Using microbial eDNA and microbial community profiling as a potential tool to detect undercover Li deposits along the Magaguadavic River (Flume Ridge, NB, Canada)

Microbial eDNA samples were collected from sediment and filtered water samples along the Magaguadavic River (Flume Ridge, Southwestern New Brunswick, Canada) in June 2024. Environmental DNA was extracted, and commercially analyzed via 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing by CEGA-eDNATec (St John's, Newfoundland, Canada). Microbial taxonomic profiles were used to assess whether they could be used as possible exploration tools for undercover Li deposits in the area. © His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, represented by Natural Resources Canada, 2025. Released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). Users must credit Natural Resources Canada as the data provider.