Mapping Fish Distribution

The Ausable River Association (AsRA) is using environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect and map fish in the New York portion of the Basin. The study will produce distribution maps for brook trout, brown trout, and rainbow trout in the Ausable River and Atlantic salmon in other New York rivers. The maps will help prioritize future stream habitat restoration projects and track progress of salmon restoration efforts. eDNA are DNA that are naturally shed into the environment via cell tissue loss, hair, scales, feces and reproductive cells. eDNA are useful for determining the presence or absence of species when traditional survey techniques don’t capture the organisms themselves.