School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-2026
Abstract
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a powerful and sensitive method for monitoring aquatic and terrestrial organisms, offering insights into their distribution. Usually, eDNA is collected using a filter membrane through water filtration. However, the passive eDNA method can simplify sampling and broaden its scope, offering new insights for ecological surveillance. This study examined the efficacy of six different membrane filters in detecting the yellow mud turtle (Kinosternon flavescens) through a novel passive eDNA method. After being immersed in water for 12 h, only the mixed cellulose ester (MCE) membrane filter consistently demonstrated specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification using gel electrophoretic and Sanger sequencing, indicating the presence of eDNA from the yellow mud turtle. Yellow mud turtles were detected in fall sampling using MCE filters; however, they were not detected in winter, despite multiple attempts at passive sampling. The observed changes in eDNA detection are likely due to several factors including the turtles' overwintering behavior and varying environmental conditions. Our findings highlighted the importance of selecting appropriate membrane filters and considering seasonal dynamics when designing passive eDNA monitoring systems for turtles. Notably, the information in this study can help make eDNA-based surveys in aquatic environments more reliable, leading to better conservation and management approaches for aquatic organisms.
Recommended Citation
Rishan, Sakib Tahmid, Richard J. Kline, and Md Saydur Rahman. "A Note on the Novel Passive Sampling in Environmental DNA (eDNA) Collection Technique to Detect Yellow Mud Turtle (Kinosternon flavescens): Field and Laboratory Approaches in Turtle eDNA." Ecological Research 41, no. 1 (2026): e70024. https://doi.org/10.1111/1440-1703.70024
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Publication Title
Ecological Research
DOI
10.1111/1440-1703.70024
Comments
© 2025 The Author(s). Ecological Research published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of The Ecological Society of Japan.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.