DEVELOPMENT OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL DNA ASSAY FOR RIO GRANDE SIRENS
In the research for my master’s thesis, I developed an eDNA assay for detection of Rio Grande Sirens, a subspecies of lesser siren found only in south Texas. I developed assays for qPCR and PCR, and compared eDNA filter types/sizes, eDNA effectiveness compared to trapping, and the influences of environmental variables and seasonality on detection.
aSSESSMENT OF SIREN SPECIES DIFFERENCES IN TEXAS
Sirens in Texas are split into two subspecies: Siren intermedia nettingi in east Texas, and Siren intermedia texana in south Texas. Not much is known about siren biology and taxonomy. Sirens in south Texas are much larger than those in east Texas, and I am assisting with a project working to discern the differences between the two, both genetically and morphologically.
