eDNAtlas

The eDNAtlas is accessed via interactive ArcGIS Online (AGOL) maps allowing users to view and download sample site information and lab results of species occurrence for the U.S. The results are based on samples analyzed at the NGC and associated with geospatial attributes created by the Boise Spatial Streams Group (BSSG).

The AGOL maps displays results for all species sampled within an 8-digit USGS hydrologic unit or series of units. Symbols indicate whether a field sample has been collected and processed at a specific location, and if the latter, whether the target species was present. Each site is assigned a unique identification code (eDNA_ID) in the database to ensure that it can be tracked and matched to geospatial habitat descriptors or other attributes for subsequent analyses and reports. This functionality previously was enabled only for sample sites on flowing waters but the June 2021 update added a "HighRes" feature class for lakes, springs, and small streams. These samples may be viewed using the species NHDPlusHR checkbox. They include shared samples collected off the "sample grid", including Alaska.

Maps Western US eDNAtlas Results Map Eastern US and Great Plains eDNAtlas Results Map User guide Lab Results ArcGIS Online Map Guide   Metadata Generalized metadata Detailed metadata   Geodatabase Download the entire ArcGIS GeoDatabase for local use (currently unavailable, updated access coming soon)

The Aquatic eDNAtlas AGOL western results map with bull trout lab results selected to display

Users also have the option to download the entire ArcGIS GeoDatabase for local use (currently unavailable, updated access coming soon!). The GeoDatabase has more information than is available from the AGOL interactive maps, and enables more detailed queries, analyses, and creation of custom maps. Please refer to the individual feature class metadata in the GeoDatabase for more specific information. 

eDNA Sampling Grid Map

The interactive ArcGIS Online (AGOL) maps are a national grid of potential eDNA sampling sites that allows users to view and download field sampling points that are systematically spaced at ~1-km intervals along river and stream networks across much of the U.S.

Each sampling site is assigned a unique identification code (eDNA_ID) in the eDNAtlas database to ensure that it can be tracked and matched to geospatial habitat descriptors and species sampling results. Sampling sites can be identified using the AGOL tool either by visual selection or text-based queries.

Maps Western eDNAtlas Sampling Grid Map Eastern US and Great Plains eDNAtlas Sampling Grid Map User guides Field Sampling Grid ArcGIS Online Map Guide eDNA Sample Site Field Mapping User Guide to plan field work Metadata Generalized metadata Detailed metadata

The Aquatic eDNAtlas AGOL eastern field sample map zoomed in to an area of interest. This displays eDNA_IDs and grid points that already have samples, facilitating in planning field work and where to take new samples.

Note that site coordinate information should be transferred to a GPS unit for accurate field navigation, and that actual field coordinates should always be recorded at eDNA sample locations. A field sampling design strategy should also be developed to efficiently allocate eDNA samples throughout the study area.

About the ArcGIS Online maps

All maps initially opens to the western or eastern and great plains project extents, but each allows users to zoom to areas of interest.

Users can use the map in a variety of ways including the following.

• Zoom in, Query and Filter sample site data for specific areas of interest.
• Add their own layers to the map.
• Download or Print field map PDFs.
• Download site data in shapefile or geodatabase formats with accompanying site identifiers, geospatial descriptors, and metadata.

Users also have the option to download the entire ArcGIS GeoDatabase for local use (currently unavailable, updated access coming soon!). The GeoDatabase has more information than is available from the AGOL interactive maps, and enables more detailed queries, analyses, and creation of custom maps. Please refer to the individual feature class metadata in the GeoDatabase for more specific information.

ArcGIS Online Map Services

If you've created AGOL maps using the eDNAtlas map services, please modify them based on the May 2024 update.  The "Results" fields for each of the 4-character species codes have changed from numbers 1-4 to a simple Y, N, IP for results  from the NGC indicating "Yes", "No", and "In Progress". Previously built queries and filters will need to be modified to reflect this schema change.

• rmrs/RMRSAWAE_Aquatic_eDNAtlas_East_Plains_Results (MapServer) (usda.gov)
• rmrs/RMRSAWAE_Aquatic_eDNAtlas_East_Plains_SiteLocations (MapServer) (usda.gov)
• rmrs/RMRSAWAE_Aquatic_eDNAtlas_West_Results (MapServer) (usda.gov)
• rmrs/RMRSAWAE_Aquatic_eDNAtlas_West_SiteLocations (MapServer) (usda.gov)

A brief snapshot of the Aquatic eDNAtlas where samples have been taken and lab results are available.

Have questions?

• If you have questions about the ArcGIS Online map, please contact Dave Nagel.
• Questions about the eDNA sampling results can be directed to Jennifer Hernandez.
• Questions about the eDNA sampling grid can be directed to Dave Nagel.
• eDNA Sampling Interest Form

How do I participate in developing an eDNA project?

If you are interested in participating in a collaborative project with the National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation and the Boise Spatial Streams Group on eDNA sampling, please fill out the contact form and email it to the project point of contact.

Does an eDNA assay exist for my species?

If an eDNA assay has been developed at the NGC, or was developed at another laboratory and optimized for analysis at the NGC, skip to the next step. If there is no assay for a species, the NGC can assist with assay development. You can see a list of assays that are developed or under development at the NGC. Because the scope and difficulty of building a reliable assay is different for each species, and the number of available assays from the NGC and other laboratories is rapidly growing, we invite you to contact us for more details. We'll also provide you with an outline of the steps to follow in working with the NGC to build an assay for your species.

Do you know where you want to sample?

The NGC can help you design a eDNA sampling campaign tailored to the species, life stage, and habitat of interest, whether at the scale of a local watershed or across a species’ range. To help you identify locations to sample, we have developed a GIS layer of predefined sample sites at a ~1-km interval along the 1:100,000 scale National Hydrography Dataset (version 2) streams. Each site includes spatial attributes such as stream discharge and elevation to guide the choice of sample sites along environmental gradients.

Do you have eDNA sampling equipment?

Many of our partners have already invested in the water pumps and associated equipment necessary to collect eDNA samples. For those that do not have this equipment, we operate an “equipment library,” i.e., you can reserve a pump and accessories for use during a particular time. The number of pump sets is limited and demand is high, so it’s important to reserve one early in the year. The length of time that a pump can be loaned is dictated by the scope of your project. It’s also critical to return the pump and supplies when you are done to permit others to start their sampling. If you want to buy your own pump set—which gives you more flexibility with respect to when you sample—we can give you the equipment specifications.

Regardless of whether you own or borrow equipment, we require the use of NGC-provided field kits—filter cups and supplies—for the collection and storage of eDNA samples. This ensures standardization among the thousands of samples analyzed at the NGC, provides a consistent benchmark in our interpretation of your results, and guarantees the sterility of the supplies.

We regret that we cannot provide eDNA sampling equipment or field kit supplies unless eDNA samples are being analyzed at the NGC.

Are you ready to collect eDNA samples?

When collecting eDNA samples, we require that you follow our simple, extensively field-tested eDNA sampling protocol for flowing waters to ensure consistency in our estimates of species presence from your samples. Using this easy-to-learn sampling protocol, it takes about 15 minutes for a single person to collect and label a field sample.  Please see the video "A protocol for collecting environmental DNA samples from streams" under the resources tab.

Collected samples are portable, readily stored while in the field, can be processed in the lab in as little as 3 days, and are permanently archived for reanalysis of other species in future years. The NGC protocol’s ease of use has led to its adoption by biologists from partner agencies across the U.S. and it has been used to sample thousands of sites. We recognize that sampling under other circumstances, e.g., near lake bottoms, in turbid environments, or from sediment, often requires a different approach. For sampling in standing waters, please contact us to discuss variations on this technique.

Once an eDNA sample is collected, it must be properly cataloged, and every sample must be labeled with:

• Water body name.
• Site ID
• Geocoordinates (field-measured with a GPS and recorded in either UTM or decimal degrees). Do not copy the coordinates from the eDNA sampling grid. Those are an estimate of where the sample should be taken. Please record where the sample actually was taken).
• Sampling date.
• Your name.

Samples returned without this information will not be processed.

Once sampling is complete, return the pump set (if borrowed), the used field kits (for re-sterilization), the collected samples, and a spreadsheet of sample data in the following format, with the following data columns: water body name — site ID—actual location sampled (GPS-identified field coordinates in UTM or decimal degrees)—date sampled—name of the sampler—the organization they represent. We suggest you use the downloadable data as a template. Samples submitted without a spreadsheet in the correct format will not be processed.

To see where samples have already been taken to prepare your own field collection, please see the eDNAtlas sample grid and results page.

Would you like to have existing samples analyzed for additional species?

Because each sample contains the DNA of many species and can be stored indefinitely, these samples represent a biodiversity archive of aquatic taxa. Many of them have been analyzed for only one or a few species, and may be available for analyses involving other species. At your request, we will contact the original collector for permission to analyze their samples for additional species. Please make these requests by identifying the specific sample site IDs from the eDNAtlas results database.

Do you have an agreement in place with the NGC?

Costs vary for assay design and sample analysis, depending on the species of interest, environment that is sampled, whether a sample is new or has been previously analyzed, and reporting requirements. We have financial instruments that allow us to work with most organizations. We also work with many partners as co-PIs on proposals to implement eDNA sampling surveys. Please contact us for an estimate of current costs, to develop a financial agreement, or to engage us in a proposal.

Can eDNA results from other laboratories be integrated to the eDNAtlas?

Many laboratories process eDNA samples but most lack geospatial database capabilities for displaying and distributing results like those provided by the eDNAtlas. Data from other laboratories can be integrated to the eDNAtlas database for distribution through this website if it meets certain standards associated with field sample collection protocols, assay specificity, sensitivity, and availability to other laboratories. For small datasets (e.g., < 100 eDNA sample results) data can be integrated to the eDNAtlas database at no cost assuming the contributors provide the information in the necessary format. At present, we do not accept data from metabarcoding studies. If you are interested in integrating your eDNA results with the eDNAtlas, please contact us.

Would you like to see lab results or download the entire current GeoDatabase?

Results from previous samples can be viewed in AGOL maps available from the Results tab. 

Users also have the option to download the entire ArcGIS GeoDatabase for local use (currently unavailable, updated access coming soon!). The GeoDatabase has more information than is available from the AGOL interactive maps, and enables more detailed queries, analyses, and creation of custom maps. Please refer to the individual feature class metadata in the GeoDatabase for more specific information. The "Results" tab on this page has links to the various ArcGIS Online applications. 

Funding Contributors 

• NFWF grant proposal for western U.S.

  The aquatic eDNAtlas: a crowd-sourced, interagency environmental DNA database and high-resolution digital atlas of native and invasive fish distributions to support strategic conservation decisions

• NFWF grant proposal for eastern U.S.

  The national aquatic eDNAtlas and data exchange: A crowd-sourced environmental DNA database, website, and biodiversity archive of native and invasive species occurrence to facilitate strategic conservation and management investments

Data Contributors

We have an "eDNAtlas Alliance" of hundreds of contributors, including tribes, organizations, schools, and U.S. government entities. Below are just a few who have contributed samples to the Aquatic eDNAtlas.  If you are interested in contributing, please see the FAQ tab for more information.

These are a few of the hundreds of partners contributing samples to the Aquatic eDNAtlas throughout the years.