Masters Theses

Abstract

"Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is a genetically based method of assessing biodiversity in aquatic environments. While the efficacy of eDNA surveys has been well documented in riverine and marine systems, it has been relatively underemployed in freshwater wetland environments. In this study, we conducted an eDNA metabarcoding survey of fish diversity and its seasonal variation in a wetland along the Mississippi River in the Missouri Bootheel. Samples were collected from both permanent and seasonal water bodies including oxbow lakes, a shallow, man-made lake, a ditch, and a slough. For each of the 28 sites in this study, three water samples were collected in late May. The area was revisited in early October and sites that still held water were resampled. A combination of two, universal fish primer sets were used to amplify fragments of the mitochondrial 12s and 16s rRNA genes and Illumina sequencing was used to generate DNA sequences. A total of 54 species representing 37 genera and 17 families were detected between both markers among all samples. Our results indicated that the detected fish communities among different water bodies were distinct from one another despite periodic connectivity between them. We detected 20 species with eDNA metabarcoding that have not been previously observed at our study site, 5 of which are species of conservation concern. Our results add to the evidence that eDNA metabarcoding is an effective method of assessing species diversity and contributes to our understanding of fish community structure in complex wetland environments"--Abstract, p. iii

Advisor(s)

Duvernell, David D. (David Douglas), 1970-

Committee Member(s)

Niyogi, Dev
Olbricht, Galya R.

Department(s)

Biological Sciences

Degree Name

M.S. in Applied and Environmental Biology

Publisher

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Publication Date

Summer 2023

Pagination

viii, 48 pages

Note about bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (pages 41-47)

Rights

© 2023 Eric James Ludwig, All Rights Reserved

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

File Type

text

Language

English

Thesis Number

T 12295

Electronic OCLC #

1426305207

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