Dr Katy Klymus1, Dr. Dannise Ruiz-Ramos, Dr. Jason Coombs, Dr. Aaron Maloy, Mr. Nathan Thompson, Dr. Catherine Richter, Dr. M. Chris Barnhart
1U.S. Geological Survey, 2University of Maryland Eastern Shores, 3U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 5U.S. Geological Survey, 6U.S. Geological Survey, 7Missouri State University
Biography:
Katy Klymus is a reserach biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in the United States. Her work focuses on developing and optimizing eDNA tools for wildlife conservation. She is particualrly interested in the ecology of eDNA and how that can inform management. She also aims to improve the reliability and interpretability of eDNA data through standardardization efforts.
Abstract:
Freshwater mussels of the Unionida order are of conservation concern due to their high level of endemism in North America, the high number of federally listed species, their importance in freshwater ecosystems and their unique natural history. Improving our ability to detect and monitor these species is crucial to their continued conservation. Here we leveraged the unique double uniparental inheritance system of their mitochondrial DNA to develop environmental DNA (eDNA) assays that can specifically detect the release of male gametes for the mucket (Ortmanniana ligamentina) and the federally endangered spectaclecase (Cumberlandia monodonta). We utilized male mussel mitotype sequence data from GenBank and sequenced additional specimens for the mucket which did not have complete mitogenome sequence data available. Using a non-lethal method for collecting male gonadal tissue coupled with high throughput sequencing, we reconstructed male and female mitotypes for the mucket. Sequence data from both species were then used to design assays which were optimized in the laboratory and validated with mesocosm samples. Additionally, we demonstrated field detection of spectaclecase male mitotype, indicating that the assay is an effective tool for detection of spawning in situ. Non-lethal collection of male mitotype rich tissue will improve sequence database representation of mussel male mitotype genomes. In turn, this will facilitate the detection of male mitotypes from eDNA samples in the wild and in hatcheries, improving our knowledge on unionid spawning triggers and informing captive rearing practices.