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For this special edition of the "Nothing Is Real Radio Hour," host Sam Sebren is joined by co-producer Liz LoGiudice to bring you a glimpse into the complex, mysterious world of Anguilla rostrata, aka the American eel. Concern over the fate of the American eel, as well as scientific interest in its fascinating life cycle, has led to the development of the American Eel Project by the Hudson River Estuary Program (HREP). Teams of scientists, students, and over 200 community volunteers monitor and count glass eels at 12 HREP sample stream locations along the Hudson river from Staten Island to New Baltimore.

Each year, glass eels - the tiny, transparent young fish - navigate the Atlantic Ocean all the way from the Sargasso Sea to the rivers along the East Coast. Every March and April, these young fish migrate into the rivers and freshwater streams, where they mature for 20 years or more before returning to the Sargasso Sea to mate and die. Eels have long been enjoyed by people throughout the world as a delicacy. Adult eels cannot be bred in captivity, so glass eels are caught live and grown to maturity in fisheries for use in sushi and other dishes. Eel populations are declining worldwide and the American eel may soon be listed as threatened, under the Endangered Species Act.

Liz LoGiudice is an environmental educator and eel devotee who helps to coordinate the Hudson River Eel Project in Greene County. Sam Sebren is a volunteer citizen scientist for the HREP American Eel Research project. Together, they collected and edited audio from various eel experts and volunteers of all ages at various locations during the 2012 eel counting season. Tune in to hear more about this project, and this nearly endangered, enigmatic fish and its incredible journey. Plus, hear special sounds created for this broadcast by the Eel People. For more information about the Hudson River Estuary Program, or to volunteer, go here: http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/49580.html