Dr Ryan Kelly1, Dr. Andrew Ole Shelton
1University Of Washington, Seattle, United States
Biography:
Trained as both an ecologist and a lawyer, Ryan Kelly joins genetic and ecological research with real-world implementation in law and policy. Dr. Kelly received his Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology from Columbia University, and his JD from University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. He is a Professor at the University of Washington’s School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, the Director of The eDNA Collaborative, an author of over 70 academic research articles, and most recently the author of two books on intertidal ecology.
Abstract:
Resource management often requires quantitative estimates of abundance for species of interest. Consequently, it is important to understand and communicate the ways in which eDNA observations do — and do not — relate to underlying abundance. Here I will highlight ongoing quantitative work in both single-species and multi-species contexts and at a range of spatial scales, with particular emphasis on eDNA being used for practical management purposes. As eDNA analyses become more common and more sophisticated, it is increasingly tractable to know more precisely what we’re measuring.