The detection of fish by using environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis has been shown to be more cost‐effective than traditional sampling methods are in certain situations, but this method has not been assessed under extreme winter conditions. We conducted a multiyear pilot study to test the effectiveness of eDNA for detecting fish under ice. In the spring of 2016, 2017, and 2018, we sampled for juvenile Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in the Tanana Flats (Alaska, USA) by using minnow traps and by using eDNA in the spring of 2017 and 2018. We used traps at 97 sites and analyzed eDNA that was isolated from water samples at 36 sites, using an established, species‐specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay for Chinook Salmon. We detected Chinook Salmon by using eDNA at 12 of the 36 eDNA‐sampled sites but did not capture any live juveniles in the minnow traps. Assuming that positive eDNA detections are reliable indicators of recent fish presence, we found that eDNA can be a more efficient and cost‐effective alternative for monitoring aquatic communities under extreme winter conditions. Based on our experience, including eDNA‐based screening of target sampling sites could prove to be a significant boost to the effectiveness of fish monitoring in remote and challenging habitats.

中文翻译：

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通过使用环境DNA识别奇努克鲑鱼的冰下越冬地点

在某些情况下，使用环境DNA（eDNA）分析检测鱼类比传统采样方法更具成本效益，但尚未在极端冬季条件下对该方法进行评估。我们进行了一项为期多年的试验研究，以测试eDNA在冰下检测鱼的有效性。在2016年春季，2017年和2018年春季，我们对青少年奇努克鲑鱼Oncorhynchus tshawytscha进行了采样在2017年春季和2017年春季使用minnow陷阱和eDNA在美国Tanana Flats进行了分析。我们使用了97个位点的陷阱，并使用已建立的物种分析了从36个位点的水样中分离的eDNA-奇努克鲑鱼的特异性定量聚合酶链反应（qPCR）分析。我们通过在36个eDNA采样点中的12个中使用eDNA检测到了奇努克鲑鱼，但未在the鱼陷阱中捕获任何活的幼体。假设eDNA阳性检测是近期鱼类存在的可靠指标，我们发现eDNA可以是在极端冬季条件下监测水生群落的更有效和更具成本效益的替代方法。根据我们的经验，