During a recent voyage to a remote stretch of the Mekong River in Cambodia, a team of marine scientists discovered an endangered giant freshwater stingray, however they warned that the area’s biodiversity was under threat.

The stingray was captured by fishermen in an 80-meter (260-foot) deep pool in the Mekong in Cambodia’s northern Stung Treng district, and the visiting scientists assisted in its release.

Finding the 180 kg (397 lb) stingray with a four-metre span was crucial, according to Zeb Hogan, a fish biologist at the University of Nevada.

“This catch was noteworthy because it confirms the presence of these large fish in this stretch of river,” said Hogan, who led the USAID-funded Wonders of the Mekong expedition that made the discovery.

“This is a really remote section of river that hasn’t been well explored,” he said. “It’s tremendously important for fisheries and biodiversity, and it’s also a piece of river that is threatened.”

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In order to examine the deep pools in the area, the team deployed unmanned submersibles equipped with lights and cameras.

According to the expedition team, proposed hydropower dams in the vicinity could have “devastating ecological repercussions” on this section of the river. Illegal fishing and plastic waste are two further problems.

Hogan, who has spent more than two decades studying the Mekong’s biodiversity, expressed concern over the river’s diminishing number of freshwater fish.

“Historically, this portion of the river generated 200 billion baby fish, which dispersed throughout Cambodia and even into Vietnam during the flood season,” Hogan added.