Using environmental DNA metabarcoding to assess the spatiotemporal occurrence of the imperiled River Redhorse (Moxostoma carinatum) in the Escambia-Conecuh River system of Florida and Alabama, USA

We used eDNA metabarcoding in this study to detect the spatiotemporal occurrence of River Redhorse (Moxostoma carinatum) and catalog the fish community in the Escambia-Conecuh River system of Florida and Alabama. The River Redhorse is a catostomid that has been classified as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Florida, as only three specimens have been collected from the Escambia-Conecuh River system in the last 70 years. In Alabama, only 20 specimens have been collected from this system since 2000. Surface water samples were collected at sites from the Escambia River system in December 2020 and March to June of 2021. Universal MiFish primers were used to catalog biodiversity.