While the Rio Paraguay Basin is sparsely populated and poorly surveyed, and it has experienced relatively little human disturbance, it currently faces one large development project: the Hidrovia Paraguay-Parana, which proposes to dredge and channel extensive portions of the Rio Paraguay watershed, altering water flow and seasonal flooding cycles. Conservation International's rapid assessment team aided to document aquatic diversity and the state of the aquatic ecosystem in order to determine sustainable conservation and development strategies for the region.