@article{
author = "Meulenbroek, Paul and Hein, Thomas and Friedrich, Thomas and Valentini, Alice and Erős, Tibor and Schabuss, Michael and Zornig, Horst and Lenhardt, Mirjana and Pekarik, Ladislav and Jean, Pauline and Dejean, Tony and Pont, Didier",
year = "2022",
abstract = "Sturgeon populations are declining worldwide and are the target of extensive conservation
efforts. Addressed in several pieces of legislation, sturgeons have received considerable
attention as flagship or umbrella species. Despite the need for a better understanding
of the distribution and population status, the use of traditional sampling methods failed
in the past, thereby hampering reliable assessments, a prerequisite for conservation. Here,
we describe the development and application of an environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding
approach for detecting rare sturgeons in large rivers. Exemplarily, we developed
a reference database for five native Danube sturgeons (Acipenser stellatus, Acipenser
gueldenstaedtii, Acipenser ruthenus, Acipenser nudiventris, and Huso huso) and two nonnative
species (Acipenser baerii and Acipenser transmontanus), assessed these ex situ, and
used eDNA as a detection tool along the entire length of the Danube (Europe, ~ 2850 km)
and major tributaries. In ex situ analyses, all assays yielded positive amplifications for the
assessed sturgeon species. In the Danube, the presence of A. ruthenus was confirmed at 14
of 29 sites (48.3%), and in 2 of 18 tributary sites (11.1%), providing the first comprehensive
large-scale biogeographical snapshot of this species. Relative number of reads assigned to
A. ruthenus varied between 0 and 2.5%, with sites registering positive detections being
clustered in 3 sections of the Danube. Our findings enabled us to confirm the advantages of
eDNA monitoring over traditional sampling methods for comprehensive whole-river snapshot
studies of sturgeons conducted on a large geographical scale, and therefore we consider
it to be a promising approach for application in conservation measures, fisheries management,
scientific studies, and adaptive management plans for sturgeons on a global scale.",
publisher = "Springer",
journal = "Biodiversity and Conservation",
title = "Sturgeons in large rivers: detecting the near‑extinct needles in a haystack via eDNA metabarcoding from water samples",
doi = "10.1007/s10531-022-02459-w"
}
