{"id":{"repo_id":"maryland","oai_identifier":"oai:drum.lib.umd.edu:1903/30993"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/maryland/oai:drum.lib.umd.edu:1903/30993","repository":{"repo_id":"maryland","name":"University of Maryland","base_url":"https://api.drum.lib.umd.edu/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Investigating the Utility of Environmental DNA Analysis for the Monitoring and Management of Mid-Atlantic Alosine Fishes","abstract":"Environmental DNA (eDNA) tools can address gaps in fish assessment data while reducing the cost and the impact of sampling on threatened anadromous alosine fishes in Chesapeake Bay. Here, I tested the ability of high-frequency eDNA sampling of river herring to predict fish abundances from sonar-based fish counts on the Choptank River and developed and validated novel species-specific eDNA assays for American and hickory shads. River herring eDNA concentrations from daily eDNA sampling were highly correlated to sonar-based fish counts (Spearman’s Rho = 0.84). This relationship informed a model that could accurately predict fish count from eDNA and relevant covariates (R2 = 0.88). The two new shad assays are highly specific and quantitative, and field testing validated detections in Delaware, Maryland, and North Carolina. This work provides a set of eDNA monitoring tools for the Mid-Atlantic alosines and highlights the capacity for eDNA data to generate quantitative metrics of fish abundance.","abstract_html":"Environmental DNA (eDNA) tools can address gaps in fish assessment data while reducing the cost and the impact of sampling on threatened anadromous alosine fishes in Chesapeake Bay. Here, I tested the ability of high-frequency eDNA sampling of river herring to predict fish abundances from sonar-based fish counts on the Choptank River and developed and validated novel species-specific eDNA assays for American and hickory shads. River herring eDNA concentrations from daily eDNA sampling were highly correlated to sonar-based fish counts (Spearman’s Rho = 0.84). This relationship informed a model that could accurately predict fish count from eDNA and relevant covariates (R2 = 0.88). The two new shad assays are highly specific and quantitative, and field testing validated detections in Delaware, Maryland, and North Carolina. This work provides a set of eDNA monitoring tools for the Mid-Atlantic alosines and highlights the capacity for eDNA data to generate quantitative metrics of fish abundance.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Fowler, Chelsea"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Sciences","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Plough, Louis V"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2023,"date_issued":"2023","date_published":"2023","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:02:24Z","subjects":[],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://doi.org/10.13016/dspace/mha3-mw9q"],"render_values":[{"text":"https://doi.org/10.13016/dspace/mha3-mw9q","href":"https://doi.org/10.13016/dspace/mha3-mw9q","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1903/30993","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Plough, Louis V"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Sciences"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Fowler, Chelsea"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2023-10-13T05:32:16Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2023-10-13T05:32:16Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2023"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://doi.org/10.13016/dspace/mha3-mw9q"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/1903/30993"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Environmental DNA (eDNA) tools can address gaps in fish assessment data while reducing the cost and the impact of sampling on threatened anadromous alosine fishes in Chesapeake Bay. Here, I tested the ability of high-frequency eDNA sampling of river herring to predict fish abundances from sonar-based fish counts on the Choptank River and developed and validated novel species-specific eDNA assays for American and hickory shads. River herring eDNA concentrations from daily eDNA sampling were highly correlated to sonar-based fish counts (Spearman’s Rho = 0.84). This relationship informed a model that could accurately predict fish count from eDNA and relevant covariates (R2 = 0.88). The two new shad assays are highly specific and quantitative, and field testing validated detections in Delaware, Maryland, and North Carolina. This work provides a set of eDNA monitoring tools for the Mid-Atlantic alosines and highlights the capacity for eDNA data to generate quantitative metrics of fish abundance."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Investigating the Utility of Environmental DNA Analysis for the Monitoring and Management of Mid-Atlantic Alosine Fishes"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Plough, Louis V"],"dc:contributor.department":["Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Sciences"],"dc:creator":["Fowler, Chelsea"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2023-10-13T05:32:16Z"],"dc:date.available":["2023-10-13T05:32:16Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2023"],"dc:description.abstract":["Environmental DNA (eDNA) tools can address gaps in fish assessment data while reducing the cost and the impact of sampling on threatened anadromous alosine fishes in Chesapeake Bay. Here, I tested the ability of high-frequency eDNA sampling of river herring to predict fish abundances from sonar-based fish counts on the Choptank River and developed and validated novel species-specific eDNA assays for American and hickory shads. River herring eDNA concentrations from daily eDNA sampling were highly correlated to sonar-based fish counts (Spearman’s Rho = 0.84). This relationship informed a model that could accurately predict fish count from eDNA and relevant covariates (R2 = 0.88). The two new shad assays are highly specific and quantitative, and field testing validated detections in Delaware, Maryland, and North Carolina. This work provides a set of eDNA monitoring tools for the Mid-Atlantic alosines and highlights the capacity for eDNA data to generate quantitative metrics of fish abundance."],"dc:identifier":["https://doi.org/10.13016/dspace/mha3-mw9q"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/1903/30993"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:title":["Investigating the Utility of Environmental DNA Analysis for the Monitoring and Management of Mid-Atlantic Alosine Fishes"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:02:24Z"}