JDS5 – Fish biodiversity assessment along the Danube using eRNA

Environmental DNA (eDNA) has become routine in aquatic biomonitoring over the last decade, but it has limitations. Most notably, its long persistence and downstream transport weaken the ability to predict local fish communities and their abundance. Environmental RNA (eRNA), which is less stable in the environment than eDNA, could overcome these limitations. Its faster degradation is expected to result in more localized signals, making eRNA a promising target for non-invasive fish stock assessment in running waters.

Within the framework of the 5th Joint Danube Survey (JDS5), coordinated by the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), this project conducts the first comprehensive eRNA field study across an entire river system - the Danube River, from its source to the Black Sea.

Embedded within JDS5, the largest river monitoring effort in the world, eRNA data will be complemented by traditional biological and environmental assessments. This dataset will help identify factors influencing eRNA signals and address remaining knowledge gaps in large-scale river biomonitoring.

AAE members involved: Daniela Sint (PI), Antonia Bay (PhD student) and Michael Traugott

This research is funded by the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River -ICPDR.