title: Application of environmental DNA analysis to inform invasive fish eradication operations.
abstract: Environmental DNA (eDNA) detection of non-native species has considerable potential to inform management decisions, including identifying the need for population control and/or eradication. An invasive species of European concern is the Asian cyprinid fish, topmouth gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva). Here, eDNA analyses were applied at a commercial angling venue in southern England to inform operations aiming to eradicate P. parva, which had only ever been observed in one of the venue's seven unconnected angling ponds. Eradication of P. parva was initially attempted by repeated depletion of the population using fish traps (crayfish traps fitted with 5 mm mesh netting) and the introduction of native predators over a 4-year period. The very low number of P. parva captured following these eradication efforts suggested a possible population crash. Conventional PCR analysis of water samples using species-specific primers was applied to all seven ponds to confirm that P. parva was present in only one pond, that the eradication attempt had indeed failed and that the species' distribution in the pond appeared to be restricted to three bankside locations. The continued presence of P. parva at these locations was confirmed by subsequent trapping. Water samples from an adjacent, unconnected stream were also analysed using the eDNA methodology, but no DNA of P. parva was detected. The results suggest that further management action to eradicate P. parva be focused on the pond shown to contain the isolated P. parva population and thereby eliminate the risk of further dispersal. This study is the first to apply eDNA analysis to assess the efficacy of an eradication attempt and to provide evidence that the species was unlikely to be present in the other ponds, thus reducing the resources needed to control the species.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, NR33 0HT, UK.|Centre for Conservation and Environmental Change, School of Conservation Sciences, Bournemouth University, Poole, Dorset, BH12 5BB, UK.
authors.forename: Phillip I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Davison
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, NR33 0HT, UK. gordon.copp@cefas.co.uk.|Centre for Conservation and Environmental Change, School of Conservation Sciences, Bournemouth University, Poole, Dorset, BH12 5BB, UK. gordon.copp@cefas.co.uk.|Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, Canada. gordon.copp@cefas.co.uk.
authors.forename: Gordon H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Copp
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, NR33 0HT, UK.
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Créach
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, 12/16 Banacha ul., 90-237, Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vilizzi
authors.affiliation: Centre for Conservation and Environmental Change, School of Conservation Sciences, Bournemouth University, Poole, Dorset, BH12 5BB, UK.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Britton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D003530:Cyprinidae / Q000235:genetics*; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004739:England; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D058865:Introduced Species; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004247:DNA
keywords: Conventional PCR; Fish trapping; Non-native species management; eDNA