Wildlife population modelling with genomics

Project overview

Wildlife monitoring is essential for environmental assessments and ongoing monitoring programs, but conventional techniques are often costly, labour-intensive, and slow to detect changes. Genomic approaches using environmental DNA (eDNA) help address these limitations by enabling sensitive, non-invasive detection of species, but alone cannot quantify wildlife abundance or distingusih between living and dead organisms. This creates a critical need for cost-effective monitoring solutions that are both highly sensitive and capable of providing reliable, real-time ecological insights.

Solution

To address these challenges, we are developing integrated air and water sampling methods paired with mathematical models to estimate wildlife populations. In collaboration with the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, we are collecting environmental samples from habitats of large mammals at the Assiniboine Park Zoo. By designing genomic assays to analyze both environmental DNA and RNA and calibrating these signals against known species counts, we aim to build robust models capable of estimating wildlife abundance with high confidence.

Impact

Our work will deliver tools that improve how wildlife populations are monitored, enabling earlier detection of ecological change and more informed conservation actions. By making advanced genomic monitoring accessible and cost-effective, the project empowers local communities, regulators, and industry partners to participate in evidence-based stewardship.