Data from: Ecological forensic testing: Using multiple primers for eDNA detection of marine vertebrates in an estuarine lagoon subject to anthropogenic influences

Many critical aquatic habitats are in close proximity to human activity
(i.e., adjacent to residences, docks, marinas, etc.), and it is vital to
monitor biodiversity in these and similar areas that are subject to
ongoing urbanization, pollution, and other environmental disruptions.
Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is an accessible, non-invasive
genetic technique used to detect and monitor species diversity and is a
particularly useful approach in areas where traditional biodiversity
monitoring methods (e.g., visual surveys or video surveillance) are
challenging to conduct. In this study, we implemented an eDNA approach
that used a combination of three distinct PCR primer sets to detect marine
vertebrates within a canal system of Biscayne Bay, Florida, an ecosystem
representative of challenging sampling conditions and a myriad of impacts
from urbanization. We detected fish species from aquarium, commercial, and
recreational fisheries, as well as invasive, cryptobenthic, and endangered
vertebrate species, including charismatic marine mammals such as the
protected West Indian manatee, Trichechus manatus. Our results support the
potential for eDNA analyses to supplement traditional biodiversity
monitoring methods and ultimately serve as an important tool for ecosystem
management. This approach minimizes stress or disturbance to organisms and
removes the intrinsic risk and logical limitations of SCUBA diving,
snorkeling, or deploying sensitive equipment in areas that are subject to
high vessel traffic and/or low visibility. Overall, this work sets the
framework to understand how biodiversity may change over different spatial
and temporal scales in an aquatic ecosystem heavily influenced by
urbanization and validates the use of eDNA as a complementary approach to
traditional ecological monitoring methods.