UK National Fisheries Laboratory proposes technology for helping identify invasive species

The UK Environment Agency has announced the introduction of new technology to help further identify invasive non-native species in UK waters.

The UK is home to over 2,000 non-native plants and animals that have originated from all over the world, with many species living in rivers across the UK. Of those, the Prussian carp and topmouth gudgeon are invasive non-native species that have continued to pose an increased threat to native species through competition for food and hybridisation, in addition to carrying novel parasites and diseases.

The Environment Agency’s expert team at the National Fisheries Laboratory have developed a new tool to monitor the DNA shed from fish to help identify their spread and distribution.

By collecting samples of water, scientists are then able to tap DNA shed from fish, such as from mucus, and use specialised tests to see which fish species are present in the water. The new tool known as eDNA has allowed the laboratory to investigate the samples from rivers and lakes and identify the presence of native and non-native species, including the highly invasive species topmouth gudgeon.

The introduction of this method has proven essential to local Environment Agency teams who can now detect and monitor the location of these species. The proven successful management has also highlighted the potential for the method to be used on other invasive species such as the more recently discovered Prussian carp.