The Use of Environmental DNA as Preliminary Description of Invertebrate Diversity in Three Sicilian Lakes

Freshwater ecosystems are among the most severely affected environments by species loss caused by climate change and intense anthropogenic pressure. To preserve biodiversity, biomonitoring plays a key role by providing reliable data on biological diversity and ecological status. Environmental DNA (e...

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Published inAnimals (Basel) Vol. 15; no. 3; p. 355
Main Authors Mauro, Manuela, Longo, Francesco, Lo Valvo, Mario, Vizzini, Aiti, Di Grigoli, Antonino, Radovic, Slobodanka, Arizza, Vincenzo, Vecchioni, Luca, La Paglia, Laura, Queiroz, Vinicius, Ponte, Marialetizia, Gargano, Claudio, Ciaccio, Paolo Salvatore Francesco, Vicari, Domenico, Vazzana, Mirella
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Switzerland MDPI AG 26.01.2025
MDPI
Subjects
Analysis
Aquatic ecosystems
Biodiversity
Biological diversity
Biological monitoring
Climate change
conservation
Dams
DNA
eDNA
Fresh water
freshwater
Genetic markers
Genetic testing
Invertebrates
Lakes
metabarcoding analysis
monitoring
Phylogenetics
Rivers
Sea level
Taxonomy
Water
Italy
conservation
biodiversity
metabarcoding analysis
freshwater
eDNA
monitoring
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Summary:Freshwater ecosystems are among the most severely affected environments by species loss caused by climate change and intense anthropogenic pressure. To preserve biodiversity, biomonitoring plays a key role by providing reliable data on biological diversity and ecological status. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding has emerged as a powerful and non-invasive alternative to traditional morphology-based sampling and identification methods. This study represents the first application of eDNA analysis to assess the invertebrate communities in three Sicilian Lakes: Poma, Piana degli Albanesi and Scanzano. Water samples were collected at two points in each lake and after filtration with nitrocellulose membranes, eDNA was extracted and metabarcoding analysis was performed. A total of 27 species were identified, belonging to Phyla of Annelida, Arthropoda and Rotifera. Notably, the analysis revealed the presence of alien species (Daphnia parvula and Acanthocyclops americanus), a dangerous species associated with the transmission of viral diseases (Culex pipiens), and potential new records for Sicily (Stylaria lacustris, Platypalpus exilis, Pammene aurana, Limnephilus rhombicus). These results provide a preliminary snapshot of invertebrate biodiversity at these sites, demonstrating how eDNA has the potential to complement, but not replace, traditional methods, contributing to the assessment of ecosystem status.
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These authors contributed equally to this work.
ISSN:2076-2615
2076-2615
DOI:10.3390/ani15030355