Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish. It’s likely a career title most people are unfamiliar with. But that’s what Dr. Bernie Kuhajda has been doing for the past 12 years as the Aquatic Conservation Biologist at the Tennessee Aquarium.
Dr. Bernie Kuhajda joined the Aquarium staff in 2012 after 25 years at the University of Alabama, where he managed a museum collection of 1 million specimens of preserved fishes from all around the world.
Known for his colorful hair and his many buttoned down fish tops and T-shirts, more than 100 combined, Dr. Kuhajda has immersed himself in all things fishy!
He’s studied threatened species, discovered new ones, and continues to reintroduce endangered native species of fish into the Tennessee River and its many tributaries and creeks. He also spends countless hours doing public outreach explaining the importance of freshwater aquatic eco-systems to college students, the public and all who will listen.
Dr. Kuhajda’s world exists in creeks, caves, freshwater ponds, rivers, streams and lakes. It’s filled with a vast array of cave shrimp, crayfish, sturgeon, vermilion darter, laurel dace and many more species he describes as being more colorful than ones seen in an ocean’s coral reef habitat.
“We have about 335 species of freshwater fish in Tennessee and people know about 20 of them,” he said. “Most of the fish I study are no bigger than three inches and live 3-4 years. They are all fascinating to me. They all have their own quirks and different expressions.”
Recently Dr. Kuhajda was recognized for his conservation efforts by being named one of Garden & Gun Magazines ‘2024 Champions of Conservation.’ Dr. Kuhajda and the other finalists are featured in the October / November 2024 issue.
“I got an email from one of the executives,” he said. “I was actually really surprised. Typically, when you don’t work with megafauna, you know the furry and fuzzy and cuddly things…the public doesn’t know about it. The little fishes and those who study them don’t get a lot of press.”
“Highlighting conservations efforts has been one of our priorities from the beginning,” said Amanda Heckert, Executive Editor of Garden & Gun Magazine. “There are so many great stories happening out there and the south is home to some of the most biodiverse eco-systems in the world. But those eco-systems, as we all know, are more imperiled than ever.”
Heckert said Dr. Kuhajda is one of, “So many scientists, advocates, innovators and policy makers across the south who are working wonders.”
This is Garden & Gun’s third Champions of Conservation issue.
“We started our Champions of Conservation program back in 2022 to highlight and draw attention to their efforts and it has become one of the most rewarding things that I get to be a part of every year,” Heckert said. “Getting to know these stories but more importantly sharing them. And the readers’ response has been terrific.”
She said the staff at Garden & Gun researched, studied and gathered ideas from various resources including former Champions of Conservation winners in their quest to find new nominees.
This year their expert panel included former Champion JJ Apodaca, the Executive Director of the Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy in Asheville.
“He mentioned the important work that Bernie has and is doing through the Tennessee Aquarium,” Heckert said. “The range of crustaceans and fish he is working with, and by telling his story and what he is doing, is shining a light on these species that are imperiled. Bernie is a great advocate for what he does.”
Dr. Kuhajda takes students on field trips where they study fish in caves, and waterways. He teaches classes, helps with aquarium exhibits and recently started working with farmers and the Department of Natural Resources on ways farmers can improve best management practices while working to rebuild and sustain aquatic eco-systems.
He stressed just how important freshwater fish are to humans.
“They pretty much clean our water for us,” Dr. Kuhajda said about fish. “All those plants, animals and microbes play a part in cleaning our water. The healthier our ecosystems are, the less you pay to drink clean water. You can go paddleboarding and swimming and fishing in the Tennessee River. As those pieces of the aquatic eco-system start disappearing, the foundation gets weaker and weaker.”
He said the weaker the system the more tainted the water quality.
“And now you’re paying more for drinking water and now maybe you can’t swim in the river, and you don’t have any fish or the fish you do catch you can’t eat,” he said. “So, saving these little guys is helping humans. We are all interconnected. We all need clean fresh water to live.”
Side Note:
The 2024 winners of Garden & Gun Magazine’s Champions of Conservation had gathered in Asheville just one day before Hurricane Helene ripped through portions of Western North Carolina. During the phone interviews for this story, Dr. Kuhajda and Heckert said the floodwaters that wiped away communities have likely also displaced wildlife and aquatic species. Scientists like JJ Apodaca and others are now tasked with studying the effects of Helene in those habitats.
Top photo credit: Photo: Mac Stone (Bernie Kuhajda exploring Limrock Blowing Cave in Alabama, home to such aquatic species as the southern cave crayfish, southern cavefish, and Tennessee cave salamander.)