Shute (MS 1984) and Rakes (MS 1989) in National Geographic
On pages 6-7 in the March 2015 issue of National Geographic, there is a shout-out to J.R. Shute (MS 1984, Zoology) and Pat Rakes (MS 1989, Zoology), two of Dave Etnier’s former Zoology graduate students. They founded Conservation Fisheries, Inc., based in Knoxville, which is devoted to the captive rearing and, where possible, the release and re-establishment of threatened and endangered freshwater fishes. They are noted for their ability to develop artificial habitats and other aspects of husbandry which will encourage their finicky charges to spawn and for the young to survive to become breeding stock for future generations. This is not easy, since many of the fishes with which they work inhabit cool, fast-flowing, highly-oxygenated streams and are picky about the substrate over which they will mate and in which to lay their eggs. They have both spent many hours in wet suits making the observations that are often a major part of their success.