Projects and Research

Environmental DNA

The Whitney Genetics Laboratory processes environmental DNA (eDNA) samples from multiple watersheds.

Read the Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP)

Read the Great Lakes Region Environmental DNA 2021 Annual Report

Bighead and Silver Carp Environmental DNA Monitoring Data

Find the latest data on bighead and silver carp monitoring.

View bighead and silver carp data on the desktop dashboard 

View bighead and silver carp data on the mobile dashboard

 Environmental DNA, or eDNA for short, is a tool that can be used to monitor for the genetic presence of a species in the environment.

This emerging technology looks for the presence of DNA from either a specific species or a group of species that has been “shed” into the environment. There are many ways that a species can leave behind DNA in an environment. They can shed skin cells,...

The Whitney Genetics Lab and Northeast Fishery Center are partnering to utilize large-scale metabarcoding as another method in the Great Lakes Early Detection and Monitoring program. This initiative is designed to improve the efficiency of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to detect aquatic invasive species early in a potential invasion.

What is Metabarcoding?

Metabarcoding eDNA is a...