A DNA barcode dataset for the aquatic fauna of the Panama Canal: a novel resource for detecting faunal change in the Neotropics

We present a dataset of DNA barcodes for aquatic fauna of the Panama Canal Watershed, Panama. We DNA barcoded 852 specimens from a diverse array of taxa (e.g. fishes, zooplankton, mollusks, arthropods, reptiles, birds, mammals) using COI, and in some cases, 12S and 16S barcodes. These data were collected for a variety of studies, many of which have aimed at understanding recent changes in aquatic communities in the Panama Canal. The DNA barcodes presented here are all from captured specimens, which confirms their presence in Panama and, in many cases, inside the Panama Canal. Both native and exotic taxa are included. This dataset represents a valuable resource for environmental DNA (eDNA) work in the Panama Canal region and across the Neotropics aimed at monitoring ecosystem health, tracking non-native and potentially invasive species, and understanding the ecology and distribution of these freshwater and euryhaline taxa. Sequence .fasta files and metadata are provided