Western Ecological Research Center
Data and Tools
Below, you can find our stand alone data releases. For contemporary articles and their associated data, please visit our publications tab. We include tools that were developed to streamline analysis using different mediums. For further information, please contact authors.
Climate Distance Mapper
Climate Distance Mapper is a spatial decision-support tool designed to help land managers match seed sources with restoration sites. Plant populations are commonly adapted to local climate gradients and frequently exhibit a home-site advantage.
web applicationAnnual California sea otter stranding data
The California Sea Otter Stranding Network is part of the USGS effort to monitor southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) and provide data to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Data
LEAN-Corrected Collier County DEM for wetlands
Lidar-derived digital elevation models often contain a vertical bias due to vegetation. In areas with tidal influence the amount of bias can be ecologically significant, for example, by decreasing the expected inundation frequency. We generated a corrected digital elevation model (DEM) for wetlands throughout Collier county using a modification of the Lidar Elevation Adjustment with NDVI (...
Annual California Sea Otter Census: 2018 Extra Limit Observations Shapefile
The GIS shapefile "Extra limit counts of southern sea otters 2018" is a point layer representing the locations of sea otter sightings that fall outside the officially recognized range of the southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) in mainland California. These data were collected during the spring 2018 range-wide census. The USGS range-wide sea otter census has been undertaken each year...
Annual California Sea Otter Census—2018 Spring Census Summary
The spring 2018 mainland sea otter count began on April 26, and was completed by May 24, 2018. Overall viewing conditions this year were good and rounded off to the same conditions experienced during the 2017 spring census (View Score 2.4, where 0=poor, 1=fair, 2=good, 3=very good, and 4=excellent). The surface canopies of kelp (Macrocystis sp.) were considered by most participants to be above...
Annual California Sea Otter Census: 2018 Range Extent Shapefile
The GIS shapefile "Range extent of southern sea otters 2018" is a simple polyline representing the geographic distribution of the southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) in mainland California, based on data collected during the spring 2018 range-wide census. The USGS range-wide sea otter census has been undertaken each year since 1982, using consistent methodology involving both ground-...
Annual California Sea Otter Census: 2018 Census Summary Shapefile
The GIS shapefile "Census summary of southern sea otter 2018" provides a standardized tool for examining spatial patterns in abundance and demographic trends of the southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis), based on data collected during the spring 2018 range-wide census. The USGS spring range-wide sea otter census has been undertaken each year since 1982, using consistent methodology...
Sea Otter Capture Data from the Big Sur-Monterey Study (2008-2011)
This data release is comprised of sea otter capture data from the capture of wild sea otters in Big Sur and Monterey, CA between the years of 2008-2011. These sea otters were captured for tagging and tracking during a comparison study designed to examine the biology, health, and survival of sea otters in a relatively pristine habitat (Big Sur) and a highly-impacted habitat (Monterey). At the...
Database of Marine Mammal and Seabird Research Activity in the Pacific (US)
This database is a compilation of marine mammal and seabird information collected along the Pacific coast of the United States and U.S. territories in the Pacific from surveys that were solicited among regional research communities and persons. Information from standardized surveys was gathered from 2015 to 2018 and includes programs and researchers who collected information regarding seabirds...
Wetland Management Strategy to Reduce Mercury Export in Water and Bioaccumulation in Fish
Fish data only. Water data published in a separate data release by co-authors. Total mercury concentrations in western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) that were caged at specific locations within four control wetlands and four treatment wetlands for a 30-day exposure time period to test the effectiveness of wetland management strategy to reduce mercury contamination.
Principal components of climate variation in the Desert Southwest for the time periods 1980-2010, 2040-2070 (RCP8.5) and (RCP4.5)
Climate Distance Mapper is an interactive web mapping application designed to facilitate informed seed sourcing decisions and to aid in directing regional seed collections. Implemented as a shiny web application (Chang et al. 2017), Climate Distance Mapper is hosted on the web at: https://usgs-werc-shinytools....
Principal components of climate variation in the Desert Southwest for the future time period 2040-2070 (RCP 8.5)
Five principal components are used to represent the climate variation in an original set of 12 composite climate variables reflecting complex precipitation and temperature gradients. The dataset provides coverage for future climate (defined as the 2040-2070 normal period) under the RCP8.5 emission scenarios. Climate variables were chosen based on their known influence on local adaptation in...
Principal components of climate variation in the Desert Southwest
Five principal components are used to represent the climate variation in an original set of 12 climate variables reflecting precipitation and temperature gradients. The dataset provides coverage for four regions (the Sonoran Desert, Mojave Desert, Colorado Plateau, and Southern Great Basin) and three time periods including current climate (defined as the 1980-2010 normal period) and future...
Principal components of climate variation in the Desert Southwest for the future time period 2040-2070 (RCP 4.5)
Five principal components are used to represent the climate variation in an original set of 12 composite climate variables reflecting complex precipitation and temperature gradients. The dataset provides coverage for future climate (defined as the 2040-2070 normal period) under the RCP4.5 emission scenarios. Climate variables were chosen based on their known influence on local adaptation in...