Effect of biotic and abiotic factors on the production and degradation of fish environmental DNA: An experimental evaluation

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a very promising approach to facilitate and improve the aquatic species monitoring, which crucial for their management conservation. In comparison with plethora of monitoring studies in fields, relatively few have focused on experimentally investigating “ecology” eDNA, particular pertaining processes influencing detection eDNA. The paucity knowledge about its ecology hampers use eDNA analysis full potential. this study, we evaluated impact several biotic abiotic factors rate production degradation Individuals three freshwater fish (brown bullhead, tench, yellow perch) distinct were placed two types water from St. Lawrence River (Québec, Canada) physicochemical characteristics at different temperatures. Water samples then filtered predetermined time intervals, quantitative PCR was used quantify each sample. We found that temperature, species, types, some interactions between these had strong effect results study enhance our thus improving data interpretation.