Images

Smallmouth Bass are good indicators of methylmercury exposure to humans and wildlife because they are a common, popular sport fish and eat a variety of food during their lifetime. Juvenile Smallmouth Bass – smaller than 150mm in length - eat zooplankton, or microscopic animals.

Scientists driving towards a sampling point within the area burned by the Martin Fire near Elko, Nevada. The team is collecting data on plant cover and collecting soil samples for a collaborative project with the Bureau of Land Management's Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation program.

A field crew team member hiking to a monitoring plot at the site of the Martin Fire in northern Nevada

Eared grebes in a courtship behavior in the Great Salt Lake. They are one of many migratory birds in the Great Basin that rely on terminal lakes and wetlands in the area to stop rest and feed. 

Photograph of Summer Lake Wildlife Area, an important stopping spot for migratory birds on their spring and fall migration flights. 

Cheatgrass growing in a high-density plot covered in black gravel. Black gravel warms the soil surface. The colors on the toothpicks indicate the genotype of cheatgrass planted. Researchers selected a variety of genotypes—plants of the same species that are genetically distinct—that are found locally.

A bald eagle found dead near power lines near Jordan Valley, Oregon, is examined to determine its cause of death. X-rays revealed the eagle died from gunshot.

Smith-Root eDNA sampler collecting and filtering water from a tributary of the Okanogan River. Researchers are looking for traces of environmental DNA from spring-Chinook salmon that were reintroduced in the river. 

A photograph and x-ray taken during an examination of a bald eagle found dead near a power line near Jordan Valley, Oregon. Because of the extensive singeing of the feathers on the wings and body, the bird was initially assumed to have died from electrocution.

An x-ray image taken during an examination to determine the cause of death of a bald eagle found along power lines near Jordan Valley, Oregon. The eagle was determined to have died from gunshot, shotgun pellets are visible as bright white speckles.

This dashboard displays summary data for portions of wildland fire perimeters (polygons) that occur within the selected filters. To display fire trends, it is recommended to filter out the smallest fires - those less than 1,000 acres. For large queries, please allow the tool a minute to process the request.

This dashboard displays summary wildfire data for those areas of raster wildfires that occur within the selected filters. Change the dashboard view with the filters across the top. Hover over data in each visualization for more information. Rows resize to fit the selected data. You may need to select more narrow filter options to obtain the best visual results.

A screen shot of a silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) call captured by an acoustic detector, a specialized microphone that can capture species-specific high frequency sounds. 

A screen shot of a Yuma myotis bat (Myotis yumanensis) call captured by an acoustic detector, a specialized microphone that can capture species-specific high frequency sounds. 

Researchers identified plants along a transect at a site invaded by cheatgrass at Kuna Butte near Caldwell, Idaho. 

A damaged stream-road crossing, or culvert, near Redmond, Oregon. Damaged culverts can block streamflow and fish passage.

USGS scientist Jennifer Rowe ready to scramble up a stream to survey for Cascade torrent salamanders. A small aquarium net is used to gently disturb sediment to flush out larvae and adults.

The area to the right of this road outside of Marsing, Idaho burned in 2002, 2015, and 2022. 

Looking east on Bullgate Pond at sunrise with lone tule white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons elgasi) in upper right, Summer Lake Wildlife Area, near Summer Lake, Oregon.

These brine flies are an important fuel source for migratory birds, giving them energy for long flights. 

These scientists are working on The Great Salt Lake to determine the amount of water and qualities of it. This will help them in developing better management techniques that will work to support the migratory birds that frequent the area.