Marine Science Faculty Publications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2021
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v22i1.2191
Abstract
Fish are an important resource worldwide and their management requires a combination of strategies, including the protection of spawning areas. However, the identification of fish early life stages, especially fish eggs, is challenging due to the lack of distinguishing morphological features. Here we present an outreach activity, named “DNA Detectives”, that allows students to discover the method of DNA barcoding, a technique used by scientists to determine which species of fish are spawning in a given location. Students will learn about fish reproduction strategies, methods used by scientists for collecting fish eggs, and how to identify these eggs using their genetic code, or DNA sequence. During this activity, students receive a short lesson about fish reproduction and fish egg collection before performing their own DNA Detective work by choosing a fish egg, deciphering its genetic code to identify the species it belongs to, learning about the fish through a coloring page, and earning a sticker reward. The DNA Detectives activity is designed for grades 2-5, but has been used in a wide range of settings such as public science festivals and the Great American Teach-In. This activity is also available to remote learners via a website (https://sites.google.com/view/dnadetectives/home).
Rights Information
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, v. 22, issue 1, art. ev22i1.2191
Scholar Commons Citation
Kerr, Makenzie and Breitbart, Mya, "DNA Detectives: Outreach Activity Teaching Students to Identify Fish Eggs Using DNA Barcoding" (2021). Marine Science Faculty Publications. 1358.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/1358
Supplemental Material
