Thomas W. Franklin
eDNA Program Leader
Wildlife and Terrestrial Ecosystems
800 East Beckwith Avenue
Missoula, MT 59801-5801
United States
Missoula, MT 59801-5801
United States
Phone
406-542-4171
Current Research
- eDNA Program - National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation
- The Rangewide Bull Trout eDNA Project
- The Aquatic eDNAtlas Project
- Detecting rare forest carnivores using environmental DNA in snow
Education
- Appalachian State University, M.S., Ecology & Evolution, 2016
- Appalachian State University, B.S. Biology, Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Science, 2014
Other Publications
- Morisette, Jeffrey ; Burgiel, Stanley ; Brantley, Kelsey ; Daniel, Wesley ; Darling, John ; Davis, Jeanette ; Franklin, Thomas ; Gaddis, Keith ; Hunter, Margaret ; Lance, Richard ; Leskey, Tracy ; Passamaneck, Yale ; Piaggio, Antoinette ; Rector, Brian ; Sepulveda, Adam ; Smith, Melissa ; Stepien, Carol ; Wilcox, Taylor. 2021. Strategic considerations for invasive species managers in the utilization of environmental DNA (eDNA): Steps for incorporating this powerful surveillance tool
- Wilcox, Taylor M.; Caragiulo, Anthony ; Dysthe, Joseph C.; Franklin, Thomas W.; Mason, Daniel H.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Zarn, Katherine E.; Schwartz, Michael K.. 2021. Detection of jaguar (Panthera onca) from genetic material in drinking water
- Carim, K. J.; Bean, N. J.; Connor, J. M.; Baker, W. P.; Jaeger, M. ; Ruggles, M. P.; McKelvey, K. S.; Franklin, T. W.; Young, M. K.; Schwartz, M. K.. 2020. Environmental DNA sampling informs fish eradication efforts: Case studies and lessons learned
- Mason, Daniel H.; Dysthe, Joseph C.; Franklin, Thomas W.; Williams, Chris L.; Young, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Schwartz, Michael K.. 2020. Certain detection of uncertain taxa: eDNA detection of a cryptic mountain sucker (Pantosteus jordani) in the Upper Missouri River, USA
- Rodgers, Torrey W.; Dysthe, Joseph C.; Tait, Cynthia ; Franklin, Thomas W.; Schwartz, Michael K.; Mock, Karen E.. 2020. Detection of 4 imperiled western North American freshwater mussel species from environmental DNA with multiplex qPCR assays
- Homel, Kristen M.; Franklin, Thomas W.; Carim, Kellie J.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Dysthe, Joseph C.; Young, Michael K.. 2020. Detecting spawning of threatened chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta over a large spatial extent using eDNA sampling: Opportunities and considerations for monitoring recovery
- Franklin, Thomas W.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Golding, Jessie D.; Mason, Daniel H.; Dysthe, Joseph C.; Pilgrim, Kristine L.; Squires, John R.; Aubry, Keith B.; Long, Robert A.; Greaves, Samuel E.; Raley, Catherine M.; Jackson, Scott ; MacKay, Paula ; Lisbon, Joshua ; Sauder, Joel D.; Pruss, Michael T.; Heffington, Don ; Schwartz, Michael K.. 2019. Using environmental DNA methods to improve winter surveys for rare carnivores: DNA from snow and improved noninvasive techniques
- Franklin, Thomas W.; Wilcox, Taylor M.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Greaves, Samuel E.; Dysthe, Joseph C.; Young, Michael K.; Schwartz, Michael K.. 2019. Repurposing environmental DNA samples to verify the distribution of Rocky Mountain tailed frogs in the Warm Springs Creek Basin, Montana
- Robinson, Anthony T.; Paroz, Yvette M.; Clement, Matthew J.; Franklin, Thomas W.; Dysthe, Joseph C.; Young, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Carim, Kellie J.. 2019. Environmental DNA sampling of small-bodied minnows: Performance relative to location, species, and traditional sampling
- Dysthe, Joseph C.; Rodgers, Torrey; Franklin, Thomas W.; Carim, Kellie J.; Young, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Mock, Karen E.; Schwartz, Michael K.. 2018. Repurposing environmental DNA samples: Detecting the western pearlshell (Margaritifera falcata) as a proof of concept
- Dysthe, Joseph C.; Carim, Kellie J.; Franklin, Thomas W.; Kikkert, Dave; Young, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Schwartz, Michael K.. 2018. Molecular detection of northern leatherside chub (Lepidomeda copei) DNA in environmental samples
- Wilcox, T. M.; Carim, K. J.; Young, M. K.; McKelvey, K. S.; Franklin, T. W.; Schwartz, M. K.. 2018. The importance of sound methodology in environmental DNA sampling
- Franklin, Thomas W.; Dysthe, Joseph C.; Rubenson, Erika S.; Carim, Kellie J.; Olden, Julian D.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Young, Michael K.; Schwartz, Michael K.. 2018. A non-invasive sampling method for detecting non-native smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu)
- Franklin, Thomas W.; Dysthe, Joseph C.; Golden, Michael ; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Hossack, Blake R.; Carim, Kellie J.; Tait, Cynthia ; Young, Michael K.; Schwartz, Michael K.. 2018. Inferring presence of the western toad (Anaxyrus boreas) species complex using environmental DNA
- Dysthe, Joseph C.; Franklin, Thomas W.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Young, Michael K.; Schwartz, Michael K.. 2018. An improved environmental DNA assay for bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) based on the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer I
- Mason, Daniel H.; Dysthe, Joseph C.; Franklin, Thomas W.; Skorupski, Joseph A.; Young, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Schwartz, Michael K.. 2018. qPCR detection of Sturgeon chub (Macrhybopsis gelida) DNA in environmental samples
Citations of Non-Forest Service Publications
-
Young, Michael K.; Isaak, Daniel J.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Schwartz, Michael K.; Carim, Kellie J.; Fredenberg, Wade; Wilcox, Taylor M.; Franklin, Thomas W.; Chandler, Gwynne L.; Nagel, David E.; Parkes-Payne, Sharon L.; Horan, Dona L.; Wollrab, Sherry P. 2017. Species occurrence data from the Range-Wide Bull Trout eDNA Project. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2017-0038.
-
Schwartz, M. K., Young, M.K., McKelvey, K.S., Isaak, D.J., Nagel, D.E., Franklin, T.W., Greaves, S.E., Dysthe, J.C., Chandler, G.L., Wollrab, S.P., Carim, K.J., Wilcox, T.M., Parkes-Payne, S.L., Horan, D.L. 2018. Species occurrence data from the Aquatic eDNAtlas database. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. DOI Pending.
Research Highlights
Rare Carnivore Detections from Environmental DNA in Snow
Year: 2019
A USDA Forest Service study showed that animal footprints in snow contain enough DNA for species identification, even when the snow was many months old. The study extracted DNA from snow samples collected within animal tracks as well as areas where the animal had been photographed months earlier. Ne...
No Fish Left Behind: Using eDNA Sampling to Inform Fish Eradication Efforts
Year: 2020
Environmental DNA methods are highly sensitive and accurate, making them ideal for detecting animals at low densities. However, this tool also comes with its own unique set of challenges when applied to efforts to eradicate invasive species. This research explores the use of eDNA for evaluating inva...