James Garner and Team Use eDNA Analysis to Confirm Presence of Shortnose Sturgeon in Unexpected Stretch of Connecticut River
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James Garner, a PhD student in the College of Natural Sciences’s Department of Environmental Conservation and a fellow at the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, is part of a team led by the Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) that recently confirmed the presence of a prehistoric fish species on the endangered list in the Connecticut River: the shortnose sturgeon. The team’s environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis found that the fish inhabits a stretch of the Connecticut River between Turners Falls, MA, and Bellows Falls, VT/Walpole, NH. Once abundant in major rivers along the East Coast, this ancient species has seen its numbers drastically decline.
When considering the causes for the shortnose sturgeon’s decline, CRC—a not-for-profit that “restores and advocates for clean water, healthy habitats, and resilient communities to support a diverse and thriving watershed”—points to factors such as dam construction, habitat loss, and overfishing during the fish’s upstream migrations as contributors to their dwindling population.
Garner, whose expertise in eDNA techniques aided in these findings, expressed his team’s excitement on this confirmation: “This study began in large part as a response to reported shortnose sturgeon sightings in the reaches of the Connecticut River upstream of the Turners Falls and Vernon dams from local, Indigenous, and fisherfolk community members. Our multiple positive environmental DNA detections now provide the first scientific evidence to back up these community members' reports—confirming the presence of shortnose sturgeon upstream of these dams. This collaboration highlights the invaluable role that local knowledge plays in guiding scientific inquiry and demonstrates how eDNA technology can help us monitor and protect endangered species in a non-invasive and efficient way.”
Working with CRC’s River Steward for New Hampshire, Kate Buckman, PhD, Garner was able to use existing research and volunteer sampling to narrow down the stretches of river that should be targeted for eDNA analysis. The results from the analyzed samples verified detectable levels of shortnose sturgeon DNA at multiple locations within the reaches of the Connecticut River upstream of the Turners Falls and Vernon dams.

“As fish and other aquatic species move through the water, they shed DNA in the form of skin cells, scales, excrement, and mucus (to name several sources) into their surrounding environment,” explains Garner. “Our goal was to detect the presence of the bottom-dwelling and endangered shortnose sturgeon by isolating and amplifying (making many copies of) their genetic material from environmental samples. We collected our samples by freediving to the bottom of the Connecticut River, opening sterilized 2-liter Nalgene bottles, bringing them back to the surface, putting them on ice, and bringing them back to the lab. These water samples are then filtered to isolate the genetic material present within them. The DNA is then extracted from the filters, and a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) process is used to amplify specific DNA sequences that correspond to shortnose sturgeon. If the DNA is present, the qPCR process amplifies (makes copies of) it, and the time it takes to detect the signal from the qPCR machine is proportional to the concentration of DNA in the water.”
This stretch of the Connecticut River has had a number of dams operating since the 1800s, so how did the shortnose sturgeon get north of Turners Falls? And how long have the fish been there? The CRC team will continue its sampling efforts over the fall and winter, and additional confirmation will help to answer these questions.
“This project has been the ultimate validation of my PhD dissertation work,” reflects Garner. “Putting these passive eDNA species monitoring tools in the hands of people who can use them to help protect endangered species and the environments they inhabit was the reason I began my PhD journey to begin with. I could not have wished for a better outcome, and it is my sincere hope that with thorough and careful sampling designs, eDNA techniques and technology can be used by communities, non-profit groups, tribal groups, state and federal agencies, environmental managers, and policymakers as a tool to accomplish their environmental and conservation goals.”
Recognitions
Below, James Garner recognizes a number of key collaborators:
“UMass Amherst Collaborators:
- Jeremy Andersen, PhD was instrumental in lending his ‘fish free’ lab space to us for our sample filtration and DNA extractions.
- The UMass IALS Clinical Testing Center was a phenomenal collaborator, helping us run dozens of samples quickly and seamlessly using their next-generation facilities.
- Undergraduate Researchers Nina Balagula and Lea Luetjens were and continue to be fantastic and motivated student workers on this project.
- Graduate Student volunteers: Julian Burgoff (Masters, Environmental Conservation) and Stefanie Farrington (PhD, Organismic & Evolutionary Biology) were our field boat captains for this effort, without which this work would have been impossible.
UMaine Collaborators: the assay designed for shortnose sturgeon was ‘developed by the University of Maine as part of diadromous species eDNA toolkit supported by NOAA.’
The Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC): Kate Buckman, PhD was instrumental to this project. Her leadership and knowledge are what ultimately drove this project to its quick success. She has been an absolute delight to work with.”
Read further coverage of this story: NBC, Fox News, Yahoo! News, NHPR, NEPM, WWLP, The Cool Down, Shenandoah Country Q102, The Daily Hampshire Gazette, The Keene Sentinel, My Keene Now, The Greenfield Recorder, Athol Daily News, Deseret News, Amherst Bulletin, Pupperish, Niche Capital