Endangered Fish, Rivers at Risk: Spatial Aspects of Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation

Dear Colleagues,

Freshwater ecosystems support over 18,000 fish species, a quarter of all known vertebrates, as well as thousands of other animal and plant species. These critical ecosystems, and the diversity of life they support, are highly imperiled by numerous, interacting threats. Habitat degradation, flow modification and fragmentation, non-native species introductions, pollution, overexploitation, and climate change have resulted in IUCN threatened status for nearly one-third of all listed freshwater fish species. While the threats facing freshwaters and freshwater fishes are well documented, their continued decline suggests current conservation strategies provide insufficient protection for many threatened fish populations. In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the benefits of protecting riverine habitats and conserving connectivity for aquatic biodiversity. The aim of this Special Issue is to both highlight spatial approaches for the protection of threatened freshwater fishes and to identify the challenges to wider implementation of these strategies. Successful protection for threatened freshwater fishes, and other species, will require continued development of diverse conservation strategies, including spatial protections. By identifying cases where durable river/habitat protection has effectively protected at-risk fish populations, and conversely, where spatial protection (or better understanding of spatial factors) is needed or could be applied, this Special Issue will add to the portfolio of tools available for effective global freshwater conservation. 

Contributions are welcome on topics such as the past, present, and future status of endangered freshwater fishes and their habitats, spatial aspects of fish natural history and population genetics, migration and ecological connectivity, explorations of the importance of scale and ecosystem process when considering conservation approaches and outcomes, scale and spatial components of threats and human impacts, single species vs. ecosystem-based approaches, and obstacles and approaches to transboundary management, policy, and conservation. Commentaries, short communications, literature reviews, field-based research, and case studies are all welcome.

Dr. Aaron Koning
Dr. Zeb Hogan
Guest Editors

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