An introduction to the Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment (FADA) project

• Published in: Hydrobiologia Vol. 595; no. 1; pp. 3 - 8
• Main Authors: Balian, E. V., Segers, H., Lévêque, C., Martens, K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 2008; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquatic ecosystems; Aquatic life; Aquatic plants; Biodiversity; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Ecology; Endemism; Freshwater; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment; Life Sciences; Marine biology; Projects; Species diversity; Zoology; Non-marine; Endemism; Aquatic; Review; Global biodiversity; Freshwater; Metazoa
• ISSN: 0018-8158; 1573-5117
• DOI: 10.1007/s10750-007-9235-6

The Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment (FADA) project aims at compiling an overview of genus- and species-level diversity of animals in the continental, aquatic ecosystems of the world. It is a collective effort of 163 experts, and presents 59 articles treating the diversity and endemism of different animal taxa, ranging from microscopic worms to mammals, at global and regional scales. Given their structural importance, an article on macrophytes is also added. Here, we give an overview of the project’s history, and outline the common framework of the various articles, as well as the conventions the experts agreed to adhere to in their treatises. Furthermore, we briefly introduce future prospects.