Conservation
Desert Pupfish Refuge
The Living Desert has three ponds stocked with desert pupfish of the Salton Sea / San Felipe Creek lineage and is dedicated to preserving this endangered fish. In 1972, The Living Desert was one of the first ex situ refuges established for desert pupfish. The importance of the refuges is becoming more important as the threats to the wild populations in the Salton Sink and the Colorado River Delta become more critical.
The Living Desert's participation is acknowledged in an article published in 2008 in the journal Animal Conservation. The article is titled "Microsatellite DNA analysis of success in conserving genetic diversity after 33 years of refuge management for the desert pupfish complex" by A. A. Echelle, D. Loftis, H. Koike, and R. A. Van Den Busche of Oklahoma State University. The study looks at nuclear DNA as a measure of genetic variability in pupfish refuges and in source populations in the wild. Of the 24 refuges in California and Arizona, The Living Desert's has retained the most genetic diversity. The report also outlines strategies for conservation using the refuges.
The Living Desert's participation is acknowledged in an article published in 2008 in the journal Animal Conservation. The article is titled "Microsatellite DNA analysis of success in conserving genetic diversity after 33 years of refuge management for the desert pupfish complex" by A. A. Echelle, D. Loftis, H. Koike, and R. A. Van Den Busche of Oklahoma State University. The study looks at nuclear DNA as a measure of genetic variability in pupfish refuges and in source populations in the wild. Of the 24 refuges in California and Arizona, The Living Desert's has retained the most genetic diversity. The report also outlines strategies for conservation using the refuges.
