December 19, 2015

Environmental DNA Monitoring for Detecting Invasive Species in Ontario Waterways

Save the date for Asian Carp Canada’s 5th webinar

Environmental DNA Monitoring for Detecting Invasive Species in Ontario Waterway on January 19th, 2016 at 1:00pm. 

Registration details will be available early in the New Year.

You’re invited to join latest webinar in the Asian Carp Canada webinar series to hear Dr. Chris Wilson discuss how early detection of aquatic invasive species is essential for developing and implementing rapid response strategies. Dr. Wilson will describe how environmental DNA (eDNA) detection provides a sensitive method for targeted early detection of aquatic invasive species and can be especially valuable in detecting Asian carps in non-native waterways.

Species specific eDNA testing for Bighead and Silver carp in the Great Lakes provides the opportunity to detect the presence of previously unreported species in a body of water. Environmental DNA testing has been shown to be a reliable method for Asian carp detection in freshwater systems and can be used as an effective sampling technique for detecting invasive species and thereby informing management teams to aid with rapid response actions.

Dr. Chris Wilson

Chris Wilson is a research scientist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (OMNRF), and runs the province’s Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation research unit at Trent University.  He oversees the OMNRF’s Fisheries Genetics lab, as well as the provincial research hatchery.

His research primarily focuses on the spatial genetic structure and biodiversity of exploited and endangered aquatic species, and using this information to help inform their sustainable management. His research also involves a number of issues relating to non-native species, including using environmental DNA screening to search for Asian carps in Ontario waters of the Great Lakes as part of Ontario’s surveillance efforts.

Go to asiancarp.ca to view all webinars in the series.