Non-invasive monitoring and biomass estimation of salmonid fish using environmental DNA

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26640136
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Conservation of biological resources
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: ARAKI Hitoshi 北海道大学, 農学研究院, 教授 (20707129)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): KONDO Michio 龍谷大学, 理工学部, 教授 (30388160) ; DOI Hideyuki 兵庫県立大学, 大学院シミュレーション学研究科, 准教授 (80608505)
• Research Collaborator: SATO Shunpei 国立研究開発法人水産研究・教育機構, 北海道区水産研究所, 主任研究員 (70425461)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 環境DNA / サケ科魚類 / モニタリング

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Monitoring and biomass estimation of wild organisms are of central importance in conservation biology. However, aquatic organisms are difficult to monitor because of their difficulties in catch and visual observations in the wild.
In this study, we aimed to establish a new molecular method for monitoring and biomass estimation of salmonid species in the wild. We use environmental DNA, which is defined as DNA from environmental media (e.g., water for fish), in order to identify and estimate the amount of wild organisms nearby. Results from our rearing experiments, together with our trials in rivers and the ocean, suggest that environmental DNA we detected indeed reflects the presence/absence and spatio-temporal variation in salmonid species.

Free Research Field

生物資源保全学