Ottawa, Ontario - Aquatic invasive species are harmful to Canada's aquatic plants, animals and habitats. They can cause great economic strain and permanent damage to the aquatic ecosystems and species that Canadians depend on for food, jobs, and culture. The Government of Canada is committed to taking a science-based approach to prevent the introduction, establishment, and spread of aquatic invasive species.
Today, during Invasive Species Awareness Week, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard announced that Fisheries and Oceans Canada's (DFO) Gulf Fisheries Centre (GFC) in New Brunswick, is now accredited to the highest of standards for its environmental DNA (eDNA) testing and analyses. On February 15, 2024, the Moncton-based laboratory became DFO's first International Standards Organization (ISO) 17025 accredited eDNA testing lab for aquatic invasive species. The accreditation certifies that the results produced in the lab meet international standards for accuracy and reliability. It attests to DFO's contributions to protecting Canada's aquatic ecosystems through its early detection of aquatic invasive species using innovative tools.
Leveraging eDNA - the genetic material shed by organisms in their environment - is a transformative approach for aquatic invasive species detection. The approach allows researchers to identify the organisms, including invasive ones, within water samples collected from aquatic ecosystems. It allows us to take preventative action sooner as it allows the detection of aquatic invasive species before they can be seen, e.g., at their earliest life stages (such as larvae) when they are hard to visually identify, and when abundance is still low. Combined with other methods, eDNA is an efficient and cost effective tool to support effective management measures such as targeted aquatic invasive species monitoring.
The Gulf Fisheries Centre, to become the Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre in coming years, is already home to an ISO 17025 accredited National Aquatic Animal Health Program diagnostic lab in support of DFO's aquatic animal health management. This expanded scope of accreditation now including eDNA further demonstrates DFO's leading diagnostic testing abilities and the strength of their analyses.
