CFI was excited to have partnered with The University of Tennessee, Knoxville and the University of Texas at San Antonio to study this species. The Greenfin Darter served as a surrogate in research examining how similar fish species may respond to climate change. As a high-elevation species, where the climate is generally cooler in comparison, it may be more sensitive to rising temperatures than its low-elevation relative, the Redline Darter. 

As with many of our other projects, CFI collected broodstock from the wild to bring back for captive propagation. While collecting Greenfin Darters in North Carolina’s South Toe River, we found them to be the most common darter in the area. This is note an area that we often sample or monitor, so it was interesting to see who the dominant darter was in that space. When we brought the Greenfin Darters back, we were pleased to see that they adapted well to captivity and showed quite a bit of personality.

This project, running from 2023 to 2025, focused on understanding how high-elevation and low-elevation fish species adapt to changing water temperatures. CFI’s role was to produce and grow-out fish for these studies, where they were then exposed to various climate conditions for the research project. We noticed that their young grew surprisingly fast, even in the cooler waters they prefer. This was interesting to observe since we typically see fish growing quickly in warmer temperatures, given that warmer temperatures can increase feeding motivation. We are proud to have contributed to research that could have far-reaching impacts on aquatic ecosystems and climate resilience.