What’s in your eDNA?

The Weka Guardians Community Catchment Group recently received funding via LFTL to launch an eDNA biodiversity project across the Hangaroa Catchment.

Working alongside their local community and school, they’ll be sampling 10 different sites across the Hangaroa River and its tributaries.

We thought it would be neat to share a short background on what eDNA sampling is, and why it can be so valuable for catchment groups.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) can be found in air, soil, and water. In this instance, Weka Guardians will be collecting water samples using eDNA kits.

Those samples are sent to a lab where scientists (and some very clever computers!) analyse all the DNA fragments present in the water. From a single sample, it’s possible to detect plant and animal species from up to 1km away from the sampling site — pretty incredible eh!

Tuna (eel) or kōura (freshwater crayfish) may be upstream, but just  like us humans who leave fingerprints behind, they shed tiny traces of DNA through skin cells and other biological bits and pieces. Plants do the same — fragments of leaves, bark, and roots entering the water all leave a genetic signature that can be collected and identified.

If you look at the image above (thanks @EPA), you’ll see just how wide the range of species detected from a single sample can be.

For Weka Guardians, this project will provide an incredible snapshot of the biodiversity present in and around the Hangaroa River and its tributaries. This knowledge  will then help the community and local landowners make better informed decisions about restoration priorities and land management into the future.

Beyond the science, what really excites us at LFTL is the involvement of the community and local school. We know that meaningful, lasting change is driven by whānau, hapū, iwi, landowners, and communities engaged at a grassroots level. Projects like this build both knowledge and stewardship for generations to come.

We look forward to sharing more as this project story unfolds over the coming months. 

Inspiring mahi, Weka Guardians!