the robustness of the correlation observed.
Authors
- P. Joana Dias
- Lynne Stokes
- Theodore S. Switzer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3473-9017)
- Ryan N. Lehman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3847-4004)
- Nicole M. Phillips (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4138-4966)
- Joe Heise
- Sean P. Powers (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4770-9944)
- Bryan L. Huerta‐Beltrán (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1873-9826)
- James Marcus Drymon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2104-004X)
- Crystal L. Hightower (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9197-4809)
- Ana R. Osowski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3446-2943)
- Clint Rhode (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7969-7282)
- Mark A. Albins (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6020-1205)
Institutions
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (US)
- Southern Methodist University (US)
- Stellenbosch University (ZA)
- Dauphin Island Sea Lab (US)
- Mississippi Alabama Sea Grant Consortium (US)
- University of Southern Mississippi (US)
- University of South Alabama (US)
- Mississippi State University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- PeerJ
- Published
- 2025-01-27
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18778
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.43
Funders
- Mississippi State University
- Louisiana State University
- Mississippi IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence
- Universiteit Stellenbosch