News

The wonder of mussel lures was recently captured in a series of video clips taken by Chris Eads during a recent field trip to the Little Tennessee River. Click on the link below to view the videos: Amazing Lures: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w04wvaXtTdI

Visit our Freshwater Mussel Link to learn more about Freshwater Mussel Biology

Establish a National Biodiversity Corps: Advertise a position for a biologist and you will receive hundreds of applications. As the government invests in putting people back to work, lets not limit job creation to efforts focused on rebuilding our physical infrastructure.  Build a corps of  biologists working within State and Federal Departments, or with private firms focused on enhancing our basic understanding of our ecosystems. Put these biologists to work, inventorying, measuring, and mapping our natural resources. Less than 50% of the species of bacteria we detect when doing microbial work in streams have previously been characterized. We could be missing the opportunity to identify an organism (like many) that thrives on C02, has a by-product that is a cure for cancer, is the elixir for longevity, or the stimulus for cold-fusion. While we are working out there lets rebuild our eroded streams, halt sedimentation, and work to ensure the protection of what may become the most limiting resource, water.  Lets replant stream banks, enhance buffers, and expand open space. In the process lets learn what is needed to enhance our knowledge of the relationship between our natural ecosystems, wildlife and human health.  Without a thorough understanding of something as basic as the diversity of the microbial community in a stream, or the microbial population in the recesses of a cave, we may miss a harbinger of change, or the key to a better future for our children, and grand-children.