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Biological Science in Oklahoma and Texas

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By Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center April 25, 2018

The USGS Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center (OTWSC) provides policy makers, public agencies, non-governmental organizations, and stakeholders with baseline data and interpretations on the occurrence and distribution of instream and riparian-zone biological resources; assesses the status and trends of instream and riparian-zone biological resources in relation to differences in channel habitat, instream flow, and water quality; and uses predictive modeling to develop an understanding of the effects of changes to stream ecosystems. Visit the links below for more information on our data and science.

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE CAPABILITIES

OTWSC has expertise in a wide variety of biological science applications, including, but not limited to: 

  • Fish, benthic Invertebrate, and Algal Community Surveys
  • Mussel Surveys and Fish Host Determinations
  • Contaminant Pathways in Aquatic Biota
  • Microbial Source Tracking
  • Reservoir Plankton Dynamics
  • River Mapping and Stream Habitat Assessment
  • Biotic Response to Nutrients in Streams
  • Environmental Flows Assessment
  • Use Attainability Analysis (UAA)
  • Biological Database Design and Development
  • Invasive Species Monitoring

 

Find out more about OTWSC biological science expertise in this printable information sheet.

Line
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

CURRENT BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE

Electrofishing in the Frio River, Texas
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Electrofishing in the Frio River, Texas.(Public domain.)

 

Harmful/Invasive species monitoring

Cyanobacteria Methods

Zebra Mussel Monitoring Program (ZMMP)

 

Water-Quality Monitoring

National Water-Quality Assessment Project in Texas  - Surface Water Activities

Water-Quality Monitoring at Offshore Artificial Reefs



 

Projects related to biological studies are listed below.

link
Artificial reef in the Texas Gulf Coast

Water Quality Monitoring at Offshore Artificial Reefs

USGS Texas Water Science Center scientists are collecting physical and chemical water properties at selected Texas artificial reefs to provide the initial foundation to establish the status and long-term trends in the environment and information essential for sound management decisions and long-term planning.
By
Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Gulf of Mexico
link

Water Quality Monitoring at Offshore Artificial Reefs

USGS Texas Water Science Center scientists are collecting physical and chemical water properties at selected Texas artificial reefs to provide the initial foundation to establish the status and long-term trends in the environment and information essential for sound management decisions and long-term planning.
Learn More
link
South Central NAWQA

National Water-Quality Assessment Project in Texas - Surface Water Activities

The USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project was established by Congress in 1992 to answer the following question: What is the status of the Nation’s water quality and is it getting better or worse? Since 1992, NAWQA has been a primary source of nationally consistent data and information on the quality of the Nation’s streams and groundwater. Data and information obtained from...
By
Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center
link

National Water-Quality Assessment Project in Texas - Surface Water Activities

The USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project was established by Congress in 1992 to answer the following question: What is the status of the Nation’s water quality and is it getting better or worse? Since 1992, NAWQA has been a primary source of nationally consistent data and information on the quality of the Nation’s streams and groundwater. Data and information obtained from...
Learn More
link
Cyanobacteria lake sampling

Cyanobacteria Methods

Texas Water Science Center (TXWSC) scientists are testing different methods of detecting and quantifying cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in Texas reservoirs. The results of these tests could be used to develop a cost-effective monitoring plan to evaluate the presence and concentration of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in Texas reservoirs.
By
Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center
link

Cyanobacteria Methods

Texas Water Science Center (TXWSC) scientists are testing different methods of detecting and quantifying cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in Texas reservoirs. The results of these tests could be used to develop a cost-effective monitoring plan to evaluate the presence and concentration of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in Texas reservoirs.
Learn More
link
Zebra Mussels

Zebra Mussel Monitoring Program (ZMMP)

The zebra mussel is an invasive species that has spread rapidly in the United States. The first confirmed detection of zebra mussels in Texas occurred in 2009 at Lake Texoma along the Texas–Oklahoma border. The USGS Zebra Mussel Monitoring Program for Texas (ZMMP) began in April 2010 and has expanded over time in response to the continued spread of zebra mussels in Texas.
By
Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center
link

Zebra Mussel Monitoring Program (ZMMP)

The zebra mussel is an invasive species that has spread rapidly in the United States. The first confirmed detection of zebra mussels in Texas occurred in 2009 at Lake Texoma along the Texas–Oklahoma border. The USGS Zebra Mussel Monitoring Program for Texas (ZMMP) began in April 2010 and has expanded over time in response to the continued spread of zebra mussels in Texas.
Learn More

Publications related to biological studies are listed below.

Physical characteristics and fish assemblage composition at site and mesohabitat scales over a range of streamflows in the Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico, winter 2011-12, summer 2012

In winter 2011–12 and summer 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque District and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service New Mexico Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office in Albuquerque, New Mexico, evaluated the physical characteristics and fish assemblage composition of available mesohabitats over a range of streamflows at 15 sites on
Authors
Christopher L. Braun, Daniel K. Pearson, Michael D. Porter, J. Bruce Moring
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

Abundance of host fish and frequency of glochidial parasitism in fish assessed in field and laboratory settings and frequency of juvenile mussels or glochidia recovered from hatchery-held fish, central and southeastern Texas, 2012-13

In 2012–13, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), completed the first phase of a two-phase study of mussel host-fish relations for five endemic mussel species in central and southeastern Texas that were State-listed as threatened on January 17, 2010: (1) Texas fatmucket (Lampsilis bracteata), (2) golden orb (Quadrula aurea), (3) smooth p
Authors
Christopher L. Braun, Charrish L. Stevens, Patricia D. Echo-Hawk, Nathan A. Johnson, James B. Moring
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Mesohabitats, fish assemblage composition, and mesohabitat use of the Rio Grande silvery minnow over a range of seasonal flow regimes in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo del Norte, in and near Big Bend National Park, Texas, 2010-11

In 2010–11, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, evaluated the physical characteristics and fish assemblage composition of mapped river mesohabitats at four sites on the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo del Norte (hereinafter Rio Grande) in and near Big Bend National Park, Texas. The four sites used for the river habitat study were colocated with sites whe
Authors
J. Bruce Moring, Christopher L. Braun, Daniel K. Pearson
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

Baseline assessment of physical characteristics, aquatic biota, and selected water-quality properties at the reach and mesohabitat scale for three stream reaches in the Big Cypress Basin, northeastern Texas, 2010-11

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, did a baseline assessment in 2010-11 of physical characteristics and selected aquatic biota (fish and mussels) collected at the mesohabitat scale for three stream reaches in the Big Cypress Basin in northeastern Texas for which environmental flows h
Authors
Christopher L. Braun, James B. Moring
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

Baseline assessment of physical characteristics, aquatic biota, and selected water-quality properties at the reach and mesohabitat scale for reaches of Big Cypress, Black Cypress, and Little Cypress Bayous, Big Cypress Basin, northeastern Texas, 2010–11

In 2010 and 2011, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, did a baseline assessment of physical characteristics and aquatic biota (fish and mussels) collected at the mesohabitat scale for reaches of Big Cypress, Black Cypress, and Little Cypress Bayous in the Big Cypress Basin in northeas
Authors
Christopher L. Braun, James B. Moring
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

Spatio-temporal spawning and larval dynamics of a zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) population in a North Texas Reservoir: implications for invasions in the southern United States

Zebra mussels were first observed in Texas in 2009 in a reservoir (Lake Texoma) on the Texas-Oklahoma border. In 2012, an established population was found in a near-by reservoir, Ray Roberts Lake, and in June 2013, settled mussels were detected in a third north Texas reservoir, Lake Lewisville. An established population was detected in Belton Lake in September 2013. With the exception of Louisiana
Authors
Christopher John Churchill
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

USGS Zebra Mussel Monitoring Program for north Texas

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Zebra Mussel Monitoring Program for north Texas provides early detection and monitoring of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) by using a holistic suite of detection methods. The program is designed to assess zebra mussel occurrence, distribution, and densities in north Texas waters by using four approaches: (1) SCUBA diving, (2) water-sample collection with plan
Authors
Christopher J. Churchill, Stanley Baldys
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

Relations between hydrology, water quality, and taste-and-odor causing organisms and compounds in Lake Houston, Texas, April 2006-September 2008

Lake Houston is a surface-water-supply reservoir and an important recreational resource for the city of Houston, Texas. Growing concerns over water quality in Lake Houston prompted a detailed assessment of water quality in the reservoir. The assessment focused on water-quality constituents that affect the aesthetic quality of drinking water. The hydrologic and water-quality conditions influencing
Authors
Amy M. Beussink, Jennifer L. Graham
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Kansas Water Science Center

Monitoring indicators of harmful cyanobacteria in Texas

Harmful algal blooms can occur when certain types of microscopic algae grow quickly in water, forming visible patches that might harm the health of the environment, plants, or animals. In freshwater, species of Cyanobacteria (also known as bluegreen algae) are the dominant group of harmful, bloom-forming algae. When Cyanobacteria form a harmful algal bloom, potential impairments include restricted
Authors
Richard L. Kiesling, Robin H. Gary, Marcus O. Gary
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

The USGS Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center (OTWSC) provides policy makers, public agencies, non-governmental organizations, and stakeholders with baseline data and interpretations on the occurrence and distribution of instream and riparian-zone biological resources; assesses the status and trends of instream and riparian-zone biological resources in relation to differences in channel habitat, instream flow, and water quality; and uses predictive modeling to develop an understanding of the effects of changes to stream ecosystems. Visit the links below for more information on our data and science.

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE CAPABILITIES

OTWSC has expertise in a wide variety of biological science applications, including, but not limited to: 

  • Fish, benthic Invertebrate, and Algal Community Surveys
  • Mussel Surveys and Fish Host Determinations
  • Contaminant Pathways in Aquatic Biota
  • Microbial Source Tracking
  • Reservoir Plankton Dynamics
  • River Mapping and Stream Habitat Assessment
  • Biotic Response to Nutrients in Streams
  • Environmental Flows Assessment
  • Use Attainability Analysis (UAA)
  • Biological Database Design and Development
  • Invasive Species Monitoring

 

Find out more about OTWSC biological science expertise in this printable information sheet.

Line
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

CURRENT BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE

Electrofishing in the Frio River, Texas
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Electrofishing in the Frio River, Texas.(Public domain.)

 

Harmful/Invasive species monitoring

Cyanobacteria Methods

Zebra Mussel Monitoring Program (ZMMP)

 

Water-Quality Monitoring

National Water-Quality Assessment Project in Texas  - Surface Water Activities

Water-Quality Monitoring at Offshore Artificial Reefs



 

Projects related to biological studies are listed below.

link
Artificial reef in the Texas Gulf Coast

Water Quality Monitoring at Offshore Artificial Reefs

USGS Texas Water Science Center scientists are collecting physical and chemical water properties at selected Texas artificial reefs to provide the initial foundation to establish the status and long-term trends in the environment and information essential for sound management decisions and long-term planning.
By
Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Gulf of Mexico
link

Water Quality Monitoring at Offshore Artificial Reefs

USGS Texas Water Science Center scientists are collecting physical and chemical water properties at selected Texas artificial reefs to provide the initial foundation to establish the status and long-term trends in the environment and information essential for sound management decisions and long-term planning.
Learn More
link
South Central NAWQA

National Water-Quality Assessment Project in Texas - Surface Water Activities

The USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project was established by Congress in 1992 to answer the following question: What is the status of the Nation’s water quality and is it getting better or worse? Since 1992, NAWQA has been a primary source of nationally consistent data and information on the quality of the Nation’s streams and groundwater. Data and information obtained from...
By
Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center
link

National Water-Quality Assessment Project in Texas - Surface Water Activities

The USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project was established by Congress in 1992 to answer the following question: What is the status of the Nation’s water quality and is it getting better or worse? Since 1992, NAWQA has been a primary source of nationally consistent data and information on the quality of the Nation’s streams and groundwater. Data and information obtained from...
Learn More
link
Cyanobacteria lake sampling

Cyanobacteria Methods

Texas Water Science Center (TXWSC) scientists are testing different methods of detecting and quantifying cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in Texas reservoirs. The results of these tests could be used to develop a cost-effective monitoring plan to evaluate the presence and concentration of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in Texas reservoirs.
By
Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center
link

Cyanobacteria Methods

Texas Water Science Center (TXWSC) scientists are testing different methods of detecting and quantifying cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in Texas reservoirs. The results of these tests could be used to develop a cost-effective monitoring plan to evaluate the presence and concentration of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in Texas reservoirs.
Learn More
link
Zebra Mussels

Zebra Mussel Monitoring Program (ZMMP)

The zebra mussel is an invasive species that has spread rapidly in the United States. The first confirmed detection of zebra mussels in Texas occurred in 2009 at Lake Texoma along the Texas–Oklahoma border. The USGS Zebra Mussel Monitoring Program for Texas (ZMMP) began in April 2010 and has expanded over time in response to the continued spread of zebra mussels in Texas.
By
Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center
link

Zebra Mussel Monitoring Program (ZMMP)

The zebra mussel is an invasive species that has spread rapidly in the United States. The first confirmed detection of zebra mussels in Texas occurred in 2009 at Lake Texoma along the Texas–Oklahoma border. The USGS Zebra Mussel Monitoring Program for Texas (ZMMP) began in April 2010 and has expanded over time in response to the continued spread of zebra mussels in Texas.
Learn More

Publications related to biological studies are listed below.

Physical characteristics and fish assemblage composition at site and mesohabitat scales over a range of streamflows in the Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico, winter 2011-12, summer 2012

In winter 2011–12 and summer 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque District and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service New Mexico Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office in Albuquerque, New Mexico, evaluated the physical characteristics and fish assemblage composition of available mesohabitats over a range of streamflows at 15 sites on
Authors
Christopher L. Braun, Daniel K. Pearson, Michael D. Porter, J. Bruce Moring
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

Abundance of host fish and frequency of glochidial parasitism in fish assessed in field and laboratory settings and frequency of juvenile mussels or glochidia recovered from hatchery-held fish, central and southeastern Texas, 2012-13

In 2012–13, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), completed the first phase of a two-phase study of mussel host-fish relations for five endemic mussel species in central and southeastern Texas that were State-listed as threatened on January 17, 2010: (1) Texas fatmucket (Lampsilis bracteata), (2) golden orb (Quadrula aurea), (3) smooth p
Authors
Christopher L. Braun, Charrish L. Stevens, Patricia D. Echo-Hawk, Nathan A. Johnson, James B. Moring
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Mesohabitats, fish assemblage composition, and mesohabitat use of the Rio Grande silvery minnow over a range of seasonal flow regimes in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo del Norte, in and near Big Bend National Park, Texas, 2010-11

In 2010–11, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, evaluated the physical characteristics and fish assemblage composition of mapped river mesohabitats at four sites on the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo del Norte (hereinafter Rio Grande) in and near Big Bend National Park, Texas. The four sites used for the river habitat study were colocated with sites whe
Authors
J. Bruce Moring, Christopher L. Braun, Daniel K. Pearson
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

Baseline assessment of physical characteristics, aquatic biota, and selected water-quality properties at the reach and mesohabitat scale for three stream reaches in the Big Cypress Basin, northeastern Texas, 2010-11

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, did a baseline assessment in 2010-11 of physical characteristics and selected aquatic biota (fish and mussels) collected at the mesohabitat scale for three stream reaches in the Big Cypress Basin in northeastern Texas for which environmental flows h
Authors
Christopher L. Braun, James B. Moring
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

Baseline assessment of physical characteristics, aquatic biota, and selected water-quality properties at the reach and mesohabitat scale for reaches of Big Cypress, Black Cypress, and Little Cypress Bayous, Big Cypress Basin, northeastern Texas, 2010–11

In 2010 and 2011, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, did a baseline assessment of physical characteristics and aquatic biota (fish and mussels) collected at the mesohabitat scale for reaches of Big Cypress, Black Cypress, and Little Cypress Bayous in the Big Cypress Basin in northeas
Authors
Christopher L. Braun, James B. Moring
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

Spatio-temporal spawning and larval dynamics of a zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) population in a North Texas Reservoir: implications for invasions in the southern United States

Zebra mussels were first observed in Texas in 2009 in a reservoir (Lake Texoma) on the Texas-Oklahoma border. In 2012, an established population was found in a near-by reservoir, Ray Roberts Lake, and in June 2013, settled mussels were detected in a third north Texas reservoir, Lake Lewisville. An established population was detected in Belton Lake in September 2013. With the exception of Louisiana
Authors
Christopher John Churchill
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

USGS Zebra Mussel Monitoring Program for north Texas

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Zebra Mussel Monitoring Program for north Texas provides early detection and monitoring of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) by using a holistic suite of detection methods. The program is designed to assess zebra mussel occurrence, distribution, and densities in north Texas waters by using four approaches: (1) SCUBA diving, (2) water-sample collection with plan
Authors
Christopher J. Churchill, Stanley Baldys
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

Relations between hydrology, water quality, and taste-and-odor causing organisms and compounds in Lake Houston, Texas, April 2006-September 2008

Lake Houston is a surface-water-supply reservoir and an important recreational resource for the city of Houston, Texas. Growing concerns over water quality in Lake Houston prompted a detailed assessment of water quality in the reservoir. The assessment focused on water-quality constituents that affect the aesthetic quality of drinking water. The hydrologic and water-quality conditions influencing
Authors
Amy M. Beussink, Jennifer L. Graham
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Kansas Water Science Center

Monitoring indicators of harmful cyanobacteria in Texas

Harmful algal blooms can occur when certain types of microscopic algae grow quickly in water, forming visible patches that might harm the health of the environment, plants, or animals. In freshwater, species of Cyanobacteria (also known as bluegreen algae) are the dominant group of harmful, bloom-forming algae. When Cyanobacteria form a harmful algal bloom, potential impairments include restricted
Authors
Richard L. Kiesling, Robin H. Gary, Marcus O. Gary
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center
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