New maps show Southeast streams teeming with life

(AP) — A Tennessee organization has helped create a colorful set of maps that could help freshwater biologists determine where they should prioritize their ongoing efforts to protect the Southeast's diverse watersheds.

Biologists from the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute in Chattanooga and the University of Georgia's River Basin Center recently published a report that shows conservationists where the region's aquatic biodiversity is strongest and where it is most endangered, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported (http://bit.ly/2jpmn4J).

Anna George, Tennessee Aquarium's vice president said she hopes the image will also demonstrate to the public just how diverse the Southeast's watersheds are.