Desert fishes are cryptic, and infrequently seen by the public. Apathy of the public toward these fishes and their ecosystems hinders their conservation. Fortunately, advanced technological means to acquaint the public with these species is becoming increasingly common. We are creating low-cost educational videography presentations featuring the unique and often rare desert fishes of Nevada and Death Valley. Here we provide examples of high-definition underwater and aerial footage possible with current low-cost, advanced technology. Techniques used to collect this footage are specifically tailored to be used by field biologists when creating educational presentations. In conjunction with this high-definition, we are testing the inclusion of various widely recognized social psychology principles to maximize presentation effectiveness. Low cost technology, especially when combined with the use of easy to include psychological principle, can provide spectacular visual results and could potentially serve as an effective tool to acquaint the public with rare desert fishes. Data collection on this project for the testing of the inclusion of social psychology techniques is now ongoing. A thesis and publication are underway. Partners include USFWS and NDOW.
