Shedding and degradation rates of environmental DNA (eDNA) from crown-of-thorns seastar (AIMS)

This dataset consists of shedding and degradation rates of environmental DNA (eDNA) from crown-of-thorns seastar (CoTS) under different feeding and temperature treatments, based on aquarium and laboratory experiments.

The aim of this study was to improve the understanding of the major factors affecting the dynamics of environmental DNA (eDNA) from crown-of-thorns seastar (CoTS). This data will help inform the use of eDNA as a novel tool for the management of CoTS outbreaks on tropical coral reefs.

This dataset consists of two spread sheets. The description of each is provided below.

‘shedding’, cots_edna.csv

This spread sheet consists of the eDNA shedding rates (DNA copies per hour per individual) of 8-month-old juvenile CoTS under two temperatures (24 and 28 oC) and three feeding treatments

(no coral, coral accessible and coral inaccessible).

‘degradation’, cots_edna.csv

This spread sheet consists of the eDNA concentration (DNA copies per litre) at designated time points between 0 – 120 hours, under three temperatures (24, 26 and 28 oC).

-Temp: water temperature in oC

-Treatment: feeding treatment (NF = no food, FA = food accessible, FI = food inaccessible)

-Flow: flow rate of the tank (litre per minute)

-Diameter: diameter of the CoTS in mm

-Weight: weight of the CoTS in mg

-SheddingRate: in the unit of DNA copies per hour