Bipartisan legislation introduced this month by the co-chairs of the U.S. Senate Oceans Caucus relies on environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques pioneered by Cornell researcher David Lodge, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and past director of the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability.

The Fisheries Science Modernization Act would direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to incorporate eDNA tools into their assessment surveys of fish stocks - assessments that inform how many fish can be harvested by commercial and recreational fishers. Eight Republican, Democratic and independent senators co-sponsor the legislation, and multiple fishing industry and environmental protection organizations support it.

"When I started testing eDNA 17 years ago, I was interested in detecting rare species, such as emerging invasive species and endangered species," Lodge said. "The focus of this legislation is quite different. Here, it's not just about detecting whether a Pacific hake exists, it's about estimating how many hake there are, based on how many distinct pieces of hake DNA you can find. It's pretty astonishing to me that we in the scientific world working on eDNA have come this far, this fast."

Currently, NOAA creates fish stock assessments through traditional surveys in which scientists go out on research vessels to catch fish using bottom trawls, acoustic sonar and longlines at hundreds of stations. They also interview and collect catch logs from commercial fishers. Regional fisheries councils composed of federal, state and stakeholder organizations use these surveys to decide how many of each species can be harvested the following year in order to maintain sustainable populations. The newly introduced legislation calls for NOAA to expand its use of eDNA to make stock surveys more comprehensive, more frequent and ultimately less expensive. The agency has been trialing the eDNA tools on populations of Pacific hake, and the proposed law directs NOAA to test and validate eDNA technologies more broadly before formally incorporating them into stock assessments.

"Environmental DNA is an innovative, cost-effective tool that will give our scientists a clearer picture of our fisheries while expanding survey coverage and reducing costs," said Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), the legislation's lead sponsor along with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island). "This legislation is the product of extensive collaboration with NOAA, Alaska fishermen, tribal partners, academia and industry to modernize how we assess fish stocks using the best available science."

The legislation has been endorsed by industry groups such as the Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association, the American Sportfishing Association, and the Pacific Seafood Processors Association, and by environmental protection advocates such as Environmental Defense Fund and Ocean Conservancy.

Cornell Atkinson supported some of the research behind the legislation and helped convene the strategic policy engagement effort, including briefings with policymakers in Washington, D.C., to connect the science with those shaping the future of fisheries management.

"This eDNA work exemplifies the way Cornell Atkinson is looking to help communities and policymakers make science-based decisions," said Patrick Beary, Bruce H. Bailey Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships at Cornell Atkinson. "Research can provide the knowledge and tools we need, but connecting that work with policymakers and the people who can use those tools and insights is often the critical last mile between scientific discovery and real-world impact."

Lodge has spent his career developing new scientific tools and methods to protect aquatic ecosystems, and working collaboratively with partners to deploy those tools. He served as an adviser to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and contributed expert opinion that informed a 2024 national eDNA strategy. The Fisheries Science Modernization Act builds on those efforts.

"To my mind, this is a great opportunity to spin an innovation flywheel," Lodge said. "If passed by Congress and signed by the president, this could unleash more private sector investment in eDNA, which would spur more innovation and discovery by research universities. It becomes a virtuous cycle of more efficient regulatory management, improved ecosystem health and growing economic opportunity."

Krisy Gashler is a writer for Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability.