Using environmental DNA methods to survey for rare groundwater fauna: Detection of an endangered endemic cave crayfish in northern Alabama

PLoS One. 2020 Dec 10;15(12):e0242741. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242741. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

The conservation and management of subterranean biodiversity is hindered by a lack of knowledge on the true distributions for many species, e.g., the Wallacean shortfall. In recent years, several studies have demonstrated the potential of environmental DNA (eDNA) as an effective approach to detect and monitor biodiversity, including rare, threatened, and endangered taxa. However, there are few eDNA studies of groundwater fauna. Here we report the results of the development and implementation of an eDNA assay targeting a short fragment of the mitochondrial CO1 locus of a critically imperiled cave crayfish, the Sweet Home Alabama Cave Crayfish (Cambarus speleocoopi), known from just four cave systems in the Interior Plateau karst region of northern Alabama. We detected C. speleocoopi DNA from water samples collected at 5 of 16 sites sampled (caves and springs), including two historical sites as well as three additional and potentially new sites in Marshall County, Alabama. All three of these sites were within 2 km of historical sites. Our study is the first to detect a groundwater crustacean in the Interior Plateau karst region. Additionally, our study contributes to the growing literature that eDNA is a viable complementary tool for detection and monitoring of a fauna that is difficult to survey and study using traditional approaches.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alabama
  • Animal Distribution / physiology*
  • Animals
  • Arthropod Proteins / genetics*
  • Arthropod Proteins / metabolism
  • Astacoidea / enzymology
  • Astacoidea / genetics*
  • Biodiversity
  • Caves*
  • Conservation of Natural Resources / methods
  • DNA, Environmental / genetics*
  • DNA, Environmental / isolation & purification
  • Electron Transport Complex IV / genetics*
  • Electron Transport Complex IV / metabolism
  • Endangered Species
  • Gene Expression
  • Groundwater
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction

Substances

  • Arthropod Proteins
  • DNA, Environmental
  • Electron Transport Complex IV

Grants and funding

This study was supported by funding from the Cave Conservancy Foundation (contract no. 7959) to MLN, The University of Alabama in Huntsville New Faculty Research Award (no. 251353) to MLN, and the Integrated DNA Technologies Sustainability Award to MLN. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.