I want you to come with me on a journey under water to see a world of colossal
under water to see a world of colossal
under water to see a world of colossal creatures real-life Loch Ness monsters
creatures real-life Loch Ness monsters
creatures real-life Loch Ness monsters tonight I would like to tell you the
tonight I would like to tell you the
tonight I would like to tell you the story a story of a ten year scientific
story a story of a ten year scientific
story a story of a ten year scientific adventure to six continents on the
adventure to six continents on the
adventure to six continents on the search to find study and protect the
search to find study and protect the
search to find study and protect the world’s largest freshwater fish
world’s largest freshwater fish
world’s largest freshwater fish strangely enough this is what my world
strangely enough this is what my world
strangely enough this is what my world looked like when I was growing up I
looked like when I was growing up I
looked like when I was growing up I asked my mom to find some photos of me
asked my mom to find some photos of me
asked my mom to find some photos of me uh fishing or doing something with fish
uh fishing or doing something with fish
uh fishing or doing something with fish and this is what she sent me this was my
and this is what she sent me this was my
and this is what she sent me this was my childhood luckily not every place in
childhood luckily not every place in
childhood luckily not every place in Arizona is as dry as the area where I
Arizona is as dry as the area where I
Arizona is as dry as the area where I grew up
grew up
grew up this is Havasu Creek two tributary of
this is Havasu Creek two tributary of
this is Havasu Creek two tributary of the Colorado it flows into the Grand
the Colorado it flows into the Grand
the Colorado it flows into the Grand Canyon and I as a undergraduate at the
Canyon and I as a undergraduate at the
Canyon and I as a undergraduate at the University of Arizona my job as part of
University of Arizona my job as part of
University of Arizona my job as part of this larger team was to do surveys fish
this larger team was to do surveys fish
this larger team was to do surveys fish surveys of the tributaries that flow
surveys of the tributaries that flow
surveys of the tributaries that flow into the Colorado that’s when I really
into the Colorado that’s when I really
into the Colorado that’s when I really fell in love with water and learn to
sympathize more with with fish so on the
sympathize more with with fish so on the Colorado I learned about endangered
Colorado I learned about endangered
Colorado I learned about endangered species issues and most of the native
species issues and most of the native
species issues and most of the native fish of the Colorado that live in the
fish of the Colorado that live in the
fish of the Colorado that live in the Grand Canyon are endangered one of the
Grand Canyon are endangered one of the
Grand Canyon are endangered one of the reasons these fish are endangered are
reasons these fish are endangered are
reasons these fish are endangered are because of all the dams that have been
because of all the dams that have been
because of all the dams that have been built on the Colorado and those dams
built on the Colorado and those dams
built on the Colorado and those dams have completely changed the Colorado
have completely changed the Colorado
have completely changed the Colorado River and I also learned about
River and I also learned about
River and I also learned about large-scale restoration projects at that
large-scale restoration projects at that
large-scale restoration projects at that time I don’t know if anyone has been
time I don’t know if anyone has been
time I don’t know if anyone has been watching the news but they were doing
watching the news but they were doing
watching the news but they were doing what they call controlled floods
what they call controlled floods
what they call controlled floods releasing huge pulses of water down the
releasing huge pulses of water down the
releasing huge pulses of water down the Colorado to try to mimic the natural
Colorado to try to mimic the natural
Colorado to try to mimic the natural cycle the natural seasonal cycle of the
cycle the natural seasonal cycle of the
cycle the natural seasonal cycle of the river and I learned how difficult it is
river and I learned how difficult it is
river and I learned how difficult it is to restore a habitat that’s been
to restore a habitat that’s been
to restore a habitat that’s been modified as heavily as a place like the
modified as heavily as a place like the
modified as heavily as a place like the Colorado
Colorado
Colorado so I after I graduated from the
so I after I graduated from the
so I after I graduated from the University of Arizona I took that
University of Arizona I took that
University of Arizona I took that knowledge and applied for a Fulbright
knowledge and applied for a Fulbright
knowledge and applied for a Fulbright scholarship to Thailand and spent a year
scholarship to Thailand and spent a year
scholarship to Thailand and spent a year in Thailand
in Thailand
in Thailand applying those same lessons to fish in
applying those same lessons to fish in
applying those same lessons to fish in the Mekong the Mekong is actually home
the Mekong the Mekong is actually home
the Mekong the Mekong is actually home to the largest inland fishery in the
to the largest inland fishery in the
to the largest inland fishery in the world over 2 million tons of fish come
world over 2 million tons of fish come
world over 2 million tons of fish come from the Mekong every year in Thailand I
from the Mekong every year in Thailand I
from the Mekong every year in Thailand I saw this 3,000 year old cave painting I
saw this 3,000 year old cave painting I
saw this 3,000 year old cave painting I don’t know if anyone can recognize
don’t know if anyone can recognize
don’t know if anyone can recognize what’s on the top there but giant
what’s on the top there but giant
what’s on the top there but giant catfish 3,000 years ago people were
catfish 3,000 years ago people were
catfish 3,000 years ago people were painting giant catfish and Thailand
painting giant catfish and Thailand
painting giant catfish and Thailand shows you how important these fish were
shows you how important these fish were
shows you how important these fish were I mean they paint themselves and then
I mean they paint themselves and then
I mean they paint themselves and then the next thing they can think of the
the next thing they can think of the
the next thing they can think of the paint is these big catfish they must
paint is these big catfish they must
paint is these big catfish they must have been important as it turns out the
have been important as it turns out the
have been important as it turns out the Mekong has more species of giant fish
Mekong has more species of giant fish
Mekong has more species of giant fish than any river in the world and it has
than any river in the world and it has
than any river in the world and it has species like the giant carp a 600-pound
species like the giant carp a 600-pound
species like the giant carp a 600-pound goldfish the goonch catfish you know
goldfish the goonch catfish you know
goldfish the goonch catfish you know such a strange-looking catfish the
such a strange-looking catfish the
such a strange-looking catfish the little beady cat’s eyes and nail like
little beady cat’s eyes and nail like
little beady cat’s eyes and nail like teeth and I heard stories of stingray
teeth and I heard stories of stingray
teeth and I heard stories of stingray giant powerful stingray reported to grow
giant powerful stingray reported to grow
giant powerful stingray reported to grow up to a thousand pounds and then things
up to a thousand pounds and then things
up to a thousand pounds and then things really took a turn when this fish was
really took a turn when this fish was
really took a turn when this fish was caught this is a six hundred and forty
caught this is a six hundred and forty
caught this is a six hundred and forty six pound Mekong giant catfish and it
six pound Mekong giant catfish and it
six pound Mekong giant catfish and it was caught in northern Thailand in 2005
was caught in northern Thailand in 2005
was caught in northern Thailand in 2005 the fishermen here have been recording
the fishermen here have been recording
the fishermen here have been recording their catches since 1980 and it turns
their catches since 1980 and it turns
their catches since 1980 and it turns out that this was the largest freshwater
out that this was the largest freshwater
out that this was the largest freshwater the largest giant catfish that they had
the largest giant catfish that they had
the largest giant catfish that they had ever caught some people thought that
ever caught some people thought that
ever caught some people thought that this might be the largest freshwater
this might be the largest freshwater
this might be the largest freshwater fish in the world
fish in the world
fish in the world so after this news went out I was
so after this news went out I was
so after this news went out I was waiting to hear back from people from
waiting to hear back from people from
waiting to hear back from people from different from the Amazon from Australia
different from the Amazon from Australia
different from the Amazon from Australia from different places with reports of
from different places with reports of
from different places with reports of larger fish but I didn’t I didn’t hear
larger fish but I didn’t I didn’t hear
larger fish but I didn’t I didn’t hear anything we don’t know what the world’s
anything we don’t know what the world’s
anything we don’t know what the world’s largest freshwater fish is one guy did
largest freshwater fish is one guy did
largest freshwater fish is one guy did get back to me
get back to me
get back to me he said he caught a bigger fish than I
he said he caught a bigger fish than I
he said he caught a bigger fish than I did and this it’s an important lesson
did and this it’s an important lesson
did and this it’s an important lesson because fishermen you got a beak you got
because fishermen you got a beak you got
because fishermen you got a beak you got to watch out for fishermen because of
to watch out for fishermen because of
to watch out for fishermen because of stuff like this cuz photoshop’s pretty
stuff like this cuz photoshop’s pretty
stuff like this cuz photoshop’s pretty easy these days that actually makes the
easy these days that actually makes the
easy these days that actually makes the project more complicated because if you
project more complicated because if you
project more complicated because if you go online or you start looking at
go online or you start looking at
go online or you start looking at pictures you start trying to get
pictures you start trying to get
pictures you start trying to get information there are some some people
information there are some some people
information there are some some people that exaggerate out there this is a
that exaggerate out there this is a
that exaggerate out there this is a photo and it’s labeled Naga of the
photo and it’s labeled Naga of the
photo and it’s labeled Naga of the Mekong Laos 1973 when I was doing my
Mekong Laos 1973 when I was doing my
Mekong Laos 1973 when I was doing my first start of my research you see this
first start of my research you see this
first start of my research you see this photo everywhere in Southeast Asia and
photo everywhere in Southeast Asia and
photo everywhere in Southeast Asia and the Naga is a is a mythical creature in
the Naga is a is a mythical creature in
the Naga is a is a mythical creature in Southeast Asia like the Loch Ness
Southeast Asia like the Loch Ness
Southeast Asia like the Loch Ness monster that you see depicted on at on
monster that you see depicted on at on
monster that you see depicted on at on temples but as it turns out this photo
temples but as it turns out this photo
temples but as it turns out this photo was taken in San Diego in 1991 and
was taken in San Diego in 1991 and
was taken in San Diego in 1991 and somebody took the photo and and
somebody took the photo and and
somebody took the photo and and repurposed it and took it over to Asia
repurposed it and took it over to Asia
repurposed it and took it over to Asia and sold it to everyone over there and
and sold it to everyone over there and
and sold it to everyone over there and so now people think that this is a fish
so now people think that this is a fish
so now people think that this is a fish a freshwater fish that lives in the
a freshwater fish that lives in the
a freshwater fish that lives in the Mekong it’s actually I don’t know if
Mekong it’s actually I don’t know if
Mekong it’s actually I don’t know if anyone recognizes it
anyone recognizes it
anyone recognizes it it’s an oarfish it’s a marine fish that
it’s an oarfish it’s a marine fish that
it’s an oarfish it’s a marine fish that washed up on the beach in San Diego and
washed up on the beach in San Diego and
washed up on the beach in San Diego and these are some military guys who found
these are some military guys who found
these are some military guys who found the fish washed up and they’re holding
the fish washed up and they’re holding
the fish washed up and they’re holding it up for the camera
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