Abstract

Often biological invasions are mounting to freshwater ecosystems in tropical areas but the lack of monitoring because of the high species richness, lack of expertise to track the taxonomy and logistical hurdles of traditional surveying techniques. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding has been adopted as a revolutionary molecular methodology that is capable of identifying aquatic life via DNA fragments released into water bodies that are non-invasive, sensitive and scalable as an alternative technique to biodiversity. This research paper is an evaluation of the applicability and efficacy of eDNA metabarcoding in the detection and evaluation of freshwater alien species invasion in under-monitored tropical river basins. Water samples were taken in a systematic manner and were taken at the upstream, midstream and downstream parts of the river which represented a diverse ecological as well as anthropogenic setting. EDNA was extracted and its amplification was done with standardized universal barcode markers and subjected with high throughput sequencing and powerful bioinformatic pipelines. These findings indicate that eDNA metabarcoding is significantly more efficient in comparison to the traditional monitoring methods as it will show the diversity of a greater number of alien taxa, such as cryptic, rare, and pre-immune species that usually cannot be observed with the help of traditional methods. Through spatial analysis, clear invasive hotspots were found that were closely linked to anthropogenic processes, change in land-use, and hydrologic connection of river networks. The results indicate that eDNA metabarcoding can offer fast, affordable, and precise evaluations of freshwater biological invasions in information void tropical systems. The introduction of eDNA-based surveillance into the current conservation and biosecurity systems can play a big role in the early detection, evidence-based management choices and long-term protection and sustainable management of vulnerable tropical freshwater ecosystems.