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Below are images associated with SBSC's science and staff. Images appear according to the year they were taken. To search, type a keyword or select a year from the dropdown menu. Or, click through the pages using the arrows at the bottom of the page.
A survey tripod above Eagle Tank looking out over a valley in Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, southern Arizona. Photo by Josh Caster, USGS.
A survey tripod above Eagle Tank looking out over a valley in Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, southern Arizona. Photo by Josh Caster, USGS.
A team of USGS and US Fish and Wildlife personnel who worked on remote sensing of water catchments called "tinajas" in Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in order to assess their water storage.
A team of USGS and US Fish and Wildlife personnel who worked on remote sensing of water catchments called "tinajas" in Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in order to assess their water storage.
Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge low desert near Tule Well, between Senita and Buckhorn Tanks, with mountains in the distance. Photo by Josh Caster, USGS.
Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge low desert near Tule Well, between Senita and Buckhorn Tanks, with mountains in the distance. Photo by Josh Caster, USGS.
Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge desert with ocotillos and saguaros and mountains in the distance, on the way to Eagle Tank, a tinaja or water catchment in bedrock used by desert bighorn sheep. Photo by Josh Caster, USGS.
Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge desert with ocotillos and saguaros and mountains in the distance, on the way to Eagle Tank, a tinaja or water catchment in bedrock used by desert bighorn sheep. Photo by Josh Caster, USGS.
A survey tripod on top of a rock outcropping at Senita Tank, a water catchment or tinaja in the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in southern Arizona. Desert bighorn sheep rely on these water catchments, especially during summer months. Photo by Josh Caster, USGS.
A survey tripod on top of a rock outcropping at Senita Tank, a water catchment or tinaja in the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in southern Arizona. Desert bighorn sheep rely on these water catchments, especially during summer months. Photo by Josh Caster, USGS.
USGS in collaboration with US Fish and Wildlife Service surveys the Buckhorn Tank water catchment ("tinaja") in Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, southern Arizona. Photo by Josh Caster, USGS.
USGS in collaboration with US Fish and Wildlife Service surveys the Buckhorn Tank water catchment ("tinaja") in Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, southern Arizona. Photo by Josh Caster, USGS.
Remote sensing at the Buckhorn Tank water catchment (also called a "tinaja") used by desert bighorn sheep in Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, southern Arizona. Photo by Joel Sankey, USGS.
Remote sensing at the Buckhorn Tank water catchment (also called a "tinaja") used by desert bighorn sheep in Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, southern Arizona. Photo by Joel Sankey, USGS.
The sign at the entry to the US Fish and Wildlife Service Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge is in the Sonoran Desert on the Arizona and Mexico border, and much of it is designated wilderness area.
The sign at the entry to the US Fish and Wildlife Service Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge is in the Sonoran Desert on the Arizona and Mexico border, and much of it is designated wilderness area.
An ecological site group map for the Upper Colorado River Basin that displays a quantitative soil-geomorphic framework in the Four Corners region, USA.
An ecological site group map for the Upper Colorado River Basin that displays a quantitative soil-geomorphic framework in the Four Corners region, USA.
Graphic showing potential benefits of RestoreNet 2.0 treatments, including seeding, live topsoil inoculation, livestock grazing, seed balls, and soil pits
Graphic showing potential benefits of RestoreNet 2.0 treatments, including seeding, live topsoil inoculation, livestock grazing, seed balls, and soil pits
Example graph of land cover calculations derived from remote sensing airborne image analysis for 0.1-mile segments of the Colorado River from Glen Canyon Dam to Diamond Creek. The percentage of the river valley covered by water (at 8,000 CFS river discharge), sand, vegetation, and other landcover are plotted for each 0.1-mile segment of the river.
Example graph of land cover calculations derived from remote sensing airborne image analysis for 0.1-mile segments of the Colorado River from Glen Canyon Dam to Diamond Creek. The percentage of the river valley covered by water (at 8,000 CFS river discharge), sand, vegetation, and other landcover are plotted for each 0.1-mile segment of the river.
RestoreNet treatments include soil pits and connectivity modifiers (ConMods), seen here at a RestoreNet site in the Sonoran Desert.
RestoreNet treatments include soil pits and connectivity modifiers (ConMods), seen here at a RestoreNet site in the Sonoran Desert.
Part of a series of small inset drawings, this is of a sign located near Horn Creek. The Creek is contaminated with high levels of Uranium. Sign states: "Horn Creek, Danger, Contaminated Water, Do Not Drink! Water in Horn Creek exceeds EPA health standards for radioactivity"
Part of a series of small inset drawings, this is of a sign located near Horn Creek. The Creek is contaminated with high levels of Uranium. Sign states: "Horn Creek, Danger, Contaminated Water, Do Not Drink! Water in Horn Creek exceeds EPA health standards for radioactivity"
Photo of an active dune derived from river-deposited sand along the banks of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park. Image by Josh Caster, USGS Southwest Biological Science Center.
Photo of an active dune derived from river-deposited sand along the banks of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park. Image by Josh Caster, USGS Southwest Biological Science Center.
Rebecca Finger-Higgens is an ecologist with the Southwest Biological Science Center whose work explores landscape legacies and climate change impacts on dryland and Arctic ecosystems.
Rebecca Finger-Higgens is an ecologist with the Southwest Biological Science Center whose work explores landscape legacies and climate change impacts on dryland and Arctic ecosystems.
Created for a fact sheet on the implications of breccia pipe Uranium mining in the Grand Canyon region, this drawing packs a significant amount of information into a single image.
Created for a fact sheet on the implications of breccia pipe Uranium mining in the Grand Canyon region, this drawing packs a significant amount of information into a single image.
Tribal youth participants on a 2021 USGS Partners-in-Science river trip enjoying dinner during the last night of their trip through the Grand Canyon. Diamond Peak is in the background. Photo credit: Sarah Spaulding, USGS/WRD.
Tribal youth participants on a 2021 USGS Partners-in-Science river trip enjoying dinner during the last night of their trip through the Grand Canyon. Diamond Peak is in the background. Photo credit: Sarah Spaulding, USGS/WRD.
Part of a series of small inset drawings, this is a top view of Havasupai Falls, its aquamarine colored water is highly recognizable and it is a site of tribal, cultural, and recreational significance to the greater Grand Canyon region.
Part of a series of small inset drawings, this is a top view of Havasupai Falls, its aquamarine colored water is highly recognizable and it is a site of tribal, cultural, and recreational significance to the greater Grand Canyon region.
This photo of lichen was taken by SBSC in Moab, Utah as part of a biocrust study in 2021. Photo courtesy of Erika Geiger, USGS.
This photo of lichen was taken by SBSC in Moab, Utah as part of a biocrust study in 2021. Photo courtesy of Erika Geiger, USGS.
Restoration project at Tsegi Canyon in support of cultural and ecological resources. It was a community project that brought together agency professionals, elders and native youth. This was a partnership with Navajo Nation and USGS Restoration Assessment and Monitoring Program for the Southwest.
Restoration project at Tsegi Canyon in support of cultural and ecological resources. It was a community project that brought together agency professionals, elders and native youth. This was a partnership with Navajo Nation and USGS Restoration Assessment and Monitoring Program for the Southwest.
The Restoration Assessment and Monitoring Program for the Southwest (RAMPS) is working with the Navajo Nation Department of Natural Heritage to build capacity for ecosystem restoration in response to climate change and drought.
The Restoration Assessment and Monitoring Program for the Southwest (RAMPS) is working with the Navajo Nation Department of Natural Heritage to build capacity for ecosystem restoration in response to climate change and drought.