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Bird and Terrestrial Species Conservation

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Fish and Aquatic Species Conservation

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Pollinator Conservation

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Fish and Wildlife Disease Investigation and Surveillance

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Freshwater and Coastal Ecology

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Eastern Ecological Science Center

In 2020, the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and Leetown Science Center merged to create the Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC). Our goals are to align our scientific capabilities with the most pressing conservation and management challenges; establish an engaged workforce that fosters high relationship trust with employees, partners and the public.

EESC Cooperative Science with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

Image: Eastern Shore of Maryland Coastal Wetland

From “blue water” rivers and streams to “green water” marine environments and brackish estuaries in between, EESC and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission are collaborating to bring together local, regional, and national expertise to provide the science that modern fisheries management demands.

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EESC Upcoming Events

Science Images in a circle around USGS logo

Join the USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center for a free family friendly Earth Day Open House event in Kearneysville, West Virginia! The event will include hands-on-exhibits, crafts, demonstrations and touring the experimental stream laboratory.

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EESC Quick Links

Enjoy these quick links to the most requested information about EESC!

News

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New insight on sea duck hearing could help protect them from fishing nets

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From Analog to Digital: Eight Decades of Tracking Box Turtles on Patuxent Research Refuge

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Chance Encounters of a Northern Saw-whet Owl

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Publications

A meta-analysis of the stony coral tissue loss disease microbiome finds key bacteria in unaffected and lesion tissue in diseased colonies

Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has been causing significant whole colony mortality on reefs in Florida and the Caribbean. The cause of SCTLD remains unknown, with the limited concurrence of SCTLD-associated bacteria among studies. We conducted a meta-analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA gene datasets generated by 16 field and laboratory SCTLD studies to find consistent bacteria associated with S
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Tracking status and trends in seven key indicators of stream health in the Chesapeake Bay watershed

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Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Environmental Health Program, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Qualitative value of information provides a transparent and repeatable method for identifying critical uncertainty

Conservation decisions are often made in the face of uncertainty because the urgency to act can preclude delaying management while uncertainty is resolved. In this context, adaptive management is attractive, allowing simultaneous management and learning. An adaptive program design requires the identification of critical uncertainties that impede the choice of management action. Quantitative evalua
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Science

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A green sunfish

Study reveals importance of groundwater for stability of freshwater fish populations and resilience to climate change

Issue: Climate change is warming streams and rivers of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and this is a critical concern for fisheries management and conservation. To address this issue, the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) recently identified four actions: • address the threats of climate change in all aspects of the partnership’s work; • prioritize communities, working lands, and most vulnerable habitats...
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Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Study reveals importance of groundwater for stability of freshwater fish populations and resilience to climate change

Issue: Climate change is warming streams and rivers of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and this is a critical concern for fisheries management and conservation. To address this issue, the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) recently identified four actions: • address the threats of climate change in all aspects of the partnership’s work; • prioritize communities, working lands, and most vulnerable habitats...
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Geese on a small pond, poultry house in background

Avian Influenza Dynamics in the Chesapeake Bay Region

This project focuses on understanding the forces driving the risk of avian influenza transmission from wild waterfowl to domestic poultry within the Chesapeake Bay region.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Avian Influenza Dynamics in the Chesapeake Bay Region

This project focuses on understanding the forces driving the risk of avian influenza transmission from wild waterfowl to domestic poultry within the Chesapeake Bay region.
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Image: Northern Pintail Duck

Understanding Avian Influenza Infection and Movement Behavior of Wild Waterfowl

This project focuses on improving our understanding of how current and previous infection with avian influenza viruses impact the movement ecology of wild waterfowl species.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Understanding Avian Influenza Infection and Movement Behavior of Wild Waterfowl

This project focuses on improving our understanding of how current and previous infection with avian influenza viruses impact the movement ecology of wild waterfowl species.
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