Fish Ecology and Management Studies

Freshwater fish represent a disproportionately large share of the world's vertebrate diversity, yet rivers and lakes face mounting pressure from dams that alter natural flow regimes, invasive species that reshape ecological communities, and climate shifts that push thermal and hydrological conditions beyond historical ranges. Researchers in this space work to understand how these stressors interact — for instance, how flow regulation interacts with habitat fragmentation to limit fish migration — and to translate that understanding into practical tools like environmental flow standards that balance human water use with ecosystem needs. A central open question is how to sustain wild fisheries and native biodiversity simultaneously, particularly in river basins where hydropower infrastructure is still expanding rapidly. Ongoing work is refining methods to detect early warning signals of population collapse and to prioritize conservation investments across large, hydrologically complex landscapes.

Works

200,309

Total citations

3,243,293

Keywords

Freshwater BiodiversityConservation ChallengesFlow RegulationHydropower Dam ConstructionEnvironmental FlowsInvasive Species