On 19 November Mark Stoeckle and Jesse Ausubel presented the NOAA ‘Omics Webinar on “Urban estuary eDNA reports seasonal abundance of marine fish, and, thanks to wastewater, tracks local wildlife, land birds, household pets, and human diet.” A video of the Webinar, one hour including Q&A, is here in YouTube. Thanks to Katie Poser and Nicole Miller for hosting and organizing.
Abstract: Here we analyzed vertebrate eDNA in New York City’s East River, a rocky estuary channel difficult to survey with mechanical gear and subject to wastewater discharge. There was a 10-fold increase in local marine fish eDNA in summer and seasonal differences among taxa consistent with known phenology. Levels of other vertebrate eDNA—domesticated animal, non-fish wildlife, and dietary fish—were correlated with human eDNA levels, consistent with a shared wastewater source. Wastewater eDNA identified the commonest urban mammals, land birds, and household pets. Proportions of dietary animal eDNA in wastewater closely approximated proportions in national consumption statistics, opening a window into human diet assessment. Wastewater eDNA analysis added value in an urban estuary survey of marine fish eDNA.