Kia ora koutou,

Welcome to the latest edition of The Extract, a roundup of highlights from the wilderness over the last couple of months and upcoming events to keep on the radar. In this issue we’re sharing on:

• Reflections from last month’s inaugural Australasian eDNA conference

• Our new online ordering platform

• Spotlights on two eDNA projects making news

• eDNA mentions in the Department of Conservation’s latest insights report

• Te Ika o te Tau | Fish of the Year 2023

We had a fantastic time at the inaugural Australasian eDNA conference in Hobart, Tasmania last month. We’re still buzzing from connecting with so many talented colleagues from around the Pacific and being able to listen and discuss new ideas and innovations in the eDNA realm.

Our Founder and Principal Scientist, Shaun Wilkinson, gave an opening plenary presentation as well as presented on two exciting pieces of research our team has been working on. The first was our new riverine ecological health index, the TICI, which has been a huge collaborative project that has just been submitted for publication.

The second was on the development and validation of our passive sampler eDNA collection kits. We were able to share the results from last summer’s intercouncil validation trial, and also share some exciting future directions for the technology including new research we’re collaborating on with with Zero Invasive Pests.

Our Freshwater and Community Science lead, Amy Gault, also presented on two topics. The first highlighted our company’s focus on accessibility and usability of eDNA information for all, and urged other researchers to strive for this when designing new tools and approaches.

The second presentation was on the evolution of our comprehensive freshwater assay panel and how far we’ve come from a panel of 4 assays to a holistic panel of 13! Casting such an ‘ecosystem-wide net’ is one of the main benefits of new metabarcoding technologies and is certainly a big part of what we at Wilderlab are all about.

Our Director of Operations, Nico van Loon, and our Office Manager, Anita Bester, also did an amazing job at connecting with new friendly faces and exploring new collaboration opportunities.

We were also excited that Vanessa Crowe and Paula Knaap from the NZ Environmental Protection Authority were able to come across to share some of their learnings and experiences through their hugely successful eDNA community science programme, Wai Tuwhera o te Taiao - Open Waters Aotearoa.

Vanessa gave a presentation which highlighted how the programme has supported more than 300 community groups, iwi, and hapū to discover the potential of eDNA monitoring as part of their own, community-led environmental protection initiatives. Their team also shared a video of some of the work they’ve been supporting in Te Tairāwhiti which you can watch here. Whilst we attended the conference, this region was hugely affected by the devastating Cyclone Gabrielle and these communities are now working hard responding to the destruction it caused. Please check the social media of Ngāti Pāhauwera Development Trust and Sam the Trap Man for updates and how to support the group on cyclone recovery.

Wilderlab’s new ordering platform

From April, you’ll now be able to purchase our eDNA kits and analysis packages through our new ordering platform. This platform provides a more straight forward way to order supplies for your eDNA sampling needs when wishing to pay through an account.

As always, if you have any questions or queries about which kit or assay package is best for your work, reach out to our team at info@wilderlab.co.nz or call 0800 336 295.

An exciting new project was highlighted in the Otago Daily Times last week covering some new eDNA tracking work being undertaken by the Southern Lakes Sanctuary.

There was also a great article published recently in NZ Farm Life Media which shone a spotlight on a collaborative project between Taiao Ora Contracting, Te Kāuru Hapū Collective, Te Miro Farm, AgResearch, and some of our scientists at Wilderlab.

The project is comparing eDNA from two farms and a culturally significant headwater site in the Manawatū, to understand the ecosystem changes as the awa travels through the different landscapes. The results will enable farmers to see where wildlife and farmed animals are contributing to eDNA, provide a method to detect positive change in future, and provide communities with a way to connect more deeply with their awa and its ecosystems.

Read more about this ongoing work in the full article here.

New Long-term Insights Briefing shining a spotlight on eDNA tech

The Department of Conservation and Land Information NZ latest long-term insights briefing came out this week and it was great to see such a large section considering the utility of environmental DNA approaches to their mahi.

The third annual Te Ika o Te Tau - Fish of the Year competition comes to a close this evening and Wilderlab is backing the NZ Lamprey (Geotria australis, kanakana/piharau)!

Lampreys are a very ancient ‘jawless fish’, a group which is thought to have existed for 360 million years. While they can be often mistaken for eels, they have a jawless mouth with a circular sucker lined with hundreds of small teeth and a rasping tongue. Lamprey are migratory, spending most of their lives at sea, then moving to freshwater to spawn. Their populations are in decline due to habitat loss, reductions in water quality, predation from introduced fishes, and the presence of instream structures which block their passage to habitats upstream.

Lamprey have shown up in lots of eDNA samples around Aotearoa, with lots of records able to be publicly explored on our online eDNA map.

You can cast your vote at the Experiencing Marine Reserves website and go into the draw to win some great prizes, including some of our eDNA sampling kits to explore an area that’s important to you.

Voting closes at 11.59pm on the 31st of March, so get in quick to give your support for the NZ Lamprey and your other favorite ika!