Video courtesy of Canadian Museum of Nature.
Gatineau Park is Canada’s second-most-visited park. Spanning over 360 square kilometres, it contains over 50 freshwater lakes, many remote and difficult to access for researchers who aim to understand and protect their unique biodiversity. With only 28 of these freshwater lakes having documented species occurrence records and the other 22 not sampled for nearly twenty years, a clear picture of the Park’s biodiversity is inexistant.
Thanks to novel environmental DNA (eDNA) technology, this is about to change. The Canadian Museum of Nature has acquired Ocean Diagnostics’ eDNA Surface Sampler to accurately document at-risk and invasive species in all 50 lakes by collecting genetic material shed by the lake’s organisms. The data will support the National Capital Commission to inform targeted conservation management planning and ongoing monitoring across the park.
“For many lakes, this is the first reliable biodiversity data we’ve ever had,” shares Dr. Francesco Jenzen, Project Lead.
eDNA refers to genetic material shed by organisms into their environment through skin cells, waste, or mucus. By filtering surface water and analyzing the DNA it contains, researchers can detect species' presence without capturing or disturbing organisms. This versatile sampling method is a powerful tool for monitoring sensitive or hard-to-detect species.
Surveying remote lakes at high elevation or far from maintained roads is logistically impractical using traditional sampling alone. While eDNA provides a powerful, non-invasive window into aquatic ecosystems otherwise difficult to survey, collecting reliable data across dozens of lakes, many far from roads, requires portable, versatile and standardized sampling methods.
“Sometimes we do some good old-fashioned bushwhacking to get to these lakes. (The Sampler) made it a lot easier than lugging around the (gear) that we had. It is very light, which is key, especially in getting into these remote areas.” reflects Janzen.
The eDNA Surface Sampler is a portable self-priming vacuum pump that was designed for small field teams to collect standardized eDNA samples in remote freshwater environments, enabling even a two-person field team to collect a tremendous amount of data.
“There’s no way (we) could have sampled all 50 lakes using traditional methods. (The Sampler) can really help to get more work done across a broader geographic area,” illustrates Dr. Katriina Ilves, Research Scientist and Zoology Section Head.
The last park-wide assessment of fish communities was conducted in 2007 and relied exclusively on traditional methods like fishing, minnow trapping and seine netting. While that project revealed several at-risk fish (mostly minnow species) and informed important conservation actions limiting public access to certain lakes and designating specific fishing zones, the data are now outdated.
Some species, like minnows, can be extremely difficult to detect using traditional sampling, especially at low population density. Comparing data collected with both the eDNA Surface Sampler and traditional sampling methods that were collected almost 20 years ago with solely traditional sampling methods can highlight where species at risk still occur and how invasive species might have spread.
"Not only are we comparing current data against past data, but we're also setting a baseline for a lot of these lakes, which just have never been sampled before, to work off going forward,” Janzen explains.
Having the eDNA stored in their database, the Museum can expand its studies to other species like freshwater mussels or crustaceans, particularly from lakes that have never been sampled without needing to go back to the field every time.
“It’s really like a new biodiversity inventory,” exclaims Ilves.
The Museum has used eDNA sampling since 2021 for other projects but was limited to DIY, heavy and bulky eDNA sampling instruments that required extra field gear and were prone to sample contamination.
“There’s no way we could have done this at this scale using traditional methods. eDNA sampling, combined with reliable field technology, makes comprehensive biodiversity monitoring possible,” Ilves concludes.
With access to groundbreaking eDNA surface sampling technology, the Museum is improving the Park’s species list and its accuracy, strengthening scientific basis for long-term biodiversity monitoring and conservation planning.
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