With evidence that the giant river otter is in an increasingly perilous state, delegates to the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) listed it as an animal requirin...

Vast journeys, among world’s great wonders, found to be under threat as freshwater fish populations crash by 81% “It’s very hard to imagine what’s going on beneath the water when you look at a river – but you have billions of fish making these epic migrations, some of the largest animal migrations on Earth,” said Dr Zeb Hogan, at the University of Nevada in the US. The longest migration of any freshwater fish species is the dorado catfish, which makes a migration of 7,000 miles (11,000km), from spawning in the foothills of the Andes to feeding in the Amazon estuary and back again. The silver-gold fish themselves were incredible, said Hogan: “They get to about 2 metres long.” Continue reading...

Invasive alien species don’t only drive out other native species, they also dramatically transform soils, water and ecosystems. A new assessment tool aims to pinpoint the negative environmental impact...

Extreme events — such as floods, droughts and heatwaves — are escalating in frequency, magnitude and duration. This Review discusses the implications of these global changes for biodiversity in rivers...

New research maps the course of successful freshwater restoration in Europe. Image: Tom Fisk | Pexels Creative Commons Europe’s rivers and wetlands are woven into the continent’s identi…

Artificial barriers (e.g., dams) are longstanding features of global freshwater habitats, which are being removed in growing numbers due to the limitations they place on native species movements. How....

Hydropower is a renewable energy source that can contribute to growing energy demands. This Review considers the ecological consequences of hydropower plants on riverine systems and emphasizes the urg...