Description:
This report contains the biological findings and conservation recommendations of an aquatic expedition along the Pastaza River, one of the least disturbed of the upper Amazon River tributaries. The scientific team discovered moderate to high species richness; they concluded that the area has high conservation potential because of its relative intactness--a product of its remoteness and the low density of human population nearby.
Brief description: Phillip W. Willink is an ichthyologist at the Field Museum in Chicago.Barry Chernoff is the curator and head of the Division of Fishes in the Department of Zoology at the Field Museum and a Rapid Assessment Program team leader. Jennifer McCullough is the manager of the Rapid Assessment Program in the Center for Applied Biodiversity Science at Conservation International.