A Fish Study's Promising Results Highlight Parks' Role in Conservation
USGS researchers at the Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit are partnering with the National Park Service and Penn State to monitor stream fish at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and New River Gorge National Park & Preserve to assess how occupancy and detection have changed over a decade.
USGS researchers at the Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit are working with The Pennsylvania State University, and researchers at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and New River Gorge National Park & Preserve to monitor how stream fish occupancy and detection have changed over a decade. The researchers used fish data from electrofishing surveys for variegate darter, rainbow darter, blacknose dace, yellow perch, and American eel. Between 2013 and 2023, occupancy estimates for 44 fish species across two protected, ecologically diverse landscapes remained relatively stable. Furthermore, the researchers highlight how effective national parks are in maintaining freshwater fish biodiversity amidst rapid global change.