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Title
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Characterizing elasmobranchs in Pensacola Bay system using environmental DNA metabarcoding.
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Author
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Hebert, Melissa M.
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Abstract/Description
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Estuaries are often used as foraging habitats and nursery grounds by many elasmobranch species due to the protection as well as an abundance of nutrients and available prey that estuaries provide. However, identifying essential habitats for elasmobranchs has been a challenge due to frequent migrations of elasmobranchs into estuaries and coastal waters. Therefore, essential habitats for many elasmobranchs have not been identified. Traditional survey methods make it difficult to obtain accurate...
Show moreEstuaries are often used as foraging habitats and nursery grounds by many elasmobranch species due to the protection as well as an abundance of nutrients and available prey that estuaries provide. However, identifying essential habitats for elasmobranchs has been a challenge due to frequent migrations of elasmobranchs into estuaries and coastal waters. Therefore, essential habitats for many elasmobranchs have not been identified. Traditional survey methods make it difficult to obtain accurate results because elasmobranchs are highly mobile; thus the resolution lies with using molecular tools such as environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding. Environmental DNA metabarcoding refers to the identification of multiple species from a single environmental sample using a generalist molecular marker. This molecular tool has shown to represent the biodiversity present in a collected sample and has been more efficient than traditional in situ sampling. Environmental DNA metabarcoding revealed 266 total fish detections from 57 different species with only three elasmobranch species (Rostoraja eglanteria, Hypanus sabinus, Rhinoptera bonasus) being detected. Elasmobranch DNA was primarily detected in spring, with only one detection in both winter and summer and no detections in fall. These results imply that elasmobranchs may not be utilizing the Pensacola Bay System often or they were not present during time of sampling.
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Date Issued
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2020, 2020
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Identifier
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1233042127, WFE0000741
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Format
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Document (PDF)