Risk assessment

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.

USGS is conducting research to better understand biology, behavior, and survival of juvenile fishes that travel between fresh and saltwater to complete their lifecycles. Migratory fishes as such as herring and shad are vital components in riverine and coastal ecosystems, transporting food and nutrients between fresh rivers and the ocean. They are also an important forage fish for predators in...

This project will develop a transparent process for prioritizing species for listing as injurious, likely to cause damage or harm, under the Lacey Act. Building upon previously developed "horizon scan" and "watchlist" products, this process will identify potentially invasive species that present the greatest risk to lands, waters, and other assets managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

USGS is working with federal, state and local partners to develop multiple assessments of stream and river conditions in non-tidal areas of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. These assessments will help managers preserve stream health and improve biological conditions in impaired streams as the human population and climate continue to change in this region.

USGS is collaborating with many biologists in analysis of data on osprey ( Pandion haliaetus) and their prey (menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus, and other species of fish) in the middle and lower Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The data compiled and collected will help determine if a lack of menhaden or other environmental factors are affecting osprey reproductive success in portions of the...

There is a growing and urgent need to develop and implement innovative strategies to research, monitor, and manage freshwater resources as societal demands escalate simultaneously with climate-driven changes in water availability.

The Eastern Ecological Science Center is working closely with federal, state, and tribal partners to help inform decisions that reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission from humans to North American wildlife, including bats.

Disease dynamics in wildlife are commonly related to changes or increases in environmental stressors that are placed upon an animal. Environmental pollutants are known to affect the immune system of wildlife, resulting in impaired resistance to infection and potential increases in disease outbreaks. In collaboration with: Jill Jenkins, Ph.D USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center; Julia Lankton...

Earthworms are a vital part of a healthy, functioning soil ecosystem and are also an important protein-rich food source for wildlife, including many species of birds and mammals. In an agricultural setting, the presence of earthworms can increase crop yields by 25%, but can also expose earthworms to pesticides. Seed treatment is the principal application method for neonicotinoid insecticides, one...

Agrochemical pollution poses a severe threat to biodiversity. Agrochemicals can detrimentally affect wildlife growth, development, survival, reproduction, and immune responses, which facilitates emergence and spread of infectious diseases that may cause unusually high mortality. Animal microbiota plays a fundamental role in host’s food detoxification and defense against pathogens, regulates...

Streams and rivers provide habitat for a diverse array of aquatic and semi-aquatic species. However, human alteration to landscapes and riverscapes has affected this habitat resulting in its degradation and thus loss of habitat and associated sensitive aquatic species. While this relationship has been known for many years, only recently has the availability of data and analytical capabilities...

Widespread shale oil and gas (unconventional oil and gas, UOG) has only recently begun and many gaps in our knowledge of its potential effects to freshwaters exist.