Burbot are circumpolar in distribution and found in the northern tier of states and Canada. Recent research suggests that there are two subspecies: Lota lota lota found in Eurasia and Alaska, and Lota lota maculosa found in North America south of Great Slave Lake. Burbot populations are threatened or have been extirpated in many waters in their southern range in North America, and in many states they are a species of special concern. The status of burbot is in question in some European countries, or they have been extirpated in others.
Among other topics, this volume explores differences in mitochrondrial DNA frequencies of burbot in the Pacific Northwest, how temperature changes due to regulated discharge from a dam and climatic changes may be affecting burbot abundance, the status of burbot in the Great Lakes, burbot culture, and how local government and a Native American tribe intervened to develop a burbot conservation strategy.