Programming supports a comprehensive network of cooperative study units to facilitate cooperative research, technical assistance, education, and training to inform science-based management of the…

This Cooperative Agreement award from the National Park Service (CFDA 15.945 - Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System) provides $228,666.25 in funding to the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) to facilitate a comprehensive network of cooperative study units. The objective is to detect and monitor species of interest to park managers, other federal/state land managers, and the public using environmental DNA (eDNA) and genomics. Key activities include developing the CALEDNAS program to create species-specific and universal primers, sequence DNA for un-sequenced species, and generate species gene maps from eDNA samples. The project will focus on masking the exact locations of threatened and endangered species. The award period is from September 15, 2024 to April 30, 2029.

Programming supports a comprehensive network of cooperative study units to facilitate cooperative research, technical assistance, education, and training to inform science-based management of the national park system. The study units facilitate multi-disciplinary science and integrated information products across multiple geographic regions of the national park system. Overall objectives of this project are to detect and monitor species of interest to park managers, other federal and state land managers, and the public using edna and genomics. The project will focus on developing calednas program to create species-specific and universal primers, sequence DNA for UN-sequenced species, and generate species gene maps from edna samples. Exact locations for threatened and endangered species will be masked from the public.