UW News

Aden Yincheong Ip

November 26, 2025

Counting salmon is a breeze with airborne eDNA

Hooknose male Coho salmon in dark ocean water.

In a new study, University of Washington researchers collected salmon DNA in air filters near a stream, showing that eDNA can move between air and water, a possibility scientists hadn’t accounted for that opens new avenues for monitoring aquatic species.