Adoption of environmental DNA in public agency practice

Abstract

Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis has matured to the point that it is ready for deployment in many applications, particularly in aquatic environments. But public agencies have yet to adopt eDNA methods into their environmental decision making routines at scale, even when eDNA offers clear advantages to those now in use. This article provides a perspective on this gap by considering adoption of a new technology as a path-dependent, social process in which some paths lead to outcomes that provide far greater benefits than others. We use the diffusion of innovations to investigate eDNA adoption by government agencies, in an effort to (1) identify likely paths toward institutionalized uptake, and (2) suggest ways of avoiding societally inefficient adoption outcomes. Because—as in any scientific endeavor—the best eDNA practices will continue to change, public agencies must remain open to improvements while building a useful and validated array of methods for routine eDNA application. Here we suggest one mechanism for doing so, which we call collaborative governance.