Mathew Seymour

Ecosystem health and stability are closely linked to biodiversity dynamics (local, spatially and temporally). My interest are in understanding the processes that shape spatial biodiversity patterns, and subsequent inter and intraspecific responses. Traditionally, such assessments have been completed using physical descriptive methods (e.g., taxonomic identification and morphological characterization). Recent advances in molecular techniques now allow for alternative and rapid assessment of biodiversity using environmental sampling, allowing for more a more generalized set of analytical tools to characterize a much wider range of biodiversity. Presently I am assessing the power of using environmental DNA (eDNA) to assess diversity patterns and eDNA persistence dyanmics in rivers using high through-put sequencing and quantitative PCR (qPCR), in conjunction with traditional taxonomic assessments of biodiversity across large temporal and spatial scales.