October 31 at 2pm - Conservation Lectures: "Advancing Environmental DNA” with Dr. Cheryl Morrison

The “NCTC Conservation Lecture Series” is our monthly public program from the Byrd Auditorium at the National Conservation Training Center.

Today's presentation:
This program was recorded in the Byrd Auditorium at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, WV, on October 24th with Dr. Cheryl Morrison.

The emerging field of Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis allows characterization of species presence and community biodiversity by identifying trace amounts of genetic material left behind as organisms move through their environments. The USGS is working with partners to refine and standardize eDNA techniques and analyses across the U.S. and globally. At the Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC), eDNA applications include early detection of invasive species, rare and imperiled species, exploration of the largest habitat on earth - the deep-sea, plus characterization and monitoring of coral habitats impacted by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Learn how this promising new technique is providing a broadened perspective on exploration, mapping, and monitoring of aquatic life to sustain and restore biological resources into the future.

Dr. Cheryl Morrison is a Supervisory Research Geneticist at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Eastern Ecological Science Center at the Leetown Research Laboratory. Dr. Morrison leads a Population Genomics Group within the Species Population Dynamics and Surveillance Capability Team with a broad focus on population dynamics and species conservation. Dr. Morrison is a member of the National Ocean Mapping Exploration and Characterization Interagency Working Group and the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology Interagency biodiversity and eDNA working groups, the latter of which recently published a National Aquatic Environmental DNA Strategy.

Throughout her career, Dr. Morrison has studied deep-sea ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and is excited about the new perspective eDNA technology brings to these studies. Dr. Morrison completed her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Florida State University and her B.S. in Marine Biology from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.


All programs start at 2:00 PM ET. Please note this event may continue a little longer than 3:00 PM ET.

Closed Captions for Program:
When the program goes live, click the toggle switch on the lower right to enable automatic captions for your stream.

These talks are a part of the NCTC Conservation Lecture Series, which is cosponsored by The Friends of the NCTC - http://www.friendsofnctc.org and by the Potomac Valley Audubon Society - https://www.potomacaudubon.org

Previous sessions have been recorded and are available for viewing: https://www.fws.gov/broadcasts.


https://www.fws.gov

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the oldest federal conservation agency, tracing its lineage back to 1871, and the only agency in the federal government whose primary responsibility is management of fish and wildlife for the American public. The Service helps ensure a healthy environment for people by providing opportunities for Americans to enjoy the outdoors and our shared natural heritage.

We manage the National Wildlife Refuge System with more than 560 National Wildlife Refuges as well as small wetlands and other special management areas encompassing more than 150 million acres. Under the Fisheries program we also operate over 70 National Fish Hatcheries and 65 fishery resource offices. The Ecological Services program has 86 field stations across all 50 states.

The vast majority of fish and wildlife habitat is on non-federal lands. Voluntary habitat protection and restoration programs like the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and the Coastal Program and other partnership programs are the primary ways we deliver habitat conservation on public and private lands.

The Service employs approximately 9,000 people at facilities across the U.S. The Service is a decentralized organization with a headquarters office in Washington, D.C., with regional and field offices across the country. Our organizational chart shows structure and also provides information on senior management.