Assessing DNA Barcoding as a Tool for Species Identification and Data Quality Control

“…While eDNA applications appear promising, the detection of eDNA from freshwater and marine ecosystems will depend on clearly articulated hypotheses and proper experimental design, in both the laboratory and field, to adequately address these hypotheses (i.e., laboratory studies should seek minimize false positives and negatives and field studies should address imperfect detection) Finally, the use of eDNA to detect an organism is simply another tool to be used by biologists; thus, results should be corroborated with other detection techniques, especially when the research has conservation and management implications (i.e., presence/absence of endangered organisms or invasive species). As DNA barcoding moves to become a global standard for species identification (Bucklin, Steinke & BlancoBernal, 2011;Shen, Chen, & Murphy, 2013), eDNA, as a detection method, it is poised to be a potentially reliable, cost effective and expeditious tool for the inventory and monitoring of species, and the estimation of biodiversity and community structure in freshwater ecosystems. In marine ecosystems more research is needed in order to avoid false negatives, considering the reduced persistence of eDNA on these environments, that limits detection probability to a local scale.…”