New Book Celebrates the ‘American Amazon,’ and Its Rich Biodiversity in the Southeastern U.S.

New Book Celebrates the ‘American Amazon,’ and Its Rich Biodiversity in the Southeastern U.S.

In the United States, there is an area of the country that is so biologically rich that it’s referred to as the American Amazon. It’s located in the southeastern part of the country, spanning the Mobile Bay Basin in Alabama to the Everglades in Florida. Here, there’s an incredible number of flora and fauna species that grace the forests and wetlands, and for decades, photographer Mac Stone has been documenting the varied and changing landscape.

Stone has captured images that, at first glance, might make you think that they were taken in the Amazon Rainforest in South America. “The first time I heard the phrase ‘American Amazon,’ I was waist-deep in blackwater, slogging through a guzmania swamp in the Fakahatchee Strand of the Everglades,” the photographer says. But the slithering snakes, schools of fish, and winding waters are all located in the U.S. Now, many of these arresting images are contained in American Amazon, Stone’s forthcoming book celebrating the biodiversity of a region that has more species of freshwater turtles, fish, and salamanders than anywhere else in the world.

While American Amazon is a gorgeous, first-hand look at this unique setting, the book also confronts an undeniable truth: the region is in danger. It leads the U.S. in extinctions, a fact that Stone shows through images such as “ghost forests,” which are exactly what they sound like—watery remains of once-green woodland. But pollution, logging, and a growing number of humans moving to places like Alabama’s Gulf Coast are all threats to this vital life source. The book serves as a call-to-action to help protect this important area.

American Amazon is a book of photos and storytelling, published by Te Neues. It will be released on August 25, 2026, and is now available to pre-order on Bookshop.org.

In the United States, there is an area of the country that is so biologically rich that it’s referred to as the American Amazon.

It’s located in the southeastern part of the country, spanning the Mobile Bay Basin in Alabama to the Everglades in Florida.

Here, there’s an incredible number of flora and fauna species that grace the forests and wetlands.

For decades, photographer Mac Stone has been documenting the varied and changing landscape.

Many of these arresting images are contained in American Amazon, Stone’s forthcoming book celebrating the biodiversity of a region that has more species of freshwater turtles, fish, and salamanders than anywhere else in the world.

While American Amazon is a gorgeous, first-hand look at this unique setting, the book also confronts an undeniable truth: the region is in danger.

It leads the U.S. in extinctions, and the book serves as a call-to-action to help protect this important area.

American Amazon will be released on August 25, 2026, by Te Neues. It's now available for pre-order.

Mac Stone: Website | Instagram | Facebook

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Mac Stone. 

Related Articles:

Colombia Bans All New Oil and Mining Projects in Its Portion of the Amazon Rainforest

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon Drops by Over 30%, Dropping to a 9-Year Low

Paul Nicklen Shares 30 Years of Incredible Wildlife Photography in New Book

READ: New Book Celebrates the ‘American Amazon,’ and Its Rich Biodiversity in the Southeastern U.S.