a new study of Stygobromus hayi

ecologists in the washington DC region - are now using new techniques to study the Stygobromus hayi [ Hay's Spring amphipod.] a rare [ on the endangered species list - invertabrate that lives underground in the swampy regiouns on the banks of a few streams around the DC area [ this is its only known habitat ]

being a troglodyte - its hard to study - as - digging down to it - disturbs the creature

so a new - DNA based sampling is being used :

Niemiller and his colleagues decided to try a different approach, called eDNA. They sampled water in seepage springs where S. hayi and other Stygobromus species had previously been sighted and in others where they had not. The team filtered the water on site, returning to the lab to check their filters for the animal's DNA.

"This environmental DNA approach has successfully detected larger aquatic animals like salamanders, but no studies had previously used this technique to hunt for invertebrates in groundwater," Niemiller said.

environmental DNA analysis - it a[pppearsb pretty cool tech - and may be usefull for other projects

it of course has its flaws - it can only [ i assume ] detect historic populations - so its not a valid snapshot of todays situation - but better than digging them up

source

further background info on the species

wiki primer