Muskellunge eDNA in the St. Lawrence River

Muskellunge in the St. Lawrence River have faced population decline stemming from a variety
of factors, including overfishing, habitat loss, and viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSv).
SUNY ESF Thousand Islands Biological Station (TIBS) is part of an ongoing effort to monitor
muskellunge populations in the river and restore the species through restocking efforts. Our lab
is working with TIBS to develop eDNA tools that will supplement traditional monitoring
approaches and improve management outcomes for this species. Molecular work for this project
has focused on eDNA shedding and decay rate estimations for young muskellunge as well as
comparisons of eDNA detection to a variety of traditional sampling (live capture) approaches.