Peru’s first fish collection tracks mining’s impact
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Scientists at the National Amazon University of Madre de Dios in Peru have created a collection of nearly 300 fish species, documenting the biodiversity of a region heavily affected by illegal gold mining.
Researchers led by Julio Araujo began the project in 2017 after realizing the area lacked a local fish inventory. They collected over 2000 samples from rivers, lakes, and even mining pools, aiming to understand how aquatic life adapts to transformed ecosystems.
The collection, now managed solely by the university, holds specimens representing around 40% of the fish diversity in the Madre de Dios region, which contains approximately 770 species. This scientific effort allows researchers to measure changes in the ecosystem and assess the impact of deforestation and mining. Peru has only three scientific fish collections, compared to Brazil’s 74 and Colombia’s 63, and faces challenges in funding and resources.
Despite these limitations, the team has worked to collaborate with local miners, gain access to difficult areas, and preserve samples for long-term study. They hope to expand the collection to include more species and foster greater local research into aquatic biodiversity.
