Future Research
We contribute to building evidence that passive eDNA collection is
effective and offers important advantages over conventional water
filtration methods, warranting further investigation. Studies conducted
in environments where eDNA degrades quickly or is released in pulses may
identify further advantages of passive eDNA collection. Although our
study identified both rare and abundant species in a relatively low
diversity mesocosm, future studies should evaluate the effectiveness of
materials and submersion time in warmer, high diversity systems so that
materials are effective for the maximum number of environmental
conditions. Even in situations where passive eDNA collection may not
perform as optimally as conventional filtering methods, the time and
cost efficiencies may still warrant it’s use, making cost-benefit
analysis of which method to use a worthwhile consideration. Futures
studies focussed on a mechanistic understanding of not only how eDNA
adheres to materials, but investigating the physical/chemical properties
of eDNA, could lead to the greatest advances in passive eDNA collection
methods and optimization of materials.