The Southeastern United States has a high concentration of freshwater mussels, those humble mollusks that help keep streams and rivers clean by filtering water. But they are one of the most imperiled wildlife groups in the United States. Last year, officials announced that eight species had gone extinct.
Just one small section of the Escambia River, which flows through the Florida Panhandle, is home to two imperiled mussel species, along with a turtle and crayfish also at risk of extinction.
Rivers and streams can be hard to protect, because their ecosystems are often degraded by infrastructure like dams, which disrupt natural water flow. Pesticides and erosion from human activity make matters worse.
FULL New York Times story is HERE. How is YOUR state doing?
Is your home among those areas "most likely to have plants and animals at high risk of global extinction."
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