Wilderlab

Wilderlab's latest version of 'The #eDNA Extract' has just landed! In this edition we look back on another colossal year of eDNA development and discovery: Wilderlab gains ISO 17025 accreditation WilderWindUp – key stats for 2024 Sponsored kits awarded to community eDNA projects New eDNA kits for diet and specimen testing Annual customer survey feedback and prize winner announcement Christmas closing dates A big congratulations to Mark Hansen and Noah Davis from WSP in New Zealand for taking out the highest TICI stream health score of 2024, with an immaculate 132.24 from a sample in the Otira River Catchment. Not quite enough to knock Zero Invasive Predators' Nick Foster off the top of the leaderboard, but an impressive effort nonetheless! Read the newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/gc8pn7rS and subscribe for regular updates at wilderlab.co.nz/subscribe

As part of an exciting new research initiative at The University of Queensland, we have integrated Wilderlab kits to explore eDNA communities on man-made oyster reefs constructed and deployed by OzFish Unlimited . This work has highlighted the potential of eDNA technology in supporting marine conservation programs and restoration of vital ecosystems, such as the one found in Moreton Bay. We look forward to sharing our promising results in an upcoming publication next year! Here are some stats from UQ, thank you Wilderlab for sharing!

Our Wilderlab WilderWindUp for Waikato Regional Council 2024😀. 449 samples out of the total18,206 eDNA samples that Wilderlab processed this year! Wilderlab

Pretty cool infographic showing our efforts at EOS Ecology using eDNA this year! Thanks for the stats, Wilderlab. We love seeing the results of our samples come through 🐟 🦀 🦞 🦐 ☘️ 🪲 🐄 🐏 #eDNA #WilderWindUp

Anyone working in the #eDNA industry will agree that we‘ve barely scratched the surface of what is possible with this technology. The potential applications for improving biodiversity and conservation are endless, and it’s a real buzz to see people applying eDNA in new ways to solve old problems. At Wilderlab, we’re lucky to be working with collaborative and resourceful teams across NZ, Australia and abroad, who are pushing the boundaries of eDNA technology. Among the papers we’ve been involved with over the past few weeks, I’d like to showcase a couple of examples of eDNA being used in ingenious ways to benefit endangered species. The first led by Steph Bennington in Alana Alexander’s research group at the University of Otago, where we ran D-loop metabarcoding on water samples taken from behind bow-riding Hector’s dolphins (Cephalorhynchus hectori), to gain new insights into their population structure. Link to open access paper: https://lnkd.in/gmY9WAUm And the second with the team at AECOM - Fiona Davies, Michiel Jonker and Morgan Witton - where we applied eDNA metabarcoding to swabs from artificial bat boxes, to monitor occupancy of the critically endangered long-tailed bat Chalinolobus tuberculatus. This addresses the key problem of monitoring bat box use to inform deployment for population management in fragmented habitats. Link to open access paper: https://lnkd.in/g9TT52mT Are you using eDNA to solve a tricky applied research problem? We’d love to hear about it – feel free to link your project info and/or papers in the comments below!

New research: optimizing eDNA replication for standardized application in lotic systems We’re pleased to share our latest paper: "Optimizing eDNA Replication for Standardized Application in Lotic Systems in Aotearoa, New Zealand" just out in the Environmental DNA journal. The study, led by Josh Smith at Waikato Regional Council, addresses the ongoing challenge of standardizing ecological sampling protocols. With environmental DNA (eDNA) emerging as a valuable and powerful tool for biodiversity monitoring, we saw an opportunity to align freshwater sampling methods prior to the broad-scale adoption of eDNA into our national state-of-environment (SoE) monitoring and reporting system. Key findings from the paper include: Replication matters: Six eDNA replicates consistently detected approx 90% of fish species and 86% of macroinvertebrates across 54 river sites. Method efficiency: Diminishing returns were consistent beyond six replicates. Balancing cost and accuracy: Six replicates offer a practical trade-off between accurate biodiversity characterization and cost-efficiency. Altitude effects: Species richness for fish varied with altitude, suggesting the need for location-specific considerations in national protocols. This research supports the development of national eDNA monitoring standards, contributing to consistent and effective biodiversity monitoring across New Zealand’s freshwater systems. The open access paper is available here: https://lnkd.in/gz-S_mD3, and you can hear more of Josh and the team’s work at the upcoming NZFSS conference in Rotorua. Well done Josh - and many thanks to everyone else involved in this work, including New Zealand’s regional and district councils, Department of Conservation (DOC) and Ministry for the Environment | Manatū mō te Taiao staff, and supporting researchers/academics from The University of Waikato and beyond. We hope these findings help to advance standardized and cost-effective monitoring, leading to improved environmental outcomes for Aotearoa New Zealand 🐟 🐟 🐟