Experimental and field-based validation of environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring of priority fish species in British Columbian streams

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Accurately determining the distribution and abundance of priority fish species is essential for informed and sustainable resource decision-making by federal, provincial, municipal and First Nations governments in Canada. Water use, extraction, and disturbance during resource development projects can result in impacts to fish populations. These projects typically require fish distribution studies that must cover large tracts of land and/or many years of fish community and fish habitat monitoring that can be costly, dangerous, and/or invasive to the fish sampled. The University of Victoria and Ecofish Research Ltd. propose to evaluate if environmental DNA (eDNA) can be used to reliably detect low density fish species in British Columbia streams with greater efficiency and lower cost compared to traditional methods (e.g., electrofishing or night snorkelling). eDNA is a new species detection method that can reveal the presence of a species of interest simply by taking a scoop of water from a lake or stream.The overall project goal is to establish and apply robust, standardized eDNA methods as a defensible means of evaluating resource development impacts by the environmental consulting industry. More specifically, the purpose is to support creation and use of eDNA tools to monitor several sport fish species such as salmon and trout that are important in local fisheries and are priority species for First Nation communities.Innovations in eDNA testing and statistical modelling will be applied in controlled experiments and field-based studies to link fish abundance, distribution, and habitat. The results from the work will provide essential information for increasing the confidence and certainty in environmental impact assessments and monitoring and train highly qualified personnel in this transformative method.