European Union (EU) legislation supports the conservation of endangered freshwater species through the Habitats Directive (HD, 92/43/EEC) and the Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000/60/EC), and the eradication of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) through the Regulation 1143/2014. Periodic monitoring and reporting on the species listed in these regulations are mandatory for EU Member States. Quantitative PCR environmental DNA (qPCR...

Once widespread in Italy, in the last century the Eurasian otter ( Lutra lutra ) went to the brink of extinction in this country, only surviving in a few southern river basins. Being included in the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC, it is mandatory for State Members to monitor its conservation status over time, making cost effective and accurate monitoring protocols a relevant issue. We compared the efficiency of environmental DNA...

During the past century the Eurasian otter ( Lutra lutra ) suffered a drastic decline throughout the rivers of the Italian peninsula, surviving only in Southern Italy. Recent surveys have revealed irrefutable signs (i.e. faeces’ presence) of otter expansion in Central Italy and, specifically in the last 15 years, along rivers of Abruzzo region. Gradually expanding along the Sangro river, otters have also recolonized the Abruzz...