Assessing eDNA as a tool to monitor Southern California Estuarine health and invasive species impact

B.S. in Environmental Science

B.S. in Environmental Science

Assessing eDNA as a tool to monitor Southern California Estuarine health and invasive species impact

Our team developed and tested a new eDNA method to better detect the invasive algae Caulerpa prolifera, aiming to improve early detection and support marine ecosystem management.

This project evaluates a new eDNA assay targeting the tufA gene to improve early detection of the invasive algae Caulerpa prolifera, which poses a major threat to California’s marine ecosystems.

Project Overview

The invasive green algae genus, Caulerpa prolifera, threatens California’s marine ecosystems and benthic environments due to its rapid spreading and infestation rate, low DNA shedding rate and high capacity for ecological disruption which includes outcompeting native species and releasing toxins. Identifying and eradicating Caulerpa Prolifera outbreaks can be challenging due to its rapid spreading rate and difficulties in early detection (Waters et al., 2023). Traditional monitoring methods, such as diver surveys, are limited in turbid environments and only detect established colonies. Environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring offers a more sensitive, early-detection alternative, but C. prolifera‘s unique unicellular biology and low shedding rates make detection challenging, even using eDNA. A previous study by Tanner Waters assessed the efficacy of the nuclear ITS gene as an assay target for the detection of C. Prolifera eDNA in the water column, but had limited results (Waters et al., 2023).

To address this, SCCWRP developed a new assay targeting the chloroplast-encoded tufA gene, hypothesizing that it could improve detection due to higher gene copy numbers and different shedding properties. This project evaluates the efficacy of the tufA assay by reanalyzing samples from Newport Bay Caulerpa prolifera outbreaks and tank-based shedding experiments originally examined with the ITS assay.

By comparing detection rates between the two assays, we aim to determine whether improved sensitivity stems from gene target selection, outbreak differences, or assay specificity. Ultimately, our research will support better eDNA-based monitoring of C. prolifera, enhancing early detection and informing future management efforts. Outreach materials will be created to share findings beyond SCCWRP.

Team

Wynne Magura-Comey

Wynne is an Environmental Science major at UCLA. She has a double minor in Conservation Biology and Geospatial Information Systems and Technology (GIS&T). She is passionate about marine ecology and is interested in pursuing marine conservation or deep sea biology. Throughout her time at UCLA, she has interned for the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation and conducted marine research abroad in Australia. After graduation, she plans to continue getting out into the marine field in hopes of pursuing ocean exploration and conservation.

Emilee Doering

Emilee is an Environmental Science major with a minor in Environmental Systems and Society at UCLA. She is passionate about conservation, sustainability, and addressing environmental injustices. Through the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, she has contributed to native habitat restoration efforts and conducted research on the urban heat island effect in marginalized communities. As Executive Director of the Hunger Project at UCLA, Emilee also brings extensive experience in community outreach, advocacy, and service for unhoused populations.

Hana Tomizawa

Hana is an Environmental Science major with a minor in Environmental Health at UCLA. She is passionate about understanding how anthropogenic climate change and human-made pollution affect public health, and is particularly interested in strategies for mitigating these impacts through research, policy, and community engagement.

Callum Man

Callum is an Environmental Science major and sociology double major with a minor in Environmental Systems and Society at UCLA. He is passionate about environmental justice, sustainability and conservation. Throughout his time at UCLA, he has contributed to research assessing corporate commitments and responsibilities related to climate change. As secretary of SAGE, a sustainability organization on campus, he has helped facilitate a variety of advocacy and consulting projects for the student body and clients in various industries.

Tiffany Ly

Tiffany is an Environmental Science major with a minor in Environmental Engineering. She is passionate about the intersection between helping humans and the environment. Under the UCLA Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering, she has done research in antibiotic resistant bacteria in polluted water as well as PFAS & microplastics remediation in groundwater. She hopes to combine a career relating to water engineering with environmental justice principles to uplift both the people and the environment.

Molly Smith

Hi, I’m Molly! My concentration is in Atmospheric and Oceanic Science and I’m interested in new technologies & startups in the climate space, especially within clean energy. After graduation, my goal is to invest in climate startups or work at one with the goal of advancing clean technologies.

Gabriel Barrera

Gabe is an Environmental Science major with a minor in Environmental Engineering. He is passionate about mitigating environmental impacts of future projects through policy and public service. Since last Summer, he has worked as an apprentice at Caltrans, learning the importance of environmental planning though CEQA and NEPA guidelines and plans to continue working as a consultant at an engineering firm.

Client: Southern California Coastal Water Research Project

The Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP) is a public research agency dedicated to improving the scientific foundation for management and protection of Southern California’s coastal ecosystems. Established in 1969, SCCWRP operates as a joint powers authority, bringing together a network of wastewater agencies, stormwater regulators, and environmental organizations to address pressing water quality and ecosystem health challenges.

SCCWRP specializes in applied, interdisciplinary research at the interface of science, policy, and management. Its work focuses on coastal and marine monitoring, sediment and water quality, climate change adaptation, ecological assessment, and the development of innovative environmental DNA (eDNA) tools and technologies. By combining rigorous science with collaborative governance, SCCWRP supports evidence-based decision-making for sustainable water resource management across the Southern California Bight and beyond.

Advisor: Robert Eagle

Dr. Robert Eagle is an Assistant Professor at UCLA, jointly appointed in the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. His research at UCLA explores how marine organisms respond to environmental stressors such as ocean acidification and climate change, combining geochemistry, oceanography, and biology to study both modern ecosystems and past climate conditions.

Outreach and Education

To complement our investigation into eDNA monitoring as an effective tool for detecting and controlling Caulerpa outbreaks, we produced several outreach and communication deliverables. We also presented our findings to different audiences in order to spread awareness of the issue and the potential benefits of eDNA monitoring.

We presented our findings to the Southern California Caulerpa Action Team (SCCAT) in order to update them on potential options for the expansion of Caulerpa monitoring. We also presented the issue of Caulerpa as an invasive species across Southern California at the Newport Bay Conservancy’s Earth Day event.

To serve as documentation of our work and to provide further context into the guiding questions and research focus of this capstone project, we put together a documentary detailing our research process, experience working on the team, and our conclusion and recommendations for future steps. In order to provide visuals to support our research, we also produced an arcgis story map that includes the location of each recorded Caulerpa outbreak with its coordinates, patch characteristics and treatment methods. Our outreach presentations and visual aids were all developed to spread awareness of the threat of Caulerpa outbreaks and provide an explanation into possible monitoring solutions and techniques: eDNA.