“Population growth and increasing water-use pressures threaten California's freshwater ecosystems and have led many native fishes to the brink of extinction.”

Several researchers at the Center, Theodore Grantham, Ryan Peek, Eric Holmes, Rebecca M. Quiñones, Andy Bell, Nick Santos, Jeanette K. Howard, Joshua H. Viers, and Peter B. Moyle, recently published a paper that discusses systematic conservation planning for fish.
To guide fish conservation efforts, we provide the first systematic prioritization of river catchments and identify those that disproportionately contribute to fish taxonomic diversity.

“Using high-resolution range maps of exceptional quality, we also assess the representation of fish taxa within the state's protected areas and examine the concordance of high-priority catchments with existing reserves and among distinct taxonomic groups. “

“These results provide the foundation for systematic freshwater conservation planning in California and for prioritizing where limited resources are allocated for fish recovery and protection.”

Read the full article here.