Environmental DNA (eDNA) and fish capture data from Round Goby screening surveys on the Eastern Erie Canal, New York (ver. 2.0, May 2024)

The dataset is composed of four tables containing data collected during screening surveys for invasive Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus) at 12 sites on the Eastern Erie Canal in New York between Oneida Lake and the Hudson River from 2016 to 2023. The sampling techniques and frequency of sampling were adapted over time to optimize the efficiency of the study effort. From 2016-2019 eDNA water sampling and traditional fish surveys using seining, trapping, and benthic trawling were conducted twice annually (spring and summer) at the 12 sites. From 2020-2022, eDNA water sampling and traditional fish surveys using benthic trawling and electrofishing were conducted twice annually (spring and summer). In 2023, benthic trawling and electrofishing were conducted once (summer). The 12 study sites were selected to be approximately equidistant apart (~ 20 km) while also taking advantage of suitable access points. Within a study site, the exact areas that were sampled were often staggered by 500 m or occasionally more in order to find appropriate habitat for each gear type (i.e., wadable habitat for seining and habitat free of snags for trawling). The first table "eDNAData" contains environmental DNA data, the second table "FishCaptureData" contains fish community data from the traditional fish sampling methods, the third table "GobyLWData" contains length and weight measurements for all captured Round Goby beginning in 2020, and the fourth table "SiteData" contains information on the 12 study sites.

[
  "010:12"
]

[
  "geospatial"
]