The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Pop quiz!

Conservancy scientist Jeff Opperman is taking his family on a 1,500-mile journey down the Mekong River, a critical body of water that feeds thousands of people and supports an amazing array of life. Test your knowledge about the Mekong here, and then read dispatches from Jeff's trip at Nature.org/MekongJourney.

1. As the 12th longest river in the world, how many countries does the Mekong River flow through?

   1

   1 | Incorrect

   3

   3 | Incorrect

   6

   6 | Correct

   You're right! The Mekong River spans six countries, including China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

   10

   10 | Incorrect

2. Which of these Mekong River creatures is fake?

   Giant catfish that can weigh up to 600 pounds

   Giant catfish that can weigh up to 600 pounds | Incorrect

   Freshwater dolphins that look like beluga whales

   Freshwater dolphins that look like beluga whales | Incorrect

   Carnivorous stingrays that can cover a king-sized bed

   Carnivorous stingrays that can cover a king-sized bed | Incorrect

   None of the above

   None of the above | Correct

   Nice! All of these amazing creatures are real and they live in the Mekong. Between 1997 and 2007 alone, more than 1,000 new species were discovered in the Greater Mekong River Basin. It's an incredibly diverse place!

3. Some experts believe the giant stingray, which lives in the Mekong, is the largest freshwater species on Earth. This species can reach lengths of more than:

   5 feet

   5 feet | Incorrect

   8 feet

   8 feet | Incorrect

   16 feet

   16 feet | Correct

   These gigantic fish reach 16.5 feet (5 meters) long. They weigh nearly as much as a buffalo. Wowza!

   35 feet

   35 feet | Incorrect

4. True or False: The Mekong carries so much water during flood season that one of its major tributaries is pushed backwards, flowing upstream for several months.

   True

   True | Correct

   Each year, one of its major tributaries in Cambodia flows upstream, emptying into a lake called Tonle Sap that swells each rainy season from 5 feet deep to 30 feet deep. The Tonle Sap is a factory of fish, providing food for millions.

   False

   False | Incorrect

   | Incorrect

   | Incorrect

5. True or false: Only the Amazon has more fish species than the Mekong River Basin.

   True

   True | Correct

   Although second in number of species, the Mekong River supports the largest freshwater fish harvest in the world, providing the primary source of protein to more than 50 million people.

   False

   False | Incorrect

   | Incorrect

   | Incorrect

6. The Mekong River Basin faces threats from:

   Dams

   Dams | Incorrect

   Pollution

   Pollution | Incorrect

   Over-fishing

   Over-fishing | Incorrect

   All of the Above

   All of the Above | Correct

   However, the largest threat to the conservation values of the river system comes from a proliferation of new hydropower dams. As part of the Great Rivers Partnership, The Nature Conservancy is working with partners like WWF to develop sustainable solutions for the Mekong River Basin and other Great Rivers around the world.