Videos
Coldwater Research Career Connection: North Carolina Triploid Trout Project
Recently, Coldwater Research Coordinator Jacob Rash with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission spoke with Christine Muth, a biology teacher with the N.C. School of Science and Math, to discuss about stocking triploid trout (sterile) into North Carolina's mountain trout waters. They also discussed careers in fisheries to share with students at the N.C. School of Science and Math. This video provides an overview of how and why the Commission produces these sterile fish. In addition, there is discussion about the field of fisheries science and how folks can become involved. Video by the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.
Flexing Their Mussels - Restoration of the Cheoah River
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission's (NCWRC) mussel breeding program helps augment some declining populations and save others from extinction. There are about 17 places in the United States that grow freshwater mussels, but many of those are for research purposes. The Marion facility has held 17 of the approximately 50 species in North Carolina and has propagated seven species to bolster local populations throughout the state. Biologists Rachel Hoch, David Deaton and Peter Lamb are leading the effort in Marion with the help of the NCWRC's Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Program staff.
Partnering to Connect Citico Creek
Dam removal projects are best done in partnership and one of the best examples is the Upper Citico Creek dam removal project in Tennessee’s Cherokee National Forest highlighted in our short film Connecting Citico Creek. American Rivers teamed up with two federal agencies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Forest Service, to achieve the common goal of restoring aquatic habitat. Each partner brought their expertise and resources to the table to produce an efficient, high quality, low cost victory in the Little Tennessee River watershed.
Spot fin Chub Spawning in Tellico River
For a little more than 10 years, Conservation Fisheries has been working to re-establish spotfin chub into the Tellico River in eastern Tennessee. These spectacular, turquoise minnows (only the males develop this color and only during summertime spawning), are highly specialized and closely associated with clean, current swept, bedrock habitats. During spawning season, the males become very territorial and stake out crevices in the rocks where the females will ultimately deposit the eggs. While males vigorously defend these territories, they do not provide any direct care to the eggs and larvae. The spotfin chub is federally threatened.
Citico Creek Buffalo Run
At this point, the buffalo, Ictiobus spp. (Probably mixed crowd!) along with some nice big silver redhorse, Moxostoma anisurum, were milling around the creek in pretty good numbers. No spawning events were seen and the schools appeared to be primarily males.... just waiting on the females to arrive! This spectacular event takes place in early April every year in Citico Creek and other numerous other streams in our area. Citico Creek is located on the Cherokee National Forest and is perhaps one of the nicest medium-sized streams in the southern Appalachians! Film by Conservation Fisheries Inc.
Snorkel Survey in the Tellico River, Cherokee National Forest
On August 15, 2013 Conservation Fisheries, Inc. snorkeled the Tellico River in search of some of the imperiled fishes they have been working to restore to this river. This was the first time they ventured out with a new GoPro Black Hero 3. This video captures great numbers of spotfin chubs, Erimonax monachus, Smoky madtoms, Noturus baileyi and Citico darters, Etheostoma sitikuense. Some of the male spotfin chubs were spectacular! Enjoy!
Floating the Conasauga or Just Another Day at the Office
No, all of our days are not this nice, but this one was a pretty good one! A beautiful July day, not too hot, clear blue sky and pretty good water conditions! The Conasauga is one of our favorite rivers to work! It originates in North Georgia, flows north into Tennessee, then flirts with the state line until finally turning back south into Georgia. Video by Conservation Fisheries Inc.
Happy Holidays from CFI
Just a short video from the Conservation Fisheries Inc. of some of the beautiful rivers and streams in this part of the world. You may recognize some of them! Happy Holidays from all of us at CFI.
Hidden Rivers - Preview
A short preview of Freshwaters Illustrated forthcoming film series on the vibrant yet little-known life of Southern Appalachian Rivers.
A Deeper Creek - The Watchable Waters of Appalachia
A virtual dive into some of North America's richest rivers, and a fun look at an innovative river snorkeling program that has brought thousands of citizen snorkelers to the vibrant waters of Southern Appalachia. Video by Freshwaters Illustrated.
The Last Dragons - Protecting Appalachia's Hellbenders
An intimate glimpse at North America's Eastern Hellbender, an ancient salamander that lives as much in myth as in reality.... and in many waters, myths are all that remain of these sentinel stream-dwellers. Video by Freshwaters Illustrated.
Bringing Back the Brooks - A Revival of the South’s Trout
Freshwater Illustrated and the U.S. Forest Service serve a poetic look at a forgotten native of Appalachia, the Southern Appalachian Brook Trout, which is being brought back from the brink… by hand, bucket, and hoof.
Boone Watershed Partnership
Video by the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Your Drop Matters
Just forty-five years ago, rivers in the U.S. were so polluted that some actually burned. In response, our country created the Clean Water Act amid other strong environmental legislation. Today, two-thirds of our population has never known a time when clean water wasn’t readily available. Despite improvements in the quality of drinking water, freshwater animals and habitats in the southeastern U.S. remain among the most imperiled on Earth. We have become complacent with institutional protections and haven’t challenged our personal behaviors. How can we solve the freshwater crisis starting in our own backyard? Video by TEDxChattanooga.
Rescuing Barrens Topminnows During A Drought
Dr. Bernie Kuhajda in the field discussing the plight of the endangered Barrens Topminnow as an important population threatened by drought conditions. Video by the Tennessee Aquarium.
Drought Prompts Endangered Fish Rescue
The Tennessee Aquarium and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service launched a fish rescue on November 22. The historic drought conditions had reduced the number of locations where the federally endangered Laurel Dace are found. Most of the streams where these brightly colored fish are found have dried up, leaving only a few shallow pools. Only 18 Laurel Dace were recovered and brought back to the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute for an "ark population," in case this species disappears in the wild. Hopefully these 18 fish will reproduce in the spring allowing scientists an opportunity to bolster the diminishing populations of Laurel Dace in Tennessee.
Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute - Freshwater Biodiversity
The warm waters of the southeastern United States are home to an amazing diversity of animals and habitats. The Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute (TNACI) works to protect and sustain the region's natural treasures and bring people of all ages closer to nature. Help us celebrate and care for these riches in our backyards.
Mapping our Rivers in High Definition
A project video produced by Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) for Trutta Consulting LLC High Definition Stream Survey (HDSS) of the Caney Fork River below Center Hill Dam. The project was supported by the Cumberland Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and TWRA. We also worked with TWRA fisheries sampling crew to video and GPS their trout surveys that were completed at the same time as the HDSS project. This allows us to see the conditions that the fish were captured and determine what areas of the river are best for trout at different flow conditions.
Sentinels
Monitoring the Little Rivers of the Tennessee Valley. Video by Freshwaters Illustrated in partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Endangered Mussels Released into the Clinch River, Largest Release in Eastern US
Biologists from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF), and partners from Virginia Tech, the Nature Conservancy, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stocked thousands of mussels into the Clinch River, Russell County. The Clinch River has more species of endangered freshwater mussels than any other river in North America. Elementary school students from Cleveland, VA, participated in the event, and learned about the many functions of mussels, including providing habitat for fish, becoming food for many other animals, and filtering and cleaning the water in our streams and rivers. Over 3,500 federally-endangered mussels were produced at the Department's Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center in Marion, Virginia.
