Fish Diversity and Use of Nearshore and Open‐Water Habitats in Terminal Lakes.

This article focuses on the ecological importance and conservation challenges of littoral zones in terminal lakes—lakes without surface outflows—across five continents. Analyzing 18 terminal lakes, the study finds that although littoral zones constitute a small fraction of lake surface area, they support 77% of fish species and 87.5% of species that consume littoral–benthic organisms, with larger littoral zones correlating with greater littoral fish species richness and benthivorous species richness. The effects of declining water levels on littoral zone extent vary depending on lake morphometry, potentially impacting fish biodiversity and ecosystem functions differently across lakes. Given ongoing water extraction and climate-driven desiccation threatening many terminal lakes globally, the study highlights the need for focused conservation of nearshore littoral habitats to preserve fish biodiversity.