Scientists hope DNA in water may save rare fish

PORTLAND: Scientists in Maine are using DNA to try to preserve the remaining populations of a fish that lives in 14 lakes and ponds in the state and nowhere else in the continental United States. The scientists are turning their eye to the Arctic charr, which is a species of landlocked fish in Maine that has lived in the state for millennia and is prized by anglers. The charr face threats such as invasive predators and a warming climate. They are also notoriously elusive, making them difficult for researchers to track. Michael Kinnison, a professor of evolutionary applications at University of Maine, and others are working with the state to make sure the fish keep surviving.