Post by L Roebuck on Apr 19, 2007 9:28:09 GMT -5
Pupfish hold their own in Devil's Hole
AMARGOSA VALLEY -- A team of four divers suited up on a cool, blustery Saturday afternoon, walked down a ladder into a crevasse in the middle of the desert and proceeded to dive 100 feet down into a clear desert pool.
It wasn't just any pool however, and their objective wasn't just enjoying a sport dive which included some cave diving. The object was to count the population of Devil's Hole pupfish, a tiny fish barely an inch long that has created a big controversy.
When the divers came bubbling back up after about an hour, the verdict was as widely anticipated by the bevy of environmental workers on hand as whether one's first child is a boy or a girl.
The verdict: The endangered Devil's Hole pupfish is still alive and kicking.
Divers estimated there are 38 pupfish remaining, the same as last spring, but down from an estimate of 85 last fall, when numbers are typically higher. Those numbers, however, are down sharply from as many as 300 to 500 in 1995.
Full Article
AMARGOSA VALLEY -- A team of four divers suited up on a cool, blustery Saturday afternoon, walked down a ladder into a crevasse in the middle of the desert and proceeded to dive 100 feet down into a clear desert pool.
It wasn't just any pool however, and their objective wasn't just enjoying a sport dive which included some cave diving. The object was to count the population of Devil's Hole pupfish, a tiny fish barely an inch long that has created a big controversy.
When the divers came bubbling back up after about an hour, the verdict was as widely anticipated by the bevy of environmental workers on hand as whether one's first child is a boy or a girl.
The verdict: The endangered Devil's Hole pupfish is still alive and kicking.
Divers estimated there are 38 pupfish remaining, the same as last spring, but down from an estimate of 85 last fall, when numbers are typically higher. Those numbers, however, are down sharply from as many as 300 to 500 in 1995.
Full Article