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Let’s talk about the rock threadtail

A photograph of a rock threadtail, a long black insect with very delicate wings.

For Insect Week we’re shining the spotlight on one of our finest Fantastic Freshwater insects.

Meet the rock threadtail

Perched on stones set in the rocky streams of eastern Zimbabwe is one of our most delicate fantastic freshwater species. First discovered in 2013 in Chimanimani National Park, the rock threadtail (Elattoneura lapidaria) was described in 2015, then listed as critically endangered in 2017.

This damselfly is found at whopping elevations, as high as 1500-1600m above sea level in the Chimanimani Mountains. Endemic to Eastern Zimbabwe, the species is only found in the Bundi Plain and Bundi Valley.

Damsel(fly) in distress

The rock threadtail is one of the 50 landmark species at high risk of extinction identified in SHOAL’s Fantastic Freshwater* report. Published on 19th May 2022 (International Day for Biodiversity), Fantastic Freshwater highlights the diversity and beauty of freshwater species and the immense threats they face to their survival.

Like many of our Fantastic Freshwater species, threats to the rock threadtail are largely a result of degradation of their habitat – in this instance as a result of particularly prolific illegal gold mining activity.

Despite Chimanimani National Park being a protected area, more and more people are travelling to eastern Zimbabwe hoping to find gold, including the park rangers. The activity has caused great harm to the natural water sources and biodiversity of the region and poses a major threat to the future of the rock threadtail.

A photograph of the rock threadtail’s habitat, grassy mountains surrounding a stream.

Panning for solutions

At this stage further research of the habitat in Chimanimani National Park is needed, in order to address activities that are threatening the rock threadtail and develop a plan for meaningful conservation action.

If you want to support the work SHOAL are doing to conserve freshwater species through action-driven conservationdonate here and don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter The Stream to get all the latest freshwater news straight to your inbox

*TheFantastic Freshwater: 50 landmark species for conservation report is led by SHOAL, the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC), the IUCN SSC Freshwater Conservation Committee, and the Global Center for Species Survival at the Indianapolis Zoo.

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Michael Edmondstone

June 26th 2024

Fantastic Freshwater, Feature

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Let’s talk about the malabar rotala

A photograph of malabar rotala, a freshwater plant with lots of small, long and thin green leaves and small red and pink flowers.

Checking out one of our Fantastic Freshwater plant species this International Plants Appreciation Day.

We’re giving some love to our Fantastic Freshwater plants this International Plant Appreciation Day.

Just 5% of all plants live in freshwaters, but they are absolutely vital to these ecosystems – and the species that call them home – surviving and thriving.

Plants oxygenate water, reduce flood risk, support nutrient cycling, and remove pollutants. They’re really doing some heavy lifting to keep our freshwater fresh!

Meet malabar rotala

With its characteristic small pink and red flowers, malabar rotala (Rotala malabarica) is a beautiful plant native to the Kannur District in Kerala, India, from where it was described in 1990.

The species has in fact only been recorded in a total of 22 ponds, with more than half of the known population in a single pond. One pond with half the population!

The Western Ghats – home to the Denison’s barb – runs along the coast of western India. The range of mountains support a very wide range of wetland-dependent plants, and represent one of the global centres of diversity of aquatic and wetland plants.

Now the bad news

Malabar rotala is one of the 50 landmark species at high risk of extinction identified in SHOAL’s Fantastic Freshwater* report. Published on 19th May 2022 (International Day for Biodiversity), Fantastic Freshwater highlights the diversity and beauty of freshwater species and the immense threats they face to their survival.

Wetlands are very sensitive ecosystems and rely on specific environmental conditions; any disruption of these specific conditions can pose serious threats to freshwater flora. Threats to malabar rotala include:

Leakage of waste and habitat destruction from mining
Quarrying of the laterite bedrock which hold the seasonal pools where it occurs

Herbicide pollution from nearby cashew plantations

Turning the tide

Unfortunately there are currently no conservation actions in place to protect and restore the malabar rotala.

As with other freshwater plants, more research is needed to increase our knowledge of its ecology, threats, habitat and population trends, so that effective conservation actions can be taken.

If you want to support the work SHOAL are doing to conserve freshwater species through action-driven conservation donate here and don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter The Stream to get all the latest freshwater news straight to your inbox

*The Fantastic Freshwater: 50 landmark species for conservation report is led by SHOAL, the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC), the IUCN SSC Freshwater Conservation Committee, and the Global Center for Species Survival at the Indianapolis Zoo.

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Michael Edmondstone

April 12th 2024

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Let’s talk about the Nubian flapshell turtle

A photograph of the Nubian flapshell turtle, a large grey-brown smooth turtle, in the wild.

It’s World Turtle Day so we want to shellebrate one of our Fantastic Freshwater species!

Meet the Nubian flapshell turtle

The Nubian flapshell turtle is one of Africa’s largest freshwater turtles.

Found in fragmented pockets of habitat from West Africa to Sudan, this gentle giant hadn’t been seen in the wild for decades. That was until 2017 when it was rediscovered in South Sudan.

Meet the Nubian flapshell turtle

The Nubian flapshell turtle is one of the 50 landmark species at high risk of extinction identified in SHOAL’s Fantastic Freshwater* report. Published on 19th May 2022 (International Day for Biodiversity), Fantastic Freshwater highlights the diversity and beauty of freshwater species and the immense threats they face to their survival.

Like many of our Fantastic Freshwater species, threats to the Nubian flapshell turtle are largely a result of degradation of their habitat. However a study published in Oryx in 2021 established a new threat, one that could push the species (with its already small population size) towards extinction.

Interviews with more than 300 local fishermen about the species revealed that four Nubian flapshell turtles captured around Mongalla, South Sudan, were sold to expatriate Chinese residents, who paid up to EUR 400 per turtle for food. The high price creates a strong incentive for the fishing communities in the area to catch these turtles and there are fears the Nubian flapshell turtle could suffer the same fate of other turtle species exploited for the Asian food market.

The species is being threatened by:

Habitat destruction from sand mining, damming, channelisation, and pollution
The species is collected for human consumption

A photograph of the Nubian flapshell turtle, a large grey-brown smooth turtle, in the wild.

Monitor and protect

The Nubian flapshell turtle needs urgent action. Despite the species’ conservation status being Critically Endangered, it is not currently protected or regulated under any international legislation.

The authors of the 2021 study recommend the creation of a protected area for this species. Following surveys of population status, trends, and distribution, they also advise monitoring and mitigating the potential detrimental effects that the Asian export market may have on this species.

1Luiselli, L., Dendi, D., Benansio, J.S., Demaya, G.S., & Stanford, C. B. (2021). An additional threat to the recently rediscovered Nubian flapshell turtle in South Sudan. Oryx, 55(4), 490-490

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Michael Edmondstone

May 23rd 2023

Fantastic Freshwater, Feature

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Catching up with PROGRES (Sulawesi)

A photograph of a man who works with our partner PROGRES in Sulawesi, standing on the back of a boat in a lake.

One year after announcing them as our newest partner, it’s time to check in with PROGRES, a conservation NGO in Sulawesi, Indonesia.

One year after announcing them as our newest partner, it’s time to check in with PROGRES (Sulawesi Regional Ecological Conservation Initiative), a conservation NGO in Sulawesi, Indonesia.

A little backstory

Led by two Sulawesi native women, Sheherazade and Asnim A. Lanusi, PROGRES fuses science with the power of locally-led conservation action to ensure the success and sustainability of their work.

Working with the Asian Species Action Partnership in the Lake Poso region of Sulawesi, considered to be one of the most important ecosystems for freshwater fish conservation in the world. PROGRES’ Fish Programme is focussed on the search for three Critically Endangered fish that are endemic to the lake.

Duck-billed buntingi (Adrianichthys kruyti)
Rosen’s buntingi (A. roseni)
Poso bungu (Mugilogobius amadi)

The sharp decline of each species has been thought to be a result of tectonic activities in the region in 1983, alongside the damage by invasive species through parasites and diseases (Parenti and Soeroto 2004).

A photograph of a man who works with our partner PROGRES in Sulawesi, sitting on a boat in a lake. — © PROGRES

Meet Chilo and Felix

A key part of PROGRES’ work is engaging with young people in the local community to be conservation champions and lead the conservation initiatives.
Chilo and Felix work with PROGRES in Sulawesi and have been integral to the search for the duck-billed buntingi, one of our Top 10 Most Wanted Lost Fishes.

Chilo: “Konservasi adalah memberi kehidupan, kesempatan berwawasan, memberi kesadaran ada yang hampir hilang, untuk itu konservasi harus cepat dilakukan sebelum semuanya terlambat.”

Chilo: “Conservation is about nurturing life, an opportunity to learn, raising awareness that something is almost gone, for that conservation must be done quickly before it’s all too late.”

Felix: “Konservasi bagi saya adalah merawat lingkungan hari ini untuk kehidupan besok yang lebih baik.”

Felix: “Conservation for me is caring for today’s nature for a better life tomorrow.”

PROGRES are working in collaboration with fishermen around Lake Poso too, surveying 21 villages and one city to understand local livelihood, the dependence on Lake Poso and the importance of the fishes to local communities beyond their economic value.

Three fishermen, Om Pedi, Papa Jems, and Ngkai Iki, actively joined PROGRES’ survey activity, alongside 11 local youth. These fishermen and young people have become messengers explaining what the program was about to other parts of the communities.

A photograph of Lake Poso, taken by PROGRES in Sulawesi. — © PROGRES

What have PROGRES been up to?

Extensive surveys have been conducted every month to look for the ASAP targeted fish species. In total, 18 surveys were conducted in water areas in front of Bancea, Leboni, and mainly Peura, Dulumai, and Tolambo villages.

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Michael Edmondstone

May 12th 2023

Fantastic Freshwater, Stories

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Let’s talk about the Diadem lady’s mantle

A photograph of the Diadem lady’s mantle plant, green spiky leaves in a star shape.

Checking out one of our (literally) flashier Fantastic Freshwater species.

We’re giving some love to our Fantastic Freshwater plants this International Plant Appreciation Day. Plants are vital components of freshwater systems, oxygenating the water reducing flood risk, supporting nutrient cycling, and removing pollutants. They’re really doing some heavy lifting to keep our freshwater fresh!

Meet the Diadem lady’s mantle

The Diadem lady’s mantle (Alchemilla diademata) is a beautiful plant is native to Lebanon. Its regal name is inspired by the way its leaves form a crown-like shape around the stem.

The Diadem lady’s mantle has an interesting history of use in traditional medicine. Used for centuries as a natural remedy for a variety of ailments, from digestive issues to menstrual problems, some even believe the plant is anti-aging.

The plant has recognised antimicrobial properties, and is used as an effective medicine against Staphylococcus which can be associated with skin infections and food poisoning. It also appears to work as a significant repellant of silverleaf whitefly, an agricultural pest species.

Arise, threats

The Diadem lady’s mantle is one of the 50 landmark species at high risk of extinction identified in SHOAL’s Fantastic Freshwater* report. Published on 19th May 2022 (International Day for Biodiversity), Fantastic Freshwater highlights the diversity and beauty of freshwater species and the immense threats they face to their survival.

Threats to the species are closely connected to its habitat preferences, with threats including:

Sandstone mining
Overgrazing by sheep, especially during the dry season

The Eastern Mediterranean Freshwater Assessment was concluded in 2014 and represents the first major assessment of the status of and threats to freshwater biodiversity, including plants, in the region. Although large parts of this region are semi-arid and arid in nature, it supports a diverse set of freshwater species and habitats which provide a wide variety of ecosystem services to the human population, including water, food, and income.

Heavy is the head

Unfortunately there are currently no conservation actions in place to protect and restore the Diadem lady’s mantle.

In an ideal world, the actions in place would include national regulations and ex situ conservation efforts.

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Michael Edmondstone

April 13th 2023

Fantastic Freshwater, Feature

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Let’s talk about the Kumejima firefly

A photograph of Kumejima firefly in a forest, leaving bright yellow streaks across the image.

Checking out one of our (literally) flashier Fantastic Freshwater species.

Meet the Kumejima firefly

In springtime, the nights in Kumejima are brought to life with the bright green glow of native fireflies. Discovered in 1993, the Kumejima firefly (Luciola owadai) is one of our (literally) flashier Fantastic Freshwater species.

With an adult life span of less than two weeks, impactful flirtation is critical for the nocturnal species. Males will travel in groups and emit their light in one burst to attract a mate. This display is as enchanting as it is effective, with females going on to lay an impressive 300-500 eggs, which emit a faint yellow glow.

A photograph of Kumejima firefly. — © Satou F

Shine a light on the threats

The Kumejima firefly is one of the 50 landmark species at high risk of extinction identified in SHOAL’s Fantastic Freshwater* report. Published on 19th May 2022 (International Day for Biodiversity), Fantastic Freshwater highlights the diversity and beauty of freshwater species and the immense threats they face to their survival.

Found along the streams of Kume Island, the Kumejima firefly makes its home where the riverside vegetation is dense and covered by evergreen broadleaf trees. Like many of our Fantastic Freshwater species, threats to the Kumejima firefly are largely a result of degradation of their habitat.

The species is being threatened by:

The streams where the species lives have experienced decreased stream flow and deterioration of riverside vegetation due to water source development
A change in cultivated land from rice farming to sugar cane fields has caused the runoff of large amounts of red clay
Environmental changes causing a decrease in their prey, freshwater snails

A photograph of a group of lit up Kumejima fireflys. — © Satou F

Light at the end of the tunnel

Despite not yet being assessed for the IUCN Red List, the Kumejima firefly is on Japan National Red List (2016) with the Japan Ministry of the Environment describing the species as Critically Endangered.

Local action to conserve the species is led by the Kumejima Firefly Museum, established in 2000. The museum staff work alongside local volunteers to address the conservation needs of the species by recovering and maintaining the stream and biotope environments nearby.

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Michael Edmondstone

March 17th 2023

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Let’s talk about the Basra reed warbler

A photograph of a Basra reed warbler in its natural freshwater habitat.

This fantastic freshwater bird is a lesson in how water management can impact wildlife.

Meet the Basra reed warbler

The Basra reed warbler (Acrocephalus griseldis) is an endemic breeder in East and southern Iraq, Kuwait, and Israel. If you’re in the area, you may spot it by its cold grey-olive-brown plumage and whitish underparts, or follow its gruff ‘chaar’ call and quiet, slow song mixed with deep, bulbul-like notes.

Its preferred environment depends on the time of year. When migrating or wintering, the species is found in thickets and bushlands. Other times its aquatic vegetation in or around shallow, fresh or brackish water, that the species will call home. You can’t beat a dense bed of papyrus and reeds, according to the species.

Dam(n) issues

The Basra reed warbler is one of the 50 landmark species at high risk of extinction identified in SHOAL’s Fantastic Freshwater* report. Published on 19th May 2022 (International Day for Biodiversity), Fantastic Freshwater highlights the diversity and beauty of freshwater species and the immense threats they face to their survival.

For a lesson in how water management can impact wildlife, you can look at the Basra reed warbler. The species’ shallow, marshy wetland habitat has suffered significant loss due to major hydrological projects since the 1950s, from dams preventing water from entering the wetlands, to drainage of the Mesopotamian Marshes in Iraq. This has, in turn, resulted in rapid decline of the species.

The species is being threatened by:

Large-scale hydrological projects causing habitat loss
Threats to habitat from large-scale conversion for agriculture
Drought reducing extent of habitat

Recovery and relapse

The species’ population was thought to have stabilised with the recovery of 58% of the original marshland area as of late 2006. Major snow melts in Turkey and Iran coincided with an extensive marsh restoration project. However the Basra reed warbler faces massive decline once again in the face of drought, and more major hydrological projects such as continued upstream dam construction.

Monitoring programmes in Israel and Iraq are keeping a close eye on the future of the species.

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Michael Edmondstone

February 16th 2023

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Let’s talk about the Indian skimmer

Time to shin the spotlight on one of our favourite freshwater birds!

Meet the Indian Skimmer

The Indian skimmer (Rynchops albicollis) gets its name from the way it feeds, flying low over the water surface and ‘skimming’ for fish. The bird is one of our Fantastic Freshwater species, recognisable by its bright orange bill and sharp “kyap kyap” call.

The Indian skimmer forms noisy colonies around rivers, lakes, swamps and coastal wetlands. The bird is now almost completely restricted to India as a breeding bird, particularly the Chambal, Ganga, Son and Mahanadi river areas.

The (re)production line

The Indian skimmer is one of the 50 landmark species at high risk of extinction identified in SHOAL’s Fantastic Freshwater* report. Published on 19th May 2022 (International Day for Biodiversity), Fantastic Freshwater highlights the diversity and beauty of freshwater species and the immense threats they face to their survival.

Once common, the species has suffered decades of population decline. Numbers have tumbled more than 20% in the past 11 years, just two generations of the Indian skimmer. Without action, it’s estimated that up to 46% of the remaining birds could be lost in the next three generations (approximately 17 years).

Issues lie in the rate of reproduction, as the species is no longer breeding in formerly occupied parts of its range, such as Myanmar. Other threats have resulted in fewer eggs hatching and fewer chicks surviving to adulthood.

The species is being threatened by:

Increased variation in water levels caused by dams irritation and sand mining along the river of the species’ range.
Human and predator disturbance onto islands where the birds breed.
Pollution from agricultural and industrial chemicals.

Protecting the future

At the current rate of reproduction, without concerted conservation action, the Indian skimmer is Endangered with its future in great jeopardy.

The Government of India’s National Mission for Clean Ganga recognises the bird as a priority species for conservation. Projects to conserve threatened riverine birds, with the skimmer as flagship, are being carried out on the Mahanadi, Son and Chambal Rivers.

A range of actions are being taken in these vital breeding grounds as part of the conservation projects. This includes the appointment of nest site guardians, education and outreach work, with the goal of protecting nests to increase breeding success.

If you want to support the work SHOAL are doing to conserve freshwater species through action-driven conservation donate here. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter The Stream to get all the latest freshwater news straight to your inbox

*The Fantastic Freshwater: 50 landmark species for conservation report is led by SHOAL, the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC), the IUCN SSC Freshwater Conservation Committee, and the Global Center for Species Survival at the Indianapolis Zoo.

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Michael Edmondstone

January 13th 2023

Fantastic Freshwater, Feature

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Let’s talk about the starry night harlequin toad

A photograph of the starry night harlequin toad in the wild.

The festively named starry night harlequin toad is not just for Christmas, and neither are the threats they face.

‘Tis the season (to talk about the starry night harlequin toad)

Meet the starry night harlequin toad

Named for the clear, dark, starry skies in its mountain habitat of Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the starry night harlequin toad (Atelopus arsyecue) is one of the most striking of our Fantastic Freshwater species. Less than two inches in size, the stunning amphibian is recognised by its shiny black skin studded with ethereal white spots.

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is home to the indigenous Arhuaco people of the Sogrome community. They call the toad ‘gouna’ and consider it a guardian of the water and a symbol of fertility. Inspiring their ancestors for millenia, the species is viewed as an authority of the natural world. It serves as an indicator to signal actions including when to plant crops, or perform spiritual ceremonies.

A photograph of the habitat of the starry night harlequin toad, a stream through a leafy forest. — © Fundación Atelopus

The long (starry) night before the dawn

The rediscovery of the starry night harlequin toad highlights the power of local, indigenous knowledge in protecting and recovering species. Just a few years ago scientists feared the Critically Endangered species was lost. It had not been documented since 1991.

This changed in late 2019 with a unique and poignant partnership between the indigenous people and Fundación Atelopus. Despite the species being lost to science for nearly 30 years, it has never been lost to members of the Sogrome community.

The Colombian NGO, a partner of Global Wildlife Conservation, were in dialogue with mamos, spiritual leaders of the Sogrome community for four years before they were allowed to see (just see) the starry night harlequin toad. This is a test of trust the Arhuaco call “resisting temptation”.

Several more months passed before the community permit the Fundación Atelopus to return to the sacred Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to achieve photo documentation of the rare amphibian on a Global Wildlife Conservation-funded expedition

Other harlequin species “rediscovered by scientists in recent years include the Costa Rican variable harlequin toad in 2013, the Azuay stubfoot toad in 2015, and the longnose harlequin frog in 2016.

Other harlequin species “rediscovered by scientists in recent years include the Costa Rican variable harlequin toad in 2013, the Azuay stubfoot toad in 2015, and the longnose harlequin frog in 2016.

Not just for Christmas

The starry night harlequin toad is one of the 50 landmark species at high risk of extinction identified in SHOAL’s Fantastic Freshwater* report. Published on 19th May 2022 (International Day for Biodiversity), Fantastic Freshwater highlights the diversity and beauty of freshwater species and the immense threats they face to their survival.

According to the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 80 of the known 96 harlequin toad species are Endangered, Critically Endangered or Extinct in the Wild. This is due in part to the rapid spread of the amphibian-killing fungus known as chytrid. Scientists have observed that harlequin toads are hit especially hard by the disease.

The species is being threatened by:

Habitat loss and degradation from agricultural activities including livestock, along with fire and logging.
Chytridiomycosis, a deadly chytrid fungus.

Conversations continue between Fundación Atelopus and mamos. It’s hoped that the special relationship will combine Western scientific knowledge and the indigenous scientific, cultural and spiritual knowledge to give the species its best chance going forward.

If you want to support the work SHOAL are doing to conserve freshwater species through action-driven conservation donate here. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter The Stream to get all the latest freshwater news straight to your inbox

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Michael Edmondstone

December 2nd 2022

Fantastic Freshwater, Feature

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Let’s talk about the Table Mountain ghost frog (Critically Endangered)

Photograph of the freshwater habitat of the adult Table Mountain ghost frog.

They may sound supernatural, but the ghost frog and the threats they face are very real.

Happy Halloween, let’s talk about the Table Mountain ghost frog

Ghosts in Skeleton Gorge? Sounds like the makings of a spine-chilling Halloween horror! But these ghosts aren’t see-through. They don’t float or say “boo!”. They don’t have unfinished business and they certainly don’t need busting. These are ghost frogs!

Meet the Table Mountain ghost frog

There are a few theories on how the Table Mountain ghost frog, also known as Rose’s ghost frog, got its name. Some attribute it to the equally spooky-sounding Skeleton Gorge, a steep and treacherous Table Mountain ravine where the species was first found. Others say it refers to the fact that the frog is so rare that the chances of spotting one are tiny.

You can recognise the species by the striking purple and red blotches on their pale green skin. However their flat, compressible body means they can hide in the narrowest rock crevices.

Their range, or haunt 👻 if you will, is very small at just 16m2 on the southern and eastern slopes of Table Mountain in Cape Town. They have highly webbed feet with sucker-like disc pads on the toes. This makes them incredibly strong swimmers able to cling onto the most slippery surfaces, perfectly adapted to life in these mountain streams.

Even their tadpoles have unique sucker-like mouthparts, used to grip and climb wet rocks, as well as feed on delicious algae.

Photograph of juvenile Table Mountain ghost frog tadpole in its freshwater habitat. — © Joshua Weeber

A scary situation

The Table Mountain ghost frog is one of the 50 landmark species at high risk of extinction identified in SHOAL’s Fantastic Freshwater* report. The report published on 19th May 2022 (International Day for Biodiversity). Fantastic Freshwater highlights the diversity and beauty of freshwater species and the immense threats they face to their survival.

The small range of the Table Mountain ghost frog means it is especially vulnerable to disease and invasive species. As well as this, it’s completely dependent on the rocky streams of Table Mountain for survival. Reports suggest approximately 20% of the habitat has been lost over the past 30 years.

The species habitat is threatened by:

The presence of dams and water storage reservoirs: The Table Mountain ghost frog is an example of a species trying to survive close to a very large city, with the demands the human population places on the freshwater resource.
High volume of visitors: Table Mountain is a popular escape from the bustling metropolis of Cape Town, with human activity a significant cause of soil erosion in the habitat. Boardwalk construction would reduce bank erosion.
Alien vegetation: conservation action must include removing alien invasive plant species

The Table Mountain Ghost Frog Action Group formed to investigate the health of the habitat, review threats and establish a plan for conservation, with special emphasis on the Critically Endangered species which relies on the environment for survival.

Photograph of adult Table Mountain ghost frog in its freshwater habitat. — © Joshua Weeber

The scary reality is that without action, the Table Mountain ghost frog is at high risk of extinction.

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Michael Edmondstone

November 1st 2022

Fantastic Freshwater, Feature

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Blueprint for Conservation Action for 1,000 Freshwater Fishes

Let’s talk about the rock threadtail

For Insect Week we’re shining the spotlight on one of our finest Fantastic Freshwater insects.

Meet the rock threadtail

Damsel(fly) in distress

Panning for solutions

Post Overview

Recent News

One quarter of freshwater animals at risk of extinction – IUCN Red List

SHOAL Wrapped 2024 (freshwater highlights)

Michael Köck European tour update: 4

Let’s talk about the malabar rotala

Checking out one of our Fantastic Freshwater plant species this International Plants Appreciation Day.

Meet malabar rotala

Now the bad news

Turning the tide

Post Overview

Recent News

One quarter of freshwater animals at risk of extinction – IUCN Red List

SHOAL Wrapped 2024 (freshwater highlights)

Michael Köck European tour update: 4

Let’s talk about the Nubian flapshell turtle

Meet the Nubian flapshell turtle

Meet the Nubian flapshell turtle

Monitor and protect

Post Overview

Recent News

One quarter of freshwater animals at risk of extinction – IUCN Red List

SHOAL Wrapped 2024 (freshwater highlights)

Michael Köck European tour update: 4

Catching up with PROGRES (Sulawesi)

One year after announcing them as our newest partner, it’s time to check in with PROGRES, a conservation NGO in Sulawesi, Indonesia.

A little backstory

Meet Chilo and Felix

What have PROGRES been up to?

Post Overview

Recent News

One quarter of freshwater animals at risk of extinction – IUCN Red List

SHOAL Wrapped 2024 (freshwater highlights)

Michael Köck European tour update: 4

Let’s talk about the Diadem lady’s mantle

Checking out one of our (literally) flashier Fantastic Freshwater species.

Meet the Diadem lady’s mantle

Arise, threats

Heavy is the head

Post Overview

Recent News

One quarter of freshwater animals at risk of extinction – IUCN Red List

SHOAL Wrapped 2024 (freshwater highlights)

Michael Köck European tour update: 4

Let’s talk about the Kumejima firefly

Checking out one of our (literally) flashier Fantastic Freshwater species.

Meet the Kumejima firefly

Shine a light on the threats

Light at the end of the tunnel

Post Overview

Recent News

One quarter of freshwater animals at risk of extinction – IUCN Red List

SHOAL Wrapped 2024 (freshwater highlights)

Michael Köck European tour update: 4

Let’s talk about the Basra reed warbler

This fantastic freshwater bird is a lesson in how water management can impact wildlife.

Meet the Basra reed warbler

Dam(n) issues

Recovery and relapse

Post Overview

Recent News

One quarter of freshwater animals at risk of extinction – IUCN Red List

SHOAL Wrapped 2024 (freshwater highlights)

Michael Köck European tour update: 4

Let’s talk about the Indian skimmer

Time to shin the spotlight on one of our favourite freshwater birds!

Meet the Indian Skimmer

The (re)production line

Protecting the future

Post Overview

Recent News

One quarter of freshwater animals at risk of extinction – IUCN Red List

SHOAL Wrapped 2024 (freshwater highlights)

Michael Köck European tour update: 4