Advancing the Environmental DNA Toolkit for Aquatic Ecosystems

On Thursday, October 24, at 7:00 pm Dr. Cheryl Morrison will present “Advancing the Environmental DNA Toolkit for Aquatic Ecosystems” in the Byrd Auditorium at the National Conservation Training Center, 698 Conservation Way, Shepherdstown, WV 25443.

The emerging field of Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis allows characterization of species presence and community biodiversity by identifying trace amounts of genetic material left behind as organisms move through their environments. The USGS is working with partners to refine and standardize eDNA techniques and analyses across the U.S. and globally. At the Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC), eDNA applications include early detection of invasive species, rare and imperiled species, exploration of the largest habitat on earth - the deep- sea, plus characterization and monitoring of coral habitats impacted by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Learn how this promising new technique is providing a broadened perspective on exploration, mapping, and monitoring of aquatic life to sustain and restore biological resources into the future.

Dr. Cheryl Morrison is a Supervisory Research Geneticist at the U.S. Geological Survey’s EESC at the Leetown Research Laboratory. Dr. Morrison leads a Population Genomics Group within the Species Population Dynamics and Surveillance Capability Team with a broad focus on population dynamics and species conservation. Dr. Morrison is a member of the National Ocean Mapping Exploration and Characterization Interagency Working Group and the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology Interagency biodiversity and eDNA working groups, the latter of which recently published a National Aquatic Environmental DNA Strategy. Throughout her career, Dr. Morrison has studied deep-sea ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and is excited about the new perspective eDNA technology brings to these studies. Dr. Morrison completed her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Florida State University and her B.S. in Marine Biology from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

No tickets or reservations are required. All are welcome!

For more information, please contact Mark Madison (304-876-7276) at mark_madison@fws.gov.