eDNA Results | Wilder Labs Batch 611942

Alpha diversity measures the variety of species within a single sample. These metrics describe different aspects of community structure: richness (how many species), evenness (how equally distributed), and dominance (whether a few species dominate). Higher Shannon and Simpson values indicate more diverse, balanced communities.

This shows the ecosystem's food web structure based on eDNA detections. Species are classified into trophic levels from primary producers (algae, diatoms) through consumers to top predators (fish, mammals). The flow diagram shows energy transfer between levels, with wider flows indicating more eDNA reads at that level.

iNaturalist is a citizen science platform where community members photograph and identify organisms. This comparison shows overlap between eDNA detections and visual observations within 10km of the sample site. Low overlap is expected: eDNA captures aquatic microorganisms invisible to cameras, while iNaturalist is dominated by visually conspicuous terrestrial species. The overlapping species are macrofauna that are both physically observable and shed detectable eDNA.

Water quality parameters provide essential context for interpreting eDNA results. Temperature affects eDNA degradation rates, water level and tides influence species distribution and mixing, and dissolved oxygen indicates ecosystem health. Data sourced from USGS Water Services and NOAA CO-OPS.

This compares eDNA detections against a curated checklist of 37 priority Puget Sound species across 6 categories: Salmon & Trout, Other Important Fish, Marine Mammals, Important Invertebrates, Invasive Species of Concern, and Seabirds.

Checklist sources: Species were selected based on management priority lists from Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW), NOAA ESA listings for Puget Sound, tribal treaty species of cultural and subsistence importance, Washington Invasive Species Council watchlists, and published eDNA monitoring literature for the Salish Sea region.

Important caveats: Non-detection does not mean absence. Several factors affect detection: seasonal timing (e.g., salmonid runs peak in summer/fall, this sample was collected in early March), primer coverage (the assay panel may not amplify all target species equally), eDNA shedding rates and persistence in water, and local abundance at the sampling site. This checklist is not exhaustive — it focuses on species of high management, commercial, cultural, or ecological significance.