Tag: edna

Studying Fish DNA in Water Samples Helps Researchers Estimate Multiple Species’ Biomass
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Studying Fish DNA in Water Samples Helps Researchers Estimate Multiple Species’ Biomass

A new study by NOAA Fisheries in partnership with the University of Alaska Fairbanks shows it’s possible to estimate fish biomass at once for more than one species, using environmental DNA. The study, released by NOAA Fisheries on Oct. 31, found that researchers can estimate the abundance of ecologically and commercially important Alaska fish species -- Arctic cod, walleye pollock and Pacific cod -- which are difficult to distinguish in eDNA samples. DNA, which stands for deoxyribonucleic acid, is a molecule found inside cells that carries the genetic information necessary for an organism's development and function, essentially acting as a blueprint for all the proteins in an organism and passing this information from one generation to the next. eDNA is the genetic material sh...
AFSC Study Looks at Range of eDNA in Marine Fisheries Management
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AFSC Study Looks at Range of eDNA in Marine Fisheries Management

New research by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) in Juneau examines the influence of distance and tides on distribution and concentration of environmental DNA from chum salmon in net pens in Southeast Alaska. It’s another piece of the puzzle as researchers work to understand the overall impact of changing climate conditions on fisheries in the ocean. This study, AFSC research geneticist Diana Baetscher said, addresses one of the critical knowledge gaps in applying eDNA to marine fisheries management. “The idea here is we are able to use eDNA to understand where the fish are,” she said. “What we did with the chum hatchery net pen in Juneau was an experiment to determine where we no longer detect this eDNA. It is just a piece of information floating around in the water...