Scientists at work: We use environmental DNA to monitor how human activities affect life in rivers and streams
Marie Simonin, Inrae and Emily S. Bernhardt, Duke University
Rivers, lakes and wetlands cover just 1% of the Earth’s surface but are home to nearly 10% of all species, including fish, mammals, birds, insects and crustaceans. But these rich, diverse ecosystems are in free fall. Worldwide, species are declining faster now than at any other time in human history, and fresh waters are losing more species than land or ocean ecosystems.