Barry Chernoff

Bolivia

Barry Chernoff and a multinational team of scientists are working to conserve and manage the fishes of South America's river systems through a new program called AquaRAP. AquaRAP is a joint project of The Field Museum and Conservation International. Just like the land-based RAP - Rapid Assessment Programs, teams of AquaRAP scientists will work quickly to survey little known sites and make recommendations on their conservation potential. But AquaRAP will survey river basins and watersheds, which often extend across national borders, to identify conservation priorities and sustainable management opportunities. The first survey, which took place in the basins of the Tahuamanu and Manuripi rivers in Bolivia, counted more than 325 species of fish, 10-12 new to science, and 40-50 never before seen in Bolivia.

Barry Chernoff was born in Brooklyn, New York, and studied at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, Adelphi University and the University of Michigan.