The landscape of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico States ranges from the plateaus and highlands of northern Alabama to the coastal marshes along the Gulf, with the dominant inland forest type being pine and oak forests. This variety of habitats allows for a high diversity of fish species as evidenced by Alabama alone being home to more than 450 fish species. Over 64 percent of the inland fish habitat of Eastern Gulf Coast states is estimated to be at low or very low risk of degradation. While only 19 percent of the stream area in this region was estimated to be at high or very high risk, factors that threaten aquatic resources in the region are diverse and significant areas have been substantially altered as a result of agriculture and urban [...]
