Environmental DNA metabarcoding results of fish prey DNA in common loon (Gavia immer) fecal and cloacal swab samples from the Whitefish Chain of Lakes, Crow Wing County, Minnesota

Publication Date

2023-04-24

Start Date

2015-07-14

End Date

2016-09-29

Lor, Y., and Kenow, K.P., 2023, Environmental DNA metabarcoding results of fish prey DNA in common loon (Gavia immer) fecal and cloacal swab samples from the Whitefish Chain of Lakes, Crow Wing County, Minnesota: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P96EXO3V.

Type: Related Primary Publication

Common loon (Gavia immer) foraging patterns and the relative importance of cisco (Coregonus artedi) in the diets of breeding and non-breeding common loons were evaluated for a set of cold-water cisco refuge lakes in Minnesota. Because high-quality cisco lakes are relatively rare in Minnesota but seem to be correlated with large loon aggregations, the goals of this study were to evaluate common loon foraging patterns and the relative importance of cisco in the diets of breeding and non-breeding common loons on a select group of cold-water cisco refuge lakes in Minnesota. The objective was to assess diets of loons either associated with breeding territories or non-breeding aggregations using environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding of prey DNA from loon fecal or cloacal swab samples to determine the contribution of cisco relative to all fish prey consumed.

• USGS Data Release Products
• Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC)