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Tales from Tennessee

By Sarah Whalley, Director on Seven Worlds, One Planet

The first time I donned a wetsuit and snorkel and put my head under, I was blown away.

It’s such a vibrant but little known world.

The colour and life before me was like being on a coral reef. It’s such a vibrant but little known world.

People would stop and ask what we were filming (well we did look a bit weird floating face down in streams!) and when we showed them they couldn’t believe what was hidden in their own back yards.

The southern Appalachian Mountains are a hotspot for aquatic wildlife - there are more species of freshwater fish, crayfish and salamander in these waters than any other in the temperate world.

The river chub might be a common minnow but to me the lengths he goes to in his labour of love is nothing short of amazing.

once the male got started there was no stopping him

We spent a lot of time waiting but once the male got started there was no stopping him - one stone after another then another, all the while watching for females.

There were times when he would place a stone on his mound and it would roll off - he would immediately put it back in its rightful place. One day we watched a male build a nest then deconstruct it and move it by a foot the next day- they really can be quite particular.

Much like the nests of birds, chub nests help to attract mates and are a safe hiding place for eggs.

Unfortunately the chub’s delicate ecosystem is under threat

But female chubs are not the only fishes to be drawn to the nests. Over 30 species of fish are known to spawn in chub’s nests.

Unfortunately the chub’s delicate ecosystem is under threat from human encroachment - a realisation all too apparent for our cameramen who would lift their heads out of the water and hear gun shot from the nearby shooting range.

Web exclusive: Tales from Tennessee

The North America crew team up with local wildlife enthusiast Casper Cox.

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