National High School Journal of Science: 2025 Issue

Using eDNA Metabarcoding as a Monitoring Mechanism for Invasive Species: A Novel Tool for Preventing the Proliferation of the Rusty Crayfish (Faxonius Rusticus) and the Round Goby (Neogobius Melanostomus) in Northern Illinois Waterways

Invasive species are a pressing issue on the world scale, costing the United States alone over $120 billion dollars annually. The impacts of invasive species on the essential waterways of Northern Illinois remain understudied by the scientific community. In particular, the Des Plaines River, an important conduit connecting the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River Basin and therefore a huge influence on the freshwater ecosystems of the United States, is underresearched. This study uses eDNA surveying to identify invasive species that are harming the waterways of Northern Illinois, and therefore fill a gap in existing research with methods that are less negatively impactful on local ecologies. eDNA surveying uses trace genetic material left behind by species moving through an environment, making it an efficient tool for surveys that may otherwise be labor-intensive. In particular, eDNA is good at detecting species that are elusive or have small populations.