[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 36 (Tuesday, February 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S644-S645]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO DR. PETER B. MOYLE

 Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate the 
outstanding contributions of Dr. Peter B. Moyle, a distinguished 
professor emeritus at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Moyle 
has devoted his life to understanding and conserving the unique 
freshwater fishes of California and the Western United States. The 
basis for just about everything we do to manage freshwater fishes in 
California can be traced back to the research and writings of Dr. Moyle 
and his many students.
  For over five decades, Dr. Peter Moyle has been wading through the 
rivers, streams, floodplains, and estuaries of California. His work 
documenting the habitats and lives of the more than 130 species of fish 
that inhabit our waters--chronicled in over 250 publications and at 
least a dozen books--is the foundation of our understanding of 
California's freshwater fishes. No one has done more to teach us about 
this unique natural resource.
  Dr. Moyle has also played a central role in not only understanding 
but conserving and managing California's fishes, particularly iconic 
species like salmon and steelhead. His work has shown us which fish are 
in trouble and which are prospering. And his keen understanding 
continues guiding efforts to restore habitat and adapt to the changing 
climate.
  Beyond the fish themselves, Dr. Moyle's research has also played a 
prominent role in the ways we manage our rivers and estuaries, 
particularly for Federal Agencies working in California. The Bureau of 
Reclamation, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, and National Marine Fisheries Service all rely upon 
Dr. Moyle's research to guide their actions in protecting native fishes 
and investing in habitat restorations.
  But the measure of Dr. Moyle's contribution goes far beyond his 
outstanding research. In fact, it can be found in our most precious 
resource: his students, the critical human capital that California and 
much of the West relies on to manage freshwater fish. In his time at UC 
Davis, Dr. Moyle supervised more than 60 graduate students, most of 
whom are now pursuing successful careers of their own in academia, 
State and Federal agencies, and private firms. Indeed, at any gathering 
of experts on fishes, you will inevitably note Dr. Peter Moyle's 
``offspring'' everywhere.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Dr. Peter Moyle for being

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California's most consequential fish biologist, revealing to us all the 
wonder of the fishes that call California home, the value of conserving 
them, and helping us find a way forward in ensuring that they flourish 
for generations to come.

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