Optimal Conditions to Quantify the Relationship between eDNA Concentration and Biomass in Acanthopagrus latus

Abstract

Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is a useful tool for monitoring the distributions of aquatic species. eDNA can produce quantitative estimates of fish abundance, but its accuracy depends on the species and system. Therefore, its performance must be evaluated and an investigation of how fish biomass affects eDNA dynamics must be conducted on a case-by-case basis. This study evaluates how the biomass of an ecologically and socioeconomically important fish, Acanthopagrus latus, relates to the eDNA concentration in aquariums. We conducted experiments using juvenile individuals and evaluated eDNA and biomass relationships at seven different time points using a previously developed TaqMan assay targeting the cytochrome oxidase I gene to understand the effect of environmental factors on eDNA concentrations. The results from A. latus showed a strong positive linear correlation between eDNA concentration and A. latus biomass (R2 = 0.72–0.93). The eDNA concentration was negatively correlated with time 20 d after removing A. latus. Salinity significantly affected the eDNA concentration of A. latus at 3 h, and temperature significantly affected the eDNA concentration from 3 to 14 d. The combinations of factors with the greatest effect on the yellowfin seabream eDNA concentration were 35‰/30 °C/8.5, 35‰/30 °C/8.0, and 35‰/25 °C/8.5 (salinity/temperature/pH). This study identified the conditions for detecting A. latus eDNA and provided environmental data to monitor and survey yellowfin seabream biomass resources.

Molecular Diet Analysis of Asian Clams for Supplementary Biodiversity Monitoring: A Case Study of Nakdong River Estuary

“…In this study, we measured and compared water quality parameters at sampling points and confirmed the difference in salinity. Salinity is one of the factors impacting the preservation of eDNA, with higher salinity levels correlating with elevated eDNA concentrations in water [ 44 ]. However, statistical analysis of species composition in each point (RRA data) showed no significant difference between the three sampling points ( Table A2 ).…”

Correlation between the Density of Acipenser sinensis and Its Environmental DNA

“…Recently, the use of eDNA technology to monitor rare and endangered species, economic species, and invasive species has become increasingly popular among scholars. Xin et al discovered a significant positive correlation (R 2 = 0.72~0.93) between the biomass of Acanthopagrus latus and eDNA concentrations at different time points [17]. Benoit et al reported a positive linear correlation between the biomass of juvenile Pacific salmon and the eDNA concentrations detected at each sampling time point, except for 48 h [28].…”

“…Recently, scholars have also adopted eDNA methods to estimate species biomass, density, and abundance [16]. Several studies have demonstrated positive correlations between species biomass and eDNA concentration [17][18][19]. Takahara et al discovered a positive correlation between the biomass of carp and eDNA concentrations in both aquariums and ponds [20].…”

Marine Organisms in a Rapidly Changing Ocean

“…Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is an effective and accurate survey method that can more effectively monitor the space-time distribution and dynamic changes of A. latus populations. Xin et al [10] studied and evaluated the relationship between the biomass of A. latus and the concentration of eDNA in an aquarium to more effectively apply eDNA technology to the quantitative analysis of A. latus in the field. The results showed that there was a significant linear positive correlation between the concentration of eDNA and the biomass of A. latus (R 2 = 0.72-0.93).…”

“…The purpose of this Special Issue of Water is to study the responses of individuals, communities, and even marine ecosystems to anthropogenic activity and environmental stressors, for which five original papers have been collected (Table 1). In general, these papers, based on the background of human activities and environmental pressure, have studied the molecular responses of marine polychaetes (Sternaspis scutata) to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) [8], the spatial genetic structure and diversity of the large yellow croaker (Larichthys crocea) [9], the relationship between the eDNA concentration and the biomass of the fish Acanthopagrus latus [10], the potential influencing factors of the northward expansion of warm water Doliolida (Dolioleta gegenbauri) [11], and the assessment of the quality of the benthic habitat in the intertidal zone of an estuary [12]. To study the response characteristics of marine polychaetes to environmental pollutants, Yu et al [8] identified a new Cytochrome P450 (CYP) gene from Sternaspis sculata (marine polychaetes widely distributed across the coasts of the world).…”