Provide additional capacity and infrastructure for fish disease diagnostics, fish health research, environmental DNA (EDNA) studies, and natural resource management-based genetic studies in the…

This $4,000,000 Cooperative Agreement awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Fish and Aquatic Conservation - Aquatic Invasive Species (CFDA 15.608) federal grant program aims to enhance capacity and infrastructure for fish disease diagnostics, fish health research, environmental DNA (eDNA) studies, and natural resource management genetics in the Southeastern United States. The award will directly benefit state fisheries agencies in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Missouri through expanded partnerships between the Southeastern Cooperative Fish Parasite and Disease Lab at Auburn University and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fish Health Center. Key outcomes include improved biosecurity and pathogen surveillance for state and federal hatchery systems, as well as the establishment of a new eDNA laboratory to support aquatic conservation efforts in the Southeast region. The project period runs from August 1, 2024 to May 1, 2029.

Provide additional capacity and infrastructure for fish disease diagnostics, fish health research, environmental DNA (EDNA) studies, and natural resource management-based genetic studies in the southeastern united states. Demand for fish disease diagnostics clearly exceeds existing infrastructure at the southeastern cooperative fish parasite and disease lab (SCFPDL) (AKA the bullard lab, auburn, AL) and US fish and wildlife service fish health center (USFWS-FHC). These funds will directly benefit the state fisheries agencies already in cooperation with SCFPDL (i.e., AL, GA, SC, NC, TN, WV, MO) while also providing a supporting role to the USFWS-FHC. These funds will hasten further university-federal entity partnerships in fish health, including the mission critical focus areas of state and federal hatchery system biosecurity, surveillance of wild fish populations for new and emerging pathogens (including exotic invasive species and aquatic nuisance species), and in-service training and cross-fertilization of methodologies and approaches between the SCFPDL and USFWS-FHC. Personnel from both labs will routinely interact and cooperate on disease diagnostics to assist state and federal partners. We also propose developing EDNA tools for aquatic conservation and establishing a new EDNA program in the southeast. USFWS labs are currently unable to take on all EDNA projects that are requested of them, including emergent projects for pathogen management. For this reason, we propose establishing an EDNA lab in the southeast, which would increase capabilities of a nation-wide program. The EDNA lab will be a cooperative project between auburn university and the warm springs FTC southeast conservation genetics lab. There will be additional benefit after life of this project as the EDNA lab will be able to do AIS, at-risk, and T E species monitoring. This lab will follow USFWS best practices, which are essential as many non-USFWS labs do not follow best-practices.