Nevada biologists honored for pupfish work
RENO — Three Nevada fish biologists are part of a team of scientists being honored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their work to try to help bring the Devils Hole pupfish back from the brink of extinction near Death Valley National Park.
Lee Simons, the federal agency’s senior fish biologist in Las Vegas, and state biologists Kevin Guadalupe and Brandon Senger are on the team among five recognized nationally.
Service Director Dan Ashe said in announcing the 2013 Recovery Champions awards Friday the Devils Hole pupfish found only northwest of Las Vegas is one of the nation’s rarest. It’s been endangered since 1967.
The agency, the state and the U.S. Park Service formed the nine-member team last April when pupfish numbers plummeted to 35. They’ve since hatched and reared 30 new ones at a specially-designed facility.