Our Team
UC CALeDNA
Pilot phase
Project Coordinator and Software Engineer: Wai-Yin Kwan
Science Lead: Dr. Dannise Ruiz
Advisor: Dr. Rachel Meyer, UCLA
Year one phase
Project Director: Miroslava Munguia Ramos, UCLA
Software Developer and Data Curator: Wai-Yin Kwan
Project Investigator: Dr. Robert Wayne, UCLA
Project Investigator: Dr. Rachel Meyer, UC Santa Cruz
Collaborating Partners
Organization | Link | Project Goals and Data Contributions |
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Add eDNA monitoring to areas where the Audubon Center currently performs habitat enhancement. Add eDNA to existing and future avian point count surveys to help inform baseline estimates of bird abundance. Provide bird data collected from their volunteers.
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Add eDNA monitoring along the Glendale Narrows and near the 5 freeway and Colorado Blvd. Provide access to over ten years of biotic and abiotic data from the Los Angeles River Water Monitoring Program. Provide fish tissue and freshwater data from their Environmental Monitoring Division (EMD). |
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Add eDNA monitoring to Los Angeles River Watershed Monitoring Program (LARWMP) existing summer monitoring program. Provide access to over ten years of biotic and abiotic data from the Los Angeles River Water Monitoring Program. Provide data about their efforts to map and remove the invasive reed Arundo donax.
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website | Add eDNA monitoring to LA River estuary along Long Beach and see how marine and riverine ecosystems complement each other. | |
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Add eDNA monitoring to Heal the Bay’s existing summer bacterial analysis program. Use eDNA to better understand pathogen presence and persistence, ecological health of the L.A. River Watershed, and impacts of existing and future projects (restoration, maintenance, etc). Provide field data and fecal indicator bacteria data from their summer monitoring program. Provide data from storm drains in the Elysian Valley and their Coastal Cleanup program.
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Add eDNA monitoring to Los Angeles Waterkeeper’s existing monitoring program. Provide abiotic and biotic data from their RAFT program. The biotic data is mostly benthic invertebrates collected by their volunteers and verified by taxonomists.
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website | Engage community scientists with virtual events and seminars regarding LA River history, flora, and fauna. |
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Use eDNA to monitor the shifts in the biological community at the Bowtie Parcel nature-based stormwater capture and habitat enhancement project.
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website | Incorporate L.A. River biodiversity into the 9th grade environmental science curriculum. | |
Southern California Coastal Water Research Project |
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Use eDNA to better understand the biodiversity of the L.A. River for biomonitoring and bioassessment applications. Provide abiotic and biotic data collected at various spots along the river for over ten years.
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Our Funders
Support for the pilot and year one provided by Metabolic Studio.