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bioRxiv · 10.1101/482489

Estimating fish population abundance by integrating quantitative data on environmental DNA and hydrodynamic modelling

Fukaya, K.·Murakami, H.·Yoon, S.·Minami, K.·Osada, Y.·Yamamoto, S.·Masuda, R.·Kasai, A.·Miyashita, K.·Minamoto, T.·Kondoh, M.
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Abstract

We propose a general framework of abundance estimation based on spatially replicated quantitative measurements of environmental DNA in which production, transport, and degradation of DNA are explicitly accounted for. Application to a Japanese jack mackerel (Trachurus japonicus) population in Maizuru Bay revealed that the method gives an estimate of population abundance comparable to that of a quantitative echo sounder method. These findings indicate the ability of environmental DNA to reliably reflect population abundance of aquatic macroorganisms and may o[ff]er a new avenue for population monitoring based on the fast, cost-e[ff]ective, and non-invasive sampling of genetic information.

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Fukaya, K., Murakami, H., Yoon, S., Minami, K., Osada, Y., Yamamoto, S., Masuda, R., Kasai, A., Miyashita, K., Minamoto, T., Kondoh, M.. 2018-11-30. Estimating fish population abundance by integrating quantitative data on environmental DNA and hydrodynamic modelling. https://doi.org/10.1101/482489

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