Fish databases for improving their conservation in Colombia

During the last seven years, the Ichthyology group from the Universidad de Antioquia in agreement with Empresas Publicas de Medellin (EPM) has progressed on the construction of a gene reference library from the fish fauna of aquatic environments of the Magdalena basin. This open-access library called Biblioteca de la vida is of great importance for taxonomical research and for the development of applications for the biological monitoring of diversity. The data have been collected on: 1) the aquatic environments associated with the monitoring of fish fauna in the influence areas of the EPM dams for power generation and 2) scientific expeditions that have been developed in the Magdalena, Cauca, Pacifico, and Catatumbo basins.