CERC History
The Center was established in 1959 at the Denver Wildlife Research Center of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and was called the Fish Pesticide Research Laboratory (FPRL).
The Center was established in 1959 at the Denver Wildlife Research Center of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and was called the Fish Pesticide Research Laboratory (FPRL). In 1966, the University of Missouri deeded 33 acres to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the FPRL moved to its present location. The Center was incorporated into the USGS in 1996.
Over its history in Columbia, MO, the Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC) has addressed contaminant research in support of natural resource management of our nation's aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. As the Center grew, the scope of its research programs broadened to an integrated approach to address more complex resource problems. These complexities encompass several factors associated with the biological significance of degraded water quality that often includes physical landscape alterations, invasive and endangered species, and ecosystem restoration activities. Today CERC conducts environmental research in support of the Department of the Interior agencies, but also works with other federal government agencies, state, tribal, private, and non-governmental organizations, both national and international, to meet common needs and goals.