CSA W214:21

National Standard of Canada

Environmental DNA (eDNA) reporting requirements and terminology

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  CSA W214:21

  November 2021

  
  

  Title: Environmental DNA (eDNA) reporting requirements and terminology

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National Standard of Canada

CSA W214:21

Environmental DNA (eDNA) reporting requirements and terminology

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ICS 13.020.10

ISBN 978-1-4883-3794-9

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Contents

Technical Committee on eDNA Terminology and Reporting Requirements 3

Preface 5

0 Introduction 6

1. Overview 6

2. Considerations 6

1. Reference publications 8

   
   

2. Definitions, abbreviations, and symbols 9

   1. Definitions 9

   2. Abbreviations 14

   3. Symbols 14

      
      

3. Survey design 14

   1. General 14

   2. Global considerations 14

      1. General 14

      2. Contextual information 14

      3. Study design 15

   3. Specific considerations 17

      1. General 17

      2. Aquatic environments 17

      3. Sediment cores (underlying aquatic samples) 18

      4. Terrestrial environments 18

      5. Atmospheric samples 18

      6. Biotic samples 18

         
         

4. Sample collection, labelling, handling, and preservation 18

   1. General 18

      
      

      5.2	Global considerations	19
      5.2.1	General 19
      5.2.2	Reporting 19
      5.3	Specific considerations	20
      5.3.1	General 20
      5.3.2	Aquatic environments	20

      1. Sediments underlying aquatic environments 20

      2. Terrestrial environments 20

      3. Atmospheric environments 21

      4. Biotic media 21

      
      

5. Nucleic acid extraction 21

   1. General 21

   2. Global considerations 21

      
      

6. Nucleic acid analysis 22

   1. General 22

   2. Global considerations 22

   3. Specific considerations 23

      1. Targeted assays 23

      2. High-throughput sequencing 23

         
         

7. Overall survey analysis and interpretation 24

   1. General 24

   2. Global considerations 24

Technical Committee on eDNA Terminology and Reporting Requirements

N. Gagné Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada Category: Regulatory Authority

Chair

L. Bernatchez Université Laval,

Québec, Québec, Canada

Category: General Interest

D. Bright Hemmera,

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Category: General Interest

G. Côté Québec Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks, Québec, Québec, Canada

Category: Regulatory Authority

M. Coulson Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Category: Regulatory Authority

K. Gurney Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada Category: General Interest

R. Hanner University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada Category: General Interest

C. Helbing University of Victoria,

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Category: General Interest

J. Hobbs J Hobbs Ecological Consulting Ltd., Pender, British Columbia, Canada Category: General Interest

M. Hocking Ecofish Research,

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Category: General Interest

I. Khan Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Category: Regulatory Authority

C. Naumann Dillon Consulting Limited,

Richmond, British Columbia, Canada

Category: General Interest

G. Parent Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Mont-Joli, Québec, Canada Category: Regulatory Authority

C. Richter USGS, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri, USA

Category: General Interest

C. Silverio British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy,

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Category: Regulatory Authority

M. Skinner Stantec Consulting Ltd., Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada Category: General Interest

A. Weir Bureau Veritas,

Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Category: General Interest

T. Wilcox National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation,

Missoula, Montana, USA

Category: General Interest

C. Wilson Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada

Category: General Interest

K. Clogg-Wright CSA Group,

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Project Manager

Preface

This is the first edition of CSA W214, Environmental DNA (eDNA) reporting requirements and terminology.

Users of this Standard are reminded that additional eDNA study design, methodology, and reporting requirements may be specified by federal, provincial/territorial, municipal, or other authorities, or by a project owner, depending on the larger study objectives. This Standard should not be considered as a replacement for the requirements contained in any

1. applicable federal, territorial, or provincial statute;

2. regulation, licence, or permit issued pursuant to an applicable statute; or

3. contract that an owner has with a contractor.

   CSA Group acknowledges that the development of this Standard was made possible, in part, by the financial support of the Standards Council of Canada (SCC).

   
   

   This Standard was prepared by the Technical Committee on eDNA Terminology and Reporting Requirements, under the jurisdiction of the Strategic Steering Committee on Natural Resources, and has been formally approved by the Technical Committee.

   This Standard has been developed in compliance with Standards Council of Canada requirements for National Standards of Canada. It has been published as a National Standard of Canada by CSA Group. Notes:

   1. Use of the singular does not exclude the plural (and vice versa) when the sense allows.

   2. Although the intended primary application of this Standard is stated in its Scope, it is important to note that it remains the responsibility of the users of the Standard to judge its suitability for their particular purpose.

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CSA W214:21

Environmental DNA (eDNA) reporting requirements and terminology

0 Introduction

1. Overview

   Environmental DNA (eDNA) methods are used routinely around the world and have revolutionized the assessment and survey of environmental resources. eDNA methods reveal important information regarding target taxa with high efficiency and sensitivity while reducing disturbance to species and their ecosystems compared to conventional methods. The results are typically used to inform conservation and management decisions and activities undertaken by regulatory agencies, consultants, environmental management professionals, natural resource developers and operators, First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis.

   
   

   This Standard defines minimum requirements for the reporting of methods, data, and results, including possible sources of error associated with biological surveys, assays, and monitoring that incorporate eDNA methods. Compliance with this Standard will ensure that sufficient information about eDNA studies is conveyed to support data transparency, reproducibility, and review. This Standard will also improve confidence in eDNA results and their interpretations, and enhance the comparability between multiple studies and between eDNA practitioners. Minimum reporting requirements will support eDNA data collation, data mining, and meta-analytical approaches for addressing larger-scale environmental questions.

   This Standard also provides definitions of specific terms used in the planning and reporting of eDNA studies. The consistent and unambiguous use of clearly defined terms will support a mutual understanding of eDNA approaches and methodologies.

   
   

   Despite a diversity of approaches, eDNA methods are applied in the context of several common steps within a linear workflow. The workflow typically includes

   1. survey design;

   2. sample collection, labelling, handling, and preservation;

   3. nucleic acid extraction;

   4. analysis; and

   5. overall survey analysis and interpretation.

   While the selection of the methods used within each workflow element is based on overall survey project goals and objectives, clear documentation of the potential sources of error or bias within each element will increase confidence in the reliability of the approach and the conclusions.

   
   

2. Considerations

This Standard is organized according to the eDNA-based workflow progression specified in Clause 0.1.

Within each workflow element, considerations are divided into

1. global considerations; and

2. specific considerations, where appropriate.