UCSD - University of California - San Diego

07/07/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/07/2026 13:19

Study: Biodiversity Hotspots in American West Face Extinction

Published Date

July 07, 2026
Map of all 1,121 springs from the Great Basin and Mojave Desert regions analyzed in the study

A comprehensive study of more than 1,100 springs in the American West warns that critical biodiversity hotspots are facing a mounting extinction crisis.

Published June 3, the research identifies deep-sourced "regional aquifer" thermal springs as vital ecological islands supporting over 150 unique species of fish, mollusks, and insects.

While these "crenobiontic" species-organisms restricted exclusively to spring environments-have proven remarkably resilient to disturbances by humans and feral animals, they are reaching a breaking point. Researcher Matthew Forrest analyzed data collected by Don Sada from the Desert Research Institute while a student at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.

"Our huge database found more than 150 endemic fish, molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic insects in springs scattered throughout the Great Basin and Mojave Deserts," said Forrest. "Unfortunately, over 65% of the springs in these regions have been severely degraded, and at least 16 endemic species, subspecies, or distinctive populations have gone extinct since the late 1880s."

The study distinguishes between intermittent "local aquifer" springs and the more persistent deep-water regional thermal spring systems. While the latter offer essential resistance to freezing and drought, they remain vulnerable to groundwater pumping, mining, and urban development.

"The spring animals are tough, but they can't survive without water," said coauthor Richard Norris, a professor of geosciences at Scripps. Experts are now calling for an immediate shift in conservation priorities to protect these fragile oases, noting that these findings are applicable to arid regions worldwide.

Read the study in Limnology and Oceanography: "Oases of Endemism: regional aquifer desert springs serve as biodiversity hotspots preserving vulnerable endemic taxa in the Great Basin and Mojave Desert Regions."

Thermal spring at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada
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