India’s River Giants Finally Get Their Due: Landmark Study Maps Decades of Neglect in Freshwater Conservation

Dharamsala, October 23, 2025: India’s mighty river inhabitants—the mahseer, gharial, river dolphin, and softshell turtles—have finally been brought together under one scientific lens. A groundbreaking study published in Biological Conservation has, for the first time, placed India’s freshwater megafauna—its large-bodied fish, reptiles, and mammals—at the center of global research attention.
The study, led by Dr. Aashna Sharma, Visiting Scientist at the University of Washington, Seattle, in collaboration with Dr. Vineet Dubey of the Wildlife Institute of India, maps how research on these freshwater giants has evolved over the decades and reveals where critical knowledge gaps remain. Professors at the University of Washington and researchers at Conservation Science Partners (CSP) also contributed to this pioneering effort.
Drawing on over 2,500 scientific papers, the research employed advanced text-mining techniques to trace trends in freshwater biodiversity studies. What sets this work apart is a new analytical workflow developed by Dr. Sharma that focuses solely on the Discussion sections of scientific papers—extracting the heart of scientific interpretation.
“Most reviews rely on manually sorting studies into predefined categories,” explains Dr. Sharma. “Our approach lets the data speak for itself—showing what scientists have truly been asking and what they’ve missed.”
The findings reveal that while fish dominate India’s freshwater research, large reptiles and mammals receive disproportionately little attention. The study warns that such imbalances can hinder ecosystem-wide conservation efforts. Alarmingly, many of these freshwater giants—particularly mega fish—still receive minimal protection under India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act (WLPA), despite their ecological significance.
The authors highlight a persistent mismatch between scientific knowledge, legal protection, and global conservation assessments by the IUCN. They call for stronger, evidence-based policymaking that bridges this divide. “Opportunities to align science and policy are rare,” the study notes, “but when amendments to India’s WLPA arise, they must be seized swiftly and strategically.”
India remains one of the few nations where river giants such as the mahseer, gharial, river dolphin, and softshell turtles still coexist—though they face growing threats from dams, pollution, and climate change. The authors urge conservationists to view these species as sentinels of river health, not isolated curiosities.
“We often think of tigers and elephants when we say megafauna,” says Dr. Sharma. “But rivers, too, have their giants. Protecting them means protecting the arteries of our landscape.”
Dr. Sharma who is a permanent resident of Dharamshala HP, is  a Fulbright-Kalam Climate Postdoctoral Scholar and recipient of Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship , hopes the research inspires scientists and policymakers alike to look beyond charisma and recognize the quiet grandeur of aquatic life.
“The real charisma,” she adds, “is in the eyes of the scientist. Every species—big or small—has its own awe factor. You just have to find it.”
The paper, published in Biological Conservation, is accessible via Dr. Sharma’s website: aashnasharma.info/publications