Scientists go big with first aquatic species map for US West

Boise-based U.S. Forest Service fisheries biologist Dan Isaak is leading the project and says such a map could help with land management decisions and deciding where to spend limited money and resources.

Isaak said annual surveys could provide snapshots so scientists can see how biodiversity and ecosystems change over time.

Because of the project's immense scale, he said, sample collecting likely will require help from many entities, including citizen scientists.

Isaak also has been working on something called the Cold Water Climate Shield to identify streams that could serve as a refuge for cold water species, such as bull trout, if global warming continues.

What scientists ultimately hope to do is combine all the information from stream temperatures, DNA Atlas sampling, topography and weather patterns to get more insights into species distribution patterns and even how entire ecosystems function.