b'COVER FEATUREoftheproject.Thefindingsarethenandhadawater(andthereforeeDNA)eDNAmethodsrepresenttremendous used to inform development or land useresidency time of just 21 hours. This meanspotential for the aggregate industry as a decisions regarding species at risk. that eDNA shed by the target fish speciesway to detect species at risk. It is a method would have been washed downstream bythat is oftentimes more efficient, accurate, eDNA IN ACTION the current and no longer in the river inreliable and cost-effective compared with Azimuth has used eDNA surveys to detectless than 24 hours, yet we still detected thetraditionalsurveyprotocols,andweare sevenspeciesatriskoverthepastthreespecies using our eDNA approach.confidentitwillplayanincreasingly years.Inthewinterof2017/2018,weInanotherstudy,wewereabletoyears to come.important role in detection confidence in collected water samples from ice-covereddemonstrateconclusivelythatBlandings wetlandsinsouth-centralOntariothatTurtles observed in a small lake a decadeDr.ScottTarof,Ph.D.Biology,isasenior were thought to be overwintering sites forearlier were no longer present. This aspectterrestrial ecologist at Azimuth Environmental speciesatriskturtles.In-30Ctempera- ofoccupancyisverydifficulttoproveConsultingandleadsthecompanyseDNA tures and bitterly cold winds, we used anusing traditional methods because of theservices.MikeJones,M.Sc.,P.Geo.,isthe auger to drill through about 30cm of solidspecies secrecy. companys president.ice to collect water samples. That we detected the turtles eDNA from water under such harsh winter conditions whilethespecieswashibernating(i.e., had extremely low activity levels and low ratesofeDNAreleaseintothewater) demonstrates an extreme affirmatory test of the utility of eDNA in detecting species atrisk,especiallyoutsideofthetypical summer active season. Inthesummersof2018-2020,we conducted eDNA studies to detect three at risk fish and one bat species. One of the fish species occupied a river that was over 50km long, up to 6m wide and 15m deep, REGULATIONSTheMinistryofNatural ResourcesandForestryoversees theaggregateindustry,licens-ingandapprovals.Intermsof licensing,theAggregateResources Act(1990)considershowpitor quarryoperationsmayimpact the environment. Under the act, for example, an applicant is usu-ally required to conduct inventory studies (e.g., for species at risk) as part of their licence application. The Ontario Endangered Species Act (2007) describes species and habitat protections afforded to species at risk that are listed as threatened orendangered.Ofthe30,000-plusknownspeciesinOntario, 171areconsideredcurrentlyto bethreatenedorendangered, althoughsomeofthesespecies can be locallyabundant. FALL 2020AVENUES 9'