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Water sampling with Smith-Root sampler

eDNA Water Sampling Instructions with Smith-Root Citizen Scientist Sampler Start here: Watch the eDNA Citizen Science Sampler - Instructional Video

Supplies​

  • Gloves

  • Smith-Root citizen science sampler

  • Smith-Root 0.45 um self-preserving filters

  • MilliQ water for filter blank (~100 mL)

If you’re not sampling directly from the water source, you will also need:

  • a 1L bottle or bucket

  • DNAway or 10% bleach for cleaning the bottles

Instructions​

Below are instructions for collecting your sample that complement the video from above. For further visuals, If you need help, please don’t hesitate to call Julie Stanford at 650-799-7225. 0

Before starting, make sure your Smith-Root citizen science sampler is fully charged.

If you are using a bottle or bucket for water collection, make sure to sterilize them before use and between sampling sites to prevent cross-contamination. Sterilize the bottle/bucket by soaking them in acid wash (1% solution of hydrochloric or nitric acid), rinse three times in deionized (DI) water, and then autoclave. Alternatively, sterilize by soaking them in a bleach solution with a 1-5% concentration, followed by three DI water rinses. 1

Follow the map to your sampling site or choose sites you think would be interesting to sample. 2

Record the site and kit information in the app webform we provided to you in Kobo Forms. Also record backup information on a piece of paper just in case the digital data is corrupted or take screenshots.

Remember:

  • Record the label on the tube.

  • Take GPS Coordinates to a resolution of <50m (Kobo Forms does this for you).

  • If possible, take notes on environmental parameters.

  • Always have a paper or screenshot backup. 3

Collect the sample.​

First, put on your gloves, using a clean pair for each site.

You can collect water directly from the water source or by using a bottle/bucket as an intermediary. We recommend sampling directly from the water source if possible to avoid contamination.

Sampling from an intermediary container (Optional): You can skip this step if you’re filtering water directly from a water source which we recommend:

  • Rinse your sample bottle three times with ~10 mL of sample water from the body of water you are sampling.

  • Dispose of this sample water that you are using for rinsing away from the sampling site.

  • Fill your bottle or bucket with 1L of sample water from the water source.

Filtering:

  • Open a wrapped Smith-Root filter pouch. Avoid touching the snorkel while attaching it to the smooth end of the filter housing.

  • Connect the sampler hose to the ridged end of the filter.

  • Turn on the vacuum pump, then submerge the snorkel into the sample water directly in the body of water or in your intermediary container. Start filtering!

  • Once 1L of water has been filtered, or when the filter is clogged, flip the filter housing so the snorkel is out of the water and pointing upward. Let the vacuum pump run for an additional 20 seconds to air dry the filter.

  • Make sure to record the final volume in your field data sheet. It’s OK if you don’t filter a full liter due to clogging.

  • Tip: You can move the sampler hose to different locations in the water to create a sample that incorporates eDNA from different areas if the exact location is not that important to you.

After filtering:

  • Remove the snorkel from the filter housing and dispose of it.

  • Put the filter housing back in the pouch, then label the pouch with the Station, Date, Depth, Replicate, and Volume filtered.

  • Dispose of the filtrate in the collection vessel.

  • Repeat these steps for the number of replicates needed (usually 3 replicates for each area).

Blanks:

  • Filter ~100mL of distilled water through a clean filter. Process one blank for each day of sampling. 4

Take one photo that you think best captures the ecosystem you sampled in and upload.

Record any additional notes or observations that you think might be relevant (e.g. you forgot to put your gloves on, dropped the top of the tube, the tube fell in a pond, the site had poison oak, you saw a bear, squirrel, fish, etc.). 5

List any species that you see and know on the webform. You can also take photos of them and look them up in iNaturalist (a great app/site for identifying species in photos) and/or add the photos in the web form. 6

To clean the Smith-Root sampler, wipe it thoroughly with a wet paper towel after each field day. Seawater can corrode the metal parts of the sampler.

When done sampling - how to preserve and mail samples:​

Please keep the samples at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Send the eDNA kit to us as soon as possible so that the eDNA doesn’t degrade. Smith-Root filters can usually stay unharmed for up to six months at room temperature but the sooner you send them in the sooner we can get started.

  • Tape the box(es) up securely

  • Drop them in a mailbox with postage or take them to your local post office or use UPS or FedEx to mail them back.

Ship to​

CALeDNA, attn: Rachel Meyer

Coastal Biology Building, UCSC​

130 McAllister Way rm 143

Santa Cruz, CA 95060​

Source document: Google Doc