SCCWRP completes intercalibration exercise for detecting golden mussel using eDNA-based methods

SCCWRP and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) have successfully demonstrated the use of environmental DNA (eDNA)-based methods to detect the presence of an invasive freshwater mussel species.

In an intercalibration exercise completed in March, six laboratories, including SCCWRP, were able to generate comparable, high-quality species identification data based on the DNA that golden mussel shed into their environment, known as eDNA.

Golden mussel is a highly invasive freshwater species that has been found in more than a dozen water bodies across California since being discovered in the San Francisco Bay Delta in 2024; it is especially a threat in reservoirs because it can clog pipes and pumps.

Researchers will explore how to apply the same method standardization approach to additional species.