DNA barcoding provides a molecular tool to identify and classify organisms. Sequencing the cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene, and comparing the sequences across phyla allows to identify species, populations within species, generate phylogenetic trees, and more.

A good introduction to DNA barcoding can be found here: https://dnabarcoding101.org/lab/

A comprehensive database on DNA barcodes worldwide can be found here: https://www.boldsystems.org/

Barcoding of Biddeford Pool

Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (DUE-IUSE 1431955; Project TURBO:  The Undergraduate Saco River Biodiversity Observatory) and in collaboration with Ixplore we established a teaching module on DNA barcoding in multiple undergraduate courses. Students barcode as many marine and terrestrial invertebrate species in the Saco River estuary as possible. The current status of our barcoding progress is archived in these pages.

Search bar can be found in upper menu next to DNA Barcoding

Current Progress:

Phylum	Species	Common Name
Annelida	Sparganophilus tamesis
Annelida	Lumbriculus	California blackworm
Annelida	Lumbriculus variegatus	Mudworm
Annelida	Arhynchobdellida	Proboscisless leech
Annelida	Alitta virens	Sandworm
Anthophyta	Comandra umbellata	Bastard Toadflax
Anthophyta	Symphyotrichum eatonii	Easton Aster
Anthophyta	Maianthemum stellatum	Star flowered lily of the valley
Arthropoda	Semibalanus balanoides	Acorn Barnacle
Arthropoda	Gammarus oceanicus	Amphipod
Arthropoda	Chromagrion conditum	Aurora damsel
Arthropoda	Buenoa	Backswimmer
Arthropoda	Notonecta uhleri	Backswimmer
Arthropoda	Aeshna tuberculifera	Black tipped darner
Arthropoda	Pachydiplax longipennis	Blue dasher
Arthropoda	Hydrocanthus iricolor	Burrowing water beetle
Arthropoda	Notonecta uhleri	Common Backswimmer
Arthropoda	Peltodytes edentulus	Crawling waterbug
Arthropoda	Pelocoris femoratus	Creeping waterbug
Arthropoda	Laccophilus maculosus	Dingy diver
Arthropoda	Hydroporus	Diving water beetle
Arthropoda	Leucorrhinia intacta	Dot-tailed whiteface
Arthropoda	Erythemis simplicicollis	Eastern pondhawk
Arthropoda	Carcinus maenas	European green crab
Arthropoda	Enallagma civile	Familiar Bluet
Arthropoda	Diptera	Fly
Arthropoda	Ischnura	Forktail
Arthropoda	Anax junius	Green darner
Arthropoda	Notonecta kirbyi	Kirby’s backswimmer
Arthropoda	Anopheles quadrimaculatus	Marsh mosquito
Arthropoda	Coenagrionidae	Narrow-winged damselfly
Arthropoda	Chaoborus punctipennis	Phantom midge
Arthropoda	Callibaetis ferrugineus	Speckled spinner
Arthropoda	Lestidae	Spread-winged damselfly
Arthropoda	Libellula pulchella	Twelve-spotted skimmer
Arthropoda	Arctocorisa carinata	Water boatman
Arthropoda	Hydrometra martini	Water measurer
Bryozoa	Membranipora membranacea	Lacy Crust bryozoan
Filincinophyta	Onoclea sensibiis	Bead fern
Magnoliophyta	Lysimachia nummularia	Creeping Jenny
Magnoliophyta	Berberis thunbergii	Japanese barberry
Mollusca	Pseudosuccinea columella	American ribbed fluke
Mollusca	Mytilus trossulus	Bay mussel
Mollusca	Physella acuta	Bladder snail
Mollusca	Littorina littorea	Common periwinkle
Mollusca	Crepidula fornicata	Common slipper snail
Mollusca	Nucella lapillus	Dog whelk
Mollusca	Tritia obsoleta	Mud snail
Mollusca	Modiolus modiolus	Northern horsemussel
Mollusca	Lacuna vincta	Northern lacuna
Mollusca	Mya arenaria	Soft-shell clams
Rhodophyta	Chrondrus crispus	Irish moss
Spermatophyta	Prunus virginiana	Bitter-berry
Spermatophyta	Smilax china	China root
Spermatophyta	Prunus virginiana	Chokecherry
Spermatophyta	Juglans nigra	Eastern black walnut
Spermatophyta	Geranium endressii	Endres cranesbill
Spermatophyta	Quercus robur	English Oak
Spermatophyta	Sorbus scopulina	Greene’s mountain-ash
Spermatophyta	Vaccinium membranaceum	Huckleberry
Spermatophyta	Acer glabrum	Rocky mountain maple
Tracheophyta	Comoranthus minor
Tracheophyta	Ozoroa mucronata	Eastern Cape Resin Tree
Tracheophyta	Solidago missouriensis	Goldenrod
Tracheophyta	Solidago missouriensis	Missouri goldenrod