Efficient and reliable monitoring of freshwater fish communities using environmental DNA

Management of invasive and endangered native species is particularly difficult due to monitoring difficulties for species present at low densities. However, aquatic species continuously secrete DNA into the surrounding water and this environmental DNA (eDNA) can be used to assess the presence or absence of low-density species. Furthermore, it is theoretically possible to develop an eDNA based monitoring method for entire communities. The aim of this project is to develop such a method for fish and validate it in field surveys to obtain a more detailed understanding of the ecological interaction between invasive and native fish.