Tennessee Shiners and a stoneroller: © Freshwaters Illustrated / David Herasimtschuk
What is Southern Stream Fish?
Southern Stream Fish is a multimedia communication project that seeks to tell a story about fish, streams, and humans in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. This project is a window into one scientist’s search for conservation success in a region with some of the oldest and richest natural resources in North America. Follow along as I dive headlong into trying to understand how fish, humans, and streams fit together in the complicated landscape of Southern Appalachia, and what we might do to make sure these communities - both fish and human - are healthy and thriving for years to come.
Too often, science and research are communicated in ways that are difficult for nonscientists to understand. This information is usually found in academic journals which are full of highly technical language, complicated tables and graphs, and locked behind a paywall. To be honest - and I can say this because I’m a scientist and have written several of these articles - the vast majority of peer-reviewed journal articles aren’t particularly fun or easy to read. However, this doesn’t mean that the information they contain isn’t useful or interesting. In fact, scientific articles are full of the latest scientific discoveries, including new cutting-edge technology, descriptions of recently discovered species, and new ideas about how some aspect of the world works, to name only a few. I think this information is interesting and relevant to anyone with an interest in the natural world, far beyond just scientists. That’s why this project exists - to talk about science in intuitive and refreshing ways that are easily understood and accessible.
Southern Stream Fish is an attempt to pull back the curtains on the scientific research process. I’ll be communicating my research in a variety of ways, including podcast-like episodes and short blog posts. There will be multiple short podcast episodes and blog posts covering a wide range of topics associated with the research project. Episodes and posts will walk through project development, research questions, methods and results in order to bring transparency and clarity to the research process.
Science research is fun and exciting, so come along as we embark on a quest that will take us to some of the planet's oldest mountains, through streams where some of the world's rarest fish species reside, and into human communities that have shaped and been shaped by surrounding rivers and mountains for hundreds of years.