A survey of freshwater fish fauna was conducted throughout the Shinano River by examining environmental DNA.

A survey of the freshwater fish fauna of the entire Shinano River was conducted by Assistant Professor Kodama, Visiting Associate Professor Faulks, and Professor Hakoyama on September 13-14, 2021. The species composition was measured using environmental DNA, and it was a large-scale survey of 367 km from the source of the Chikuma River (Shinano River) to the mouth (see figure). Environmental DNA surveys are a method of detecting trace amounts of DNA from environmental water, and can identify fish habitats by analyzing river water without directly catching fish. I can’t wait to see the results.

This survey is being conducted as part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s River Erosion Control Technology Research and Development Regional Issues Field (River Ecology) FS “The Importance of Habitat Continuity in Rivers - Impact Assessment and Conservation Measures for River Ecosystems”. A large-scale project has just begun in 2021 with a research group formed by the Institute of Freshwater Biology, Shinshu University, and the Nagano Prefectural Fisheries Experimental Station.