For most people, conservation is associated with large mammals, forests or national parks. Phil Pister spent his life proving that the survival of tiny desert fish could matter just as much. The California fisheries biologist became known for an extraordinary moment in 1969 when he realised that the last remaining Owens pupfish were in immediate danger. With no time to spare, he carried two heavy buckets containing the species across rough desert ground to a safer refuge. For a short distance, the future of the fish depended entirely on one person. Pister died in January 2023 at the age of 94, leaving behind a conservation legacy that continues to shape efforts to protect some of North America's rarest freshwater fish.
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