Using Environmental DNA to Examine Artificial Reef Fish Assemblages: If You Build It Will They Come?

NOAA Science Seminar Series

Title: Using Environmental DNA to Examine Artificial Reef Fish Assemblages: If You Build It Will They Come?

Part of the NOAA ‘Omics Seminar Series

Presenter: Dr. Kyle R. Piller, Edward Schlieder Endowed Professor and Curator of Vertebrates, Southeastern Louisiana University, Department of Biological Sciences, Hammond, LA

Sponsor: NOAA ‘Omics Working Group

Seminar Contact: Katharine Egan, NOAA OAR 'Omics Coordinator, noaa.omics@noaa.gov

Remote Access: Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1470838018489437451

Abstract: Globally, estuarine and marine fisheries have declined over the past century, and a variety of approaches have been employed in an attempt to improve fisheries, including, but not limited to the development of protected areas, implementation of catch regulations, hatchery stocking, and the deployment of artificial reefs. Of these, the use of artificial reefs has been the most recently developed approach. Unfortunately, assessing the success of artificial reefs has been challenging due to the difficulty of using traditional sampling gears to assess species diversity at artificial reefs. My lab gathered environmental DNA metabarcode data (12S mtDNA) to examine fish assemblages associated with artificial reefs of varying ages and construction materials (limestone, concrete, shell, and oil and gas), as well as across seasons and changing environmental conditions in the northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) and in Lake Pontchartrain, a large estuarine system in southeastern Louisiana. Generally, our results indicate higher species richness at reefs versus paired control sites, as well as differences among reef position and environmental conditions. Environmental conditions seem to be one of the most important drivers of artificial reef fish assemblages in the region, rather than reef materials. The results from two independent eDNA artificial reef studies will be presented. 

Bio: Dr. Kyle Piller received a BS degree from the University of Illinois, a MS degree from Southern Illinois University, and a PhD from Tulane University. He completed a two-year postdoc at the University of Wisconsin, Center for Limnology/Wisconsin DNR. He recently completed his 19th year as a faculty member at Southeastern Louisiana University. He has an active research program in which he uses a variety of molecular approaches to address questions in fish diversity in the southeastern United States, Mexico, and Central America. He has published sixty-one papers on molecular systematics, population genetics, environmental DNA, and morphological variation of marine, diadromous, and freshwater fishes. He has trained twenty-three MS students and two postdoctoral researchers since 2003. For more information please visit: www.kylepiller.com

Slides, Recordings, Other Materials: A recording of this presentation will be made available on the NOAA ‘Omics website. View past ‘omics seminar recordings here: https://sciencecouncil.noaa.gov/NOAA-Science-Technology-Focus-Areas/NOAA-Omics

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{Dr. Kyle R. Piller, Edward Schlieder Endowed Professor and Curator of Vertebrates, Southeastern Louisiana University, Department of Biological Sciences}