♪ ♪ The state of South Carolina is home to some of the most fascinating and diverse wildlife on the planet.

♪ Its varying geographic regions host a variety of ecosystems, each providing the necessary ingredients for life to flourish and grow.

♪ Just as remarkable are the people whose mission is to protect and ensure that these fragile habitats continue to thrive.

♪ ♪ Now it's time to learn and discover What's Wild.

♪ ♪ (animal sounds) (natural nature and animal sounds) Desiree Cheeks> They say no person steps in the same river twice.

Streams, like people, are always changing and carrying with them their own unique story.

Hi, I'm Desiree Cheeks, and in this episode of What's Wild, we'll be exploring South Carolina's freshwater ecosystems.

These waters are home to some of the state's most fascinating species, creatures whose very existence is crucial to maintaining the balance in streams just like this one.

Now let's dive deeper into these wild waters to discover these extraordinary animals and the efforts underway to ensure their survival.

♪ There are approximately 35,000 miles of freshwater waterways in South Carolina, enough to circle the globe one and a half times.

♪ Beneath the surface lies a hidden world that few could imagine exist in these local waters.

♪ Fish and other aquatic life with vibrant colors and intriguing behaviors call streams like these home.

♪ Here, waterways are alive with the intricate dance of survival, courtship, and competition.

The currents carrying the echoes of seasons past.

♪ These ecosystems are a lifeline for countless organisms, providing clean water and interactions between species that are essential for biodiversity.

♪ Within these habitats, each species depends on each other.

Together, they form an interconnected web of life.

♪ Here lies one of nature's most overlooked aquatic engineers.

The caddisfly.

(underwater sounds) Caddiflies, which belong to the insect order, trichoptera, have been on Earth for at least 175 million years.

♪ These ancient builders have seen the rise and fall of ecosystems adapting and evolving into over 16,000 known species spread across the globe today.

♪ These organisms are more than indicators of water quality, they serve as key players in freshwater food webs.

♪ As larvae, they play a crucial role in nutrient cycling by breaking down organic materials, also known as detritus, and making them available to other organisms.

♪ Additionally, they help stabilize gravel beds with their case building activities, which can prevent sediment erosion.

♪ After hatching from eggs, caddisfly larvae develop in stages known as instars.

♪ Most caddisflies go through five instars, each accompanied by a molt.

♪ It's during the larval period of the caddisflies life history that they exhibit their remarkable building skills.

Caddisfly larvae construct their cases by using silk produced from glands in their mouth to bind together materials they find in their environment such as small pebbles, plant debris and sand grains.

♪ This silk acts like glue, allowing them to build portable cases that provide protection from predators while also serving as natural camouflage.

♪ As they approach larval maturity, the larvae prepare to enter the pupil stage or a stage of rapid development, where the insect develops wings and undergoes changes to live on land.

♪ To prepare for pupation, the larvae either construct a new stationary shelter or modify their existing case, spinning a cocoon inside where they will undergo their transformation to adulthood.

♪ Once fully developed, the pupa swims to the water's surface or crawls on to land, where it quickly sheds its pupal skin and takes flight as an adult insect.

♪ Adult caddisflies are usually nocturnal and are rarely seen by the casual observer.

They feed on sugary liquids like nectar, which sustains them during their brief adult phase, lasting only a few weeks.

♪ During this time, they mate and lay between 30 to 1000 eggs, ensuring the continuation of their species.

♪ As both larvae and adults, caddisflies serve as a key food source for fish and other aquatic predators.

♪ One fish that would consider caddisflies a tasty snack is the blue haired chub.

♪ This animal inhabits pristine streams throughout the Palmetto State.

♪ During the breeding season, males develop striking blue heads adorned with nuptial tubercles, small, horn like structures that signal their readiness to spawn.

♪ They engage in a captivating ritual of nest building, meticulously gathering and arranging small stones with their mouths.

♪ As the chubs perfect their nest, green head shiners gather in a vibrant school above their bright red coloration, transforming the scene into a dazzling display of fire underwater.

♪ They, too, are here to take advantage of the blue heads' expert nest building skills.

♪ Although the chubs do most of the work, this symbiotic relationship benefits both species.

♪ The shiners presence can create a confusion effect that helps protect the chubs by diverting or overwhelming potential predators.

♪ Additionally, the mix of shiner eggs with chub eggs reduces the likelihood of chub eggs being eaten.

♪ Further upstream, the fiery black shiner reveals its own distinctive breeding behaviors.

♪ They establish and guard territories using their vivid colors and large, rounded fins to perform elaborate breeding and territorial displays.

♪ Occasionally, males will spar with each other underwater, fighting for the best nesting sites.

♪ Females, meanwhile, will deposit their eggs in safe, sheltered locations such as rock crevices or the undersides of submerged logs.

♪ One animal dependent on these stream fish is a small yet significant mussel, the Carolina Heelsplitter.

(underwater sounds) These mollusks act as filter feeders, cleaning the water of particulate matter.

(underwater sounds) Their shells composed of calcium carbonate contribute to the structure of habitats and provide shelter for various organisms.

♪ Like other bivalves, the Carolina Heelsplitter has two hinged shells that protect its soft body inside.

♪ The Heelsplitter require specific habitat conditions to thrive.

♪ It prefers stable stream beds with a moderate gradient, often bordered by mature forests that provide shade and contributes to water quality.

♪ Reproduction for the Carolina Heelsplitter is a delicate and complex process.

♪ During the breeding season, females release tiny larvae known as Glochidia into the water.

♪ These larvae, which are the size of a grain of sand, must attach themselves to the gills or fins a specific host fish species to develop further.

♪ Like other freshwater mussel species, the Carolina Heelsplitter has a unique way of attracting host fish.

Female Heelsplitters produce a loose conglutinant, which is a specialized package of Glochidia that mimics a food source for fish.

♪ Although still understudied, this small packet may entice the fish to eat the Glochidia, allowing them to attach.

♪ This process does not hurt the fish and acts as a main source of distribution for the mussel species.

♪ Once they have successfully parasitized the host, the Glochidia transform into juvenile mussels and eventually detach settling into the stream bed to begin their independent lives.

♪ The Heelsplitter is the only mussel listed as federally endangered in South Carolina.

♪ Sadly, this remarkable bivalve has been reduced to only eight surviving populations, two in North Carolina and six in South Carolina.

♪ This drastic decline is a result of numerous ecological threats, primarily stemming from human activities.

♪ In fact, freshwater species worldwide are facing accelerated extinction rates, with the Southeastern United States experiencing notable declines in fish and other aquatic invertebrates.

♪ The destruction of natural forests, runoff from improper agriculture, and alterations to natural water flow, along with storm water runoff carrying silt, fertilizers, and pesticides, further disrupts the delicate balance necessary for these unique species.

♪ (bright music) To safeguard these delicate ecosystems within South Carolina's vast network of freshwater streams and rivers, conservation groups and researchers are developing groundbreaking strategies to help combat ecological threats.

♪ Since the early 2000s, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources has been meticulously sampling around 100 streams and rivers each year across the state.

♪ This comprehensive approach includes evaluating reference streams representing the highest quality watersheds alongside randomly selected streams from various regions.

♪ The stream team plays a crucial role in this effort, ensuring that a diverse range of streams is assessed.

♪ To collect data, biologists use electro fishing to capture fish.

Electro fishing uses an electric current to stun or alter the behavior of fish, allowing them to be caught.

♪ With these stream assessments, the team can identify factors contributing to species declines and develop effective management strategies to protect and restore these vital aquatic habitats.

♪ In addition to these scientific efforts, SCDNR is committed to public education and outreach.

♪ As part of this initiative, the stream team hosts a class for multiple master naturalist programs and college classes where participants observe fish collected from streams and learn about the critical importance of water quality.

♪ A stream assessment is completed during the class, offering hands on experience.

♪ Through these combined efforts, SCDNR is enhancing scientific knowledge while cultivating a greater appreciation for our waterways.

♪ Going further, since 2018, SCDNR has been engaged in a multi-step conservation effort to save the Carolina Hill Splitter, which includes propagating, culturing animals and monitoring wild and augmented populations.

♪ The first step in propagating these mussels is to find suitable host fish.

A dedicated team is dispatched to carefully selected streams armed with nets and electro fishing backpacks.

♪ These fish are then held in tanks and the team moves on to the next step, gathering Heelsplitters.

♪ A SCDNR team with other partners once again ventures out into select streams, using bathyscopes to locate and gather female Heelsplitters that are brooding larvae.

♪ Any male or premature mussels discovered are documented and tagged with pit tags and ID numbers using a safe adhesive on their shells for further study.

♪ Once all animals for propagation are acquired, the female Heelsplitters are placed in beakers with specific chemicals to help them relax and release their glochidia into the water.

♪ ♪ This water is then strained through several levels of filtering cups to separate the glochidia .

♪ ♪ ♪ Samples are observed under a microscope to ensure their health and determine their readiness for the next step in the process.

♪ Once ready, the host fish are isolated into separate holding tanks, and a glochidia rich solution is introduced to their water supply, allowing the glochidia to attach to the host fish gills.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ The glochidia then grow into juvenile mussels, eventually dropping off of the fish's gills where they are collected and cultured over the next year before being released back into the wild.

♪ During culture, biologists monitor their growth and survival, altering growing tanks and food as needed.

♪ There's more Carolina Heelsplitters here than there are in the wild.

♪ Based on annual monitoring, a site is chosen for releasing the hatchery produced mussels.

♪ Each of which is given a pit tag and an ID number for future monitoring.

♪ Before being released.

All mussels are acclimated to their new home by slowly mixing in the local stream water.

Thanks to organizations like the Catawba Valley Land Trust.

Streams like this one are kept safe and undisturbed.

This intricate process, combining careful fieldwork and laboratory techniques, aims to give the Carolina Heelsplitter a fighting chance at survival.

♪ While these conservation efforts provide direct benefits to waterways and their inhabitants, research is another valuable tool in protecting these ecosystems.

♪ Scientists use caddisflies and other aquatic insects as bio indicators, meaning their presence and diversity reflect the quality of the water.

♪ Species that are highly sensitive to pollution are only found in clean, unpolluted waters, while species more tolerant of pollution can survive in less pristine conditions.

♪ By examining these patterns, researchers track environmental changes and assess the impact of human activities on water quality.

♪ To study adult caddisflies, entomologist doctors, John Morris and Matthew Green from Clemson University and North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality use bucket traps fitted with lights to capture them or hang a bed sheet illuminated from behind, a technique known as light trapping.

♪ These methods enable scientists to collect adult specimens for closer examination, providing insights into species distribution and more in-depth study.

♪ While scientists study caddisflies for ecological importance, artisans like Kathy Stout find beauty in their unique case building abilities.

♪ Kathy, through her company Wild Scape Inc., provides caddisfly larvae with jewels such as rubies, sapphires, turquoise, gold and amber to incorporate into their cases.

♪ Once the larvae pupate and fly away, they leave behind these intricately designed cases.

♪ Kathy carefully fills the empty cases with epoxy, using a syringe to preserve their delicate structures, transforming them into stunning pieces of jewelry.

Earrings, necklaces and bracelets crafted from caddis fly cases serve as wearable reminders of the intricate relationship between nature and human creativity.

♪ For over 35 years, Kathy has been perfecting this art, celebrating the beauty and ingenuity of these remarkable insects.

♪ Through these combined efforts of enhancing scientific knowledge, preservation and innovation.

South Carolina's waterways have a chance to endure for generations to come... in the wild.

♪ Can't get enough of "What's Wild"?

Go to SCETV.org for more exciting episodes of South Carolina Wildlife.

Also, be sure to visit our Facebook and Instagram page at South Carolina ETV to let us know what other plants and animals you'd like to see next.

From everyone at South Carolina ETV, I'm Desiree Cheeks.

Thanks for watching and remember to stay wild.

♪ ♪ ♪ (digital buzzing) ♪ >> Hey, friends.

My name is Ella.

♪ >> I'm your host, Andrew Davis.

Today, we will dig a little deeper into the history of these shell rings.

♪ >> I'm Lauren Furey.

You're watching, "Now We're Cookin'".

♪ Let me give this a little stir, and you'll see all the flavors combine.

♪ >> Now it's time to learn and discover "What's Wild".

♪ ♪ >> Get ready to soar to new heights with "From The Sky".

♪ ♪ >> This is our town.

>> This is our town.

>> This is our town, Rock Hill.

♪ ♪ >> Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to this edition of "History In A Nutshell".

♪ ♪ >> We are here to help somebody in their time of need.

♪ ♪ >> Today I'm going to visit the animal shelter with my friends Ella and Jayden.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> And here is our homemade rosemary focaccia just enough to soak up some of that sauce.

♪ >> The Kids ECon crew is back together again, visiting another place in our community.

♪ >> Could you tell our viewers a little bit as to why human characteristics were given to animals in ancient Egypt, and art and architecture?

♪ ♪ (guitar solo)