Amazon Adventure: How Tiny Fish Are Saving the World's Largest Rainforest (Scientists in the Field)

Their trip is reported smoothly and illustrated with well-chosen photographs...An adventure that might help protect an ecosystem.

Montgomery thoroughly mines the social and economic effects the piabas have on locals alongside an in-depth exploration of the Amazon river and its ecosystems. The science and sociology are interesting and unusual, and the narrative itself enthralling...A true-to-form installment in a valuable series.

This addition to the cientists in the Field series follows Scott Dowd, senior aquarist at the New England Aquarium and self-proclaimed afish nerd, a as he ventures into the Amazon as part of ongoing efforts to protect tiny tropical fish that fill aquariums around the world. Montgomery (The Tapir Scientist joins Dowd and others who are part of Project Piaba (asmall frya in Portuguese) as they head up Brazilas Rio Negro. Color photographs (many underwater) and captivating, take-you-there storytelling immerse readers in the ecosystem: aWe pass trees that seem to be barely holding their crowns above the water.... Weare hot, eager to enter the cool, dark river. Within a minute, tiny fish are nipping at our skin.a The journey includes a visit to an ornamental fish festival that explodes with its own color. Addendums to each chapter provide facts on other, sometimes deadly, Amazon species. The message underneath this true and fascinating fish tale: protecting fish, such as cardinal tetras, and the sustainable fisheries and fishers (piabeiros that catch them, can help protect the Amazon rainforest itself. An expansive and engaging story of biological interconnectedness and beauty. Ages 10a 12. (July) Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

Gr 5-8—Scientists studying fish ecology in specific biomes often dwell on the evils of overfishing, but along the Rio Negro, a major tributary to the mighty Amazon, scientist Scott Dowd has noticed something radically different: a fishing industry that not only supports the human population in this rain forest area but also protects the ecology. Essential to the balance are thousands of tiny fish, or "piaba," such as cardinal tetras, which are beloved by aquarium keepers for their brilliant shades of neon reds and electric blues. Dowd was appalled on his first visit to the region after seeing the vast numbers of these small fish being brought to the market for sale, believing the entire ecology of the rivers was at risk. He ultimately learned that the majority of them would have died as the rainy season ended and the once-flooded Amazonian forest dried out. Instead, the careful management of the local fishermen preserved the forest and "saved" the fish. Since his initial visit in 1991, Dowd and other members of his research team have been exploring this unusual balance between wild nature and human economy, finding the other animals this industry protects, from pink dolphins to Goliath birdeater tarantulas. Montgomery's knowledgeable text paints a clear picture of this way of life that's relatively unknown to many. A plethora of color photos splash across the pages, some muddy in texture owing to the tannin-hued waters of the Rio Negro, but their message is as lucid as the text. This fishing industry is a lifesaver. VERDICT Another addition to a spectacular series, this is an eye-opening first purchase for science collections.—Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.