Meeting Abstract
Understanding population dynamics is imperative for conservation and management purposes. Recent development of the non-invasive environmental DNA (eDNA) technique allows for extracting organismal DNA from environmental samples such as water or soil. While successful in obtaining biodiversity data, few studies have proven the ability to obtain haplotype diversity. In this study, we aim to develop an eDNA approach for describing haplotypic variation in marine species of commercial and conservation interest, Pāua (Haliotis iris) and the New Zealand fur seal (NZFS) (Arctocephalus forsteri). We are developing a controlled laboratory experiment to obtain multiple haplotypes in varying ratios from water. Water will be spiked with differing ratios of Pāua and NZFS PCR products at a concentration of 100 copies/µL, and eDNA methodology will be used to extract the DNA. Once samples are sequenced, we will develop a bioinformatics pipeline to retrieve population genetic data of these target species. Relative sequence abundance will be compared to initial haplotypic ratios. The relationship between haplotype abundance and relative sequence abundance will be analyzed. Through developing a methodology for discerning haplotypes from water samples, we hope to widen the door for non-invasive genetic monitoring via eDNA.
