Establishing (e)DNA-Methods for Governmental Biomonitoring Efforts and Ecological Assessment in German Federal Waterways

The German Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG, for its acronym in German) is the nationwide advising departmental research institution regarding hydrology, water use and quality, ecology protection Waterways that comprise inland waterways as well marine coastal waters. Germany are important habitats distribution corridors aquatic biodiversity. However, these large rivers heavily impacted by shipping, hydromorphological alterations, chemical pollution establishment invasive species. All factors have led to a decline native biodiversity ecological status. Since 1970s, tremendous efforts been undertaken restore quality Continuous monitoring assessment both components biological elements (BQEs) required law should indicate success or failure restoration measures ongoing future consequences multiple stakeholders’ interests demands. Standardized procedures already place streams. widely used several shortcomings require high level taxonomic competence, which being lost at an increasing rate. DNA environmental (eDNA)-based methods, such barcoding (e)DNA metabarcoding, promising alternatives overcome impediments morphology-based identification organisms. But, new methods need be tailored challenges river bioassessment. implementation state-of-the-art biomonitoring therefore ultimately serve legal requirements EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) promote application from basic applied managers regulatory authorities. Here we present goals approaches our project 1) create standard operation (SOPs) analyses 2) update establish (e.g. presence-absence analyses) federal waterways; 3) transfer gained knowledge practitioners. To accomplish goals, focus relies on BQEs fish macrozoobenthos (led Saskia Schmidt), phytobenthos phytoplankton Demetrio Mora).