Taylor Faherty, Molly Martin, Michael Baker, Alan Bond, Katherine Fincher, Zachary Schumber, Andrew Lyons, Joseph Dahlen, James L. Shelton, Wesley Gerrin, Sarah McNair, Martin J. Hamel, Peter D. Hazelton
{"title":"Estimating Reproductive Parameters of a Newly Discovered Weather Loach Population","authors":"Taylor Faherty, Molly Martin, Michael Baker, Alan Bond, Katherine Fincher, Zachary Schumber, Andrew Lyons, Joseph Dahlen, James L. Shelton, Wesley Gerrin, Sarah McNair, Martin J. Hamel, Peter D. Hazelton","doi":"10.1002/aff2.70117","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aff2.70117","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Aquatic invasive species have negative impacts on native biodiversity and pose a significant threat to overall ecosystem health. Successfully established non-native species possess life history traits that are advantageous for colonization and expansion into novel environments. The reproductive traits and strategies of fish are often good predictors of invasion success. Thus, understanding reproductive dynamics of non-native species in their introduced environments is an important component for predicting expansion and effectively managing invasive populations. The Weather Loach <i>Misgurnus anguillicaudatus</i> is a recently discovered introduced species in Georgia, USA, and little is known about its life history attributes where it is not native. Thus, the objectives of this study were to: (1) estimate mean batch fecundity of female Weather Loach; (2) determine timing and periodicity of spawning; and (3) evaluate whether the gonadosomatic index (GSI) is a reliable indicator of reproductive status in this species. Based on observed peaks in eggs larger than 500 µm, we identified the presumed spawning season for Weather Loach to be occurring from April through August. The highest average fecundity observed was during July (10,539 eggs) and the lowest average fecundity observed was during April (3083 eggs). The GSI was a strong predictor of fecundity and tracked the number of mature eggs present in each month of the year. Our estimates of batch fecundity and determination of the annual spawning season can help managers better understand reproductive dynamics and develop predictive population models aimed at evaluating management activities.</p>","PeriodicalId":100114,"journal":{"name":"Aquaculture, Fish and Fisheries","volume":"5 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aff2.70117","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145037962","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Comparative Analysis of Growth Performance, Intestinal Enzyme and Body Composition of Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) Cultured in Different C/N Ratio of Biofloc System","authors":"Mojtaba Alishahi, M. M. Haghparast, P. Moftakhar","doi":"10.1002/aff2.70113","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aff2.70113","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Biofloc technology (BFT), an eco-friendly aquaculture system, was evaluated for its effects on growth performance, digestive physiology, gut microbiota, and carcass quality in juvenile common carp (<i>Cyprinus carpio</i>) using cane molasses as a carbon source at carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratios of 15, 20, and 25. Compared to conventional intensive farming (control), carp reared in BFT systems (over 90 days) exhibited significantly improved growth performance, including weight gain, specific growth rate, and feed conversion ratio, particularly at C/N ratios of 20 and 25. The BFT groups also demonstrated enhanced digestive enzyme and antioxidant activity, higher proportion of beneficial lactic acid bacteria, and improved carcass composition. These findings indicate that BFT using sugarcane molasses at a C/N ratio of 20 offers a sustainable alternative to conventional carp farming. Beyond improving growth performance, BFT positively influenced fish health indicators and carcass quality.</p>","PeriodicalId":100114,"journal":{"name":"Aquaculture, Fish and Fisheries","volume":"5 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aff2.70113","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144935242","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Correcting Factor for the Reduction of Body Length and Mass of European Eel After Ethanol Preservation and After Freezing","authors":"Josefin Sundin, John Persson, Stefan Skoglund","doi":"10.1002/aff2.70094","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aff2.70094","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Measurements of length and mass are used in many research fields, and such data are often collected from samples that have been preserved in ethanol or frozen prior to data collection. Since many preservation methods affect the size and shape of soft-bodied animals, species-specific correction factors are used. Here, we calculated ethanol and freezing shrinkage correction factors for the European eel, <i>Anguilla anguilla</i> Linnaeus, 1758, and investigated how preservation duration and individual size affected shrinkage. We also investigated if freezing had an impact on the size of the eyes and pectoral fins, which could affect maturation stage classification. We found that preservation in 95% ethanol and freezing decreased body length and mass, as expected. Time kept in ethanol did not affect shrinkage. Time kept in freezer had some effect on shrinkage, and the model fit suggested inclusion of days frozen for body mass shrinkage. That, however, only had negligible improvement on the model. For preservation in freezer, shrinkage was greater for lengths below 330 mm and mass below 100 g, compared to eels above these sizes. However, applying a size threshold to the analysis only generated negligible improvement of the model fit, meaning that specific shrinkage factors for different sizes are not needed. We also found that freezing induced shrinking in eye size, while the pectoral fin increased in size. The increase in pectoral fin length is however believed to be due to a measurement deviation. User-friendly formulas for all correction factors are provided. The application of these factors should be restricted to the European eel within the size range used in this paper.</p>","PeriodicalId":100114,"journal":{"name":"Aquaculture, Fish and Fisheries","volume":"5 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aff2.70094","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144935208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rebecca Cates, Juliana Cornett, Courtney Hart, Cody Pinger, John Harley, Kate Laboda, Kelly Koehler, Muriel Dittrich, Jordan Hollarsmith
{"title":"Oceanography and Pacific Oyster Biochemical Composition in a Novel Oyster-Growing Region","authors":"Rebecca Cates, Juliana Cornett, Courtney Hart, Cody Pinger, John Harley, Kate Laboda, Kelly Koehler, Muriel Dittrich, Jordan Hollarsmith","doi":"10.1002/aff2.70114","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aff2.70114","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The farming of Pacific oysters (<i>Crassostrea [Magallana] gigas</i>) is a rapidly growing industry in Alaska, where farms represent some of the highest latitude oyster cultivation efforts in the world. Little is known about the nearshore oceanography where Alaskan farms are located, or how the subarctic marine context influences oyster tissue quality. This research begins to elucidate those relationships and seasonal variation therein through regular sampling of water column parameters, phytoplankton community composition, and Pacific oyster tissue. Results suggest both benefits and challenges to cultivating Pacific oysters in this dynamic region in Alaska. Benefits included low temperatures that inhibited spawning, resulting in Pacific oysters with year-round high levels of lipids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Challenges included a later onset of the spring phytoplankton bloom, resulting in a short growing season compared to other growing regions, occasional blooms of the harmful algal genus <i>Alexandrium</i> spp. that resulted in periods of elevated levels of paralytic shellfish toxins, and intensifying climate variability and ocean acidification. The results of this study provide a better understanding of nearshore dynamics in the estuarine environment of Southeast Alaska's inside waters, which will aid in future site suitability analyses and improve our understanding of cultivating Pacific oysters in this region. As increasingly extreme summer heatwaves contribute to oyster mortality events and other challenges at lower latitude farms, the relatively cold waters at Southeast Alaska oyster farms may offer a buffer against stressors associated with climate variability.</p>","PeriodicalId":100114,"journal":{"name":"Aquaculture, Fish and Fisheries","volume":"5 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aff2.70114","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144918707","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Featured Cover: Cover Image, Volume 5, Issue 4","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/aff2.70112","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aff2.70112","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The cover image is based on the Original Article by <i>Earthworm (Eisenia fetida) Meal as Fishmeal Replacement in the diet of Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) fingerlings</i> by Belay Abdissa et al., https://doi.org/10.1002/aff2.70105.\u0000\u0000 <figure>\u0000 <div><picture>\u0000 <source></source></picture><p></p>\u0000 </div>\u0000 </figure></p>","PeriodicalId":100114,"journal":{"name":"Aquaculture, Fish and Fisheries","volume":"5 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aff2.70112","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144869983","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Erratum to “Stakeholder Perspectives on the 2023 Ghana National Aquaculture Development Plan: An Integration Within the Ecosystem Approach Framework”","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/aff2.70109","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aff2.70109","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Original citation: Zornu, J., Oyih, M., Binde, M., Viglo, J., Agbekpornu, H., Nkansa, M., Tavornpanich, S., Norheim, K., Brun, E., & Cudjoe, K. S. (2023). “Stakeholder Perspectives on the 2023 Ghana National Aquaculture Development Plan: An Integration within the Ecosystem Approach Framework.” <i>Aquaculture, Fish and Fisheries</i> 3(6), 459–471. https://doi.org/10.1002/aff2.135</p><p>This erratum corrects our article (https://doi.org/10.1002/aff2.135), which was based on stakeholder perspectives grounded in ecosystem-based principles during the development of the new Ghana National Aquaculture Development Plan (GNADP). Upon publication, the new GNADP was tentatively scheduled for gazetting in 2023, with implementation planned for 2023–2028. Accordingly, our article referred to the plan as ‘GNADP 2023’. However, the official launch and publication were postponed to 2024, thereby shifting the operational period to 2024–2028. This erratum reconciles all mentions of the plan in our article with the official plan, updating them to ‘GNADP (2024–2028)’ as published by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD <span>2025</span>). In addition, minor edits were made to sentence structures. These corrections do not affect the materials and methods, results, discussions or policy perspectives presented in the earlier publication. We apologize for any miscommunications.</p><p><b>The corrections effected in the article are</b>:</p><p>Original title (Page 459)—Stakeholder perspectives on the 2023 Ghana National Aquaculture Development Plan: An integration within the Ecosystem Approach Framework</p><p>Corrected to: Stakeholder perspectives on the Ghana National Aquaculture Development Plan (2024–2028): An integration within the Ecosystem Approach Framework</p><p><b>Abstract changes</b>:</p><p>Page 459—This study reviewed the 2012 Ghana National Aquaculture Development Plan (GNADP) and sought inputs from industry stakeholders to inform GNADP 2023 using the ecosystem approach to aquaculture (EAA).</p><p>Corrected to: This study reviewed the Ghana National Aquaculture Development Plan (2012–2016) and sought input from industry stakeholders to inform GNADP (2024–2028) using the ecosystem approach to aquaculture (EAA).</p><p>Page 459 (continuation)—The findings suggest that GNADP 2023 must be strategized to address industry sustainability bottlenecks identified as input availability and quality, permitting, regulation and enforcement, financing schemes and technical expertise.</p><p>Corrected to: The findings suggest that GNADP (2024–2028) should be strategically designed to address industry sustainability bottlenecks identified as input availability and quality, permitting, regulation and enforcement, financing schemes and technical expertise.</p><p><b>1. Introduction</b></p><p>Page 460 (Paragraph 1)—It is essential to reflect on GNADP 2012 to incorporate its lessons into the new GNADP, planned for operationalization from 2023 for the next","PeriodicalId":100114,"journal":{"name":"Aquaculture, Fish and Fisheries","volume":"5 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aff2.70109","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144861677","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Khrystyna Kurta, José Beirão, Benjamin Thomason, Christos Palaiokostas
{"title":"Assessing Sperm Quality Parameters in Mass-Spawning Norwegian Arctic Charr","authors":"Khrystyna Kurta, José Beirão, Benjamin Thomason, Christos Palaiokostas","doi":"10.1002/aff2.70111","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aff2.70111","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Gaps in knowledge exist regarding sperm quality in farmed fish and its variation with age. The literature shows differing results among populations with diverse genetic backgrounds. Data collected from captive mass-spawning Norwegian Arctic charr were analysed to investigate sperm quality parameters and their age-related variations. We conducted a retrospective review of 63 milt analysis records from broodfish aged 2–9 years. Sperm motility and kinetic parameters decreased significantly (<i>p </i>< 0.05) with advancing age, whereas no significant changes were observed in sperm concentration. A regression model explaining approximately 30% of the variation (adjusted <i>R</i><sup>2</sup> ≈ 0.3) suggested a significant and negative effect of age on sperm swimming velocities (<i>p </i>< 0.05). Finally, the analysis of the ddRAD data did not reveal significant genetic associations. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into age-related trends and may serve as a foundation for further investigations into the sperm quality performance of populations with varying reproductive strategies and genetic structures.</p>","PeriodicalId":100114,"journal":{"name":"Aquaculture, Fish and Fisheries","volume":"5 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aff2.70111","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144861913","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Optimizing Culture Protocols for Cyclops sp.: Innovations in Density, Feed Composition and Dietary Strategies for Freshwater Aquaculture","authors":"Sadia Momota Hena, Jinnath Rehana Ritu, Md. Abu Sayed, Md. Al-Amin, Md. Mahfuzul Haque, Saleha Khan","doi":"10.1002/aff2.70110","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aff2.70110","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Developing optimized feeding strategies for copepods is essential in contemporary aquaculture, as they serve as a highly nutritious live feed for numerous aquatic organisms. Three experiments were conducted to enhance the development and reproductive success of the copepod, <i>Cyclops</i> sp., to support sustainable aquaculture practices. The first experiment examined the effect of different initial stocking densities of <i>Cyclops</i> sp. (250 (CD250), 500 (CD500), 1000 (CD1000), 3000 (CD3000) and 6000 (CD6000) indv. L<sup>−1</sup>) on the final growth where CD1000 supported the most favourable growth compared to CD6000 and CD500 (<i>p</i> = 0.008 for all comparisons) as well as CD3000 and CD250 (<i>p</i> < 0.001 for all comparisons). The second experiment evaluated the population responses of the <i>Cyclops</i> sp. to varying concentrations of <i>Chlorococcum</i> sp. (1 × 10<sup>5</sup> (AC1), 3 × 10<sup>5</sup> (AC3), 5 × 10<sup>5</sup> (AC5), 7 × 10<sup>5</sup> (AC7) and 9 × 10<sup>5</sup> (AC9) cells mL<sup>−1</sup>). The highest density of the <i>Cyclops</i> sp. was observed at AC5 than other concentrations (<i>p</i> < 0.01 for all comparisons). The third experiment investigated the influence of different dietary regimes (live <i>Chlorococcum</i> sp. (Alg), live <i>Chlorococcum</i> sp. + commercial yeast (<i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>) (Alg + Y) and only commercial yeast (Y)). The significantly highest copepod density was achieved with the supplementation of the Alg + Y diet than others (<i>p</i> < 0.01). These results suggest that optimizing initial stocking densities and using relatively high concentrations of <i>Chlorococcum</i> sp. can effectively promote the growth and abundance of <i>Cyclops</i> sp. Furthermore, incorporating <i>Chlorococcum</i> sp. into the feeding regimens, either alone or in combination with other diets, improves the copepod growth and reproduction, providing valuable insights for optimizing aquaculture practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":100114,"journal":{"name":"Aquaculture, Fish and Fisheries","volume":"5 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aff2.70110","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144869484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Daniel Ferreira R. Oliveira, Antonio Cesar Godoy, Marcos Paiva Scardua, Micheli Zaminhan Hassemer, Vanessa Lewandowski, Joab Dutra Pereira, Karen Maiuli O. Amorim, Murilo Machado Ramos, Joyce Zanella, Claucia A. Honorato, Dacley H. Neu
{"title":"Diet Supplemented With Tribulus terrestris Improves Hepatoprotection and Oxidative Stress in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Fingerlings","authors":"Daniel Ferreira R. Oliveira, Antonio Cesar Godoy, Marcos Paiva Scardua, Micheli Zaminhan Hassemer, Vanessa Lewandowski, Joab Dutra Pereira, Karen Maiuli O. Amorim, Murilo Machado Ramos, Joyce Zanella, Claucia A. Honorato, Dacley H. Neu","doi":"10.1002/aff2.70098","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aff2.70098","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Phytogenic additives such as <i>Tribulus terrestris</i> are known to promote various beneficial effects. Although most well-documented benefits relate to reproductive performance, their consumption may also induce positive physiological effects. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of supplementing Nile tilapia diets with different concentrations of <i>T. terrestris</i> (200, 400, and 600 mg kg<sup>−1</sup>) compared to a control group (0 mg kg<sup>−1</sup>). The 32-day experiment was conducted in a recirculation system with 12 tanks, each treatment replicated three times, with 15 fingerlings per tank. We assessed zootechnical performance, enzymatic activities—including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), amylase and alkaline phosphatase (ALP)—fish proximate composition (moisture, crude protein, crude fat and ash), and histomorphometric analyses of liver and intestine. Results showed no significant differences in zootechnical performance or carcass composition. However, enzymatic activities varied significantly: <i>T. terrestris</i> enhanced amylase and ALP activities at all supplementation levels; SOD activity increased at 200 mg kg<sup>−1</sup> but decreased at 600 mg kg<sup>−1</sup>; ALT and AST levels were reduced across all supplemented groups compared to control. Muscle histomorphometric showed decreased fibre diameters with supplementation, suggesting inhibition of muscle hypertrophy. Overall, <i>T. terrestris</i> exhibited hepatoprotective effects and improved amylase activity but did not affect zootechnical performance. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with <i>T. terrestris</i> influenced enzymatic activities and muscle histomorphometry in Nile tilapia, notably enhancing amylase and ALP activities, which may improve dietary nutrient absorption.</p>","PeriodicalId":100114,"journal":{"name":"Aquaculture, Fish and Fisheries","volume":"5 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aff2.70098","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144832925","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Devin N. Jones-Slobodian, Daniel Wieferich, Noah Fierer, Joseph Craine, Adam Sepulveda
{"title":"Turning Trash Into Treasure: Leveraging Discarded Filters for National-Scale Aquatic eDNA Biomonitoring","authors":"Devin N. Jones-Slobodian, Daniel Wieferich, Noah Fierer, Joseph Craine, Adam Sepulveda","doi":"10.1002/aff2.70104","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aff2.70104","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Monitoring biodiversity changes over large spatiotemporal scales is critical for effective ecosystem conservation and management. This study investigates the potential of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to enhance national-scale biomonitoring of freshwater diversity by leveraging discarded filters associated with routine water quality sampling from the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Water Quality Network (NWQN). We tested 375 samples from 103 NWQN sites for eDNA of native and non-native fish and found that 52% of the filters yielded fish eDNA for a total of 70 fish species detections. Of the filters that had fish eDNA present, an average of 3.7 species were detected. Benchmarking these results to USGS's Aquatic Gap Analysis Project (AGAP)—which includes both field-verified observations along with predictive models derived from fish capture and landscape predictor datasets—we found that eDNA from these filters detected only a fraction of the observed and expected fish diversity for these sites. Our results indicate that these discarded filters may not be sufficient for eDNA sampling of fish communities and posit that alternative filter types more appropriate for eDNA sampling may yield more valuable biomonitoring data. Nevertheless, we tested the efficacy of two novel approaches to facilitate large-scale biomonitoring. Though these filters did not yield adequate fish eDNA, the AGAP database provides a useful method for ground truthing fish species presence. The potential of integrating eDNA sampling into existing monitoring frameworks, which, when paired with more optimal eDNA methods, could be a cost-effective strategy to enhance biodiversity monitoring at large scales.</p>","PeriodicalId":100114,"journal":{"name":"Aquaculture, Fish and Fisheries","volume":"5 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aff2.70104","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144832924","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}