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Click on the articles below to read about the latest WERC scientific discoveries.

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From Genes to GPS: for Endangered Light-Footed Ridgway’s Rails, Modern Tools Provide Insight into Population Health

From Genes to GPS: for Endangered Light-Footed Ridgway’s Rails, Modern Tools Provide Insight into Population Health

With the help of genetics and wildlife tracking, USGS scientists are monitoring an at-risk bird population and assessing outcomes of a captive...

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Research Spotlight: Drought Vulnerability Maps for Sierra Nevada Forests

Research Spotlight: Drought Vulnerability Maps for Sierra Nevada Forests

USGS and partners have created maps of forest vulnerability to drought in the Sierra Nevada, aimed at helping managers determine where forest...

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Penguins May Wear Tuxedos, But It’s Their Genes That Are Teaching USGS Scientists About Penguin Health

Penguins May Wear Tuxedos, But It’s Their Genes That Are Teaching USGS Scientists About Penguin Health

Seabirds are among the most threatened marine taxonomic groups in the world, and among seabirds, the penguins are the most threatened seabird family...

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With Livestock Gone, an Island’s Decimated Native Flora Makes a Comeback

With Livestock Gone, an Island’s Decimated Native Flora Makes a Comeback

A century of ranching severely damaged Santa Rosa Island’s rich plant diversity. A new study finds that native plant species are recovering after...

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Oh Christmas Tree: The Science of Conifer Trees

Oh Christmas Tree: The Science of Conifer Trees

You might have an evergreen tree in your home this month, but here at USGS, many of our scientists get to enjoy beautiful pine, fir, hemlock, and...

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Research Spotlight: New Study Identifies Effective Under-Road Passage Designs for California Tiger Salamanders

Research Spotlight: New Study Identifies Effective Under-Road Passage Designs for California Tiger Salamanders

A new study by USGS researchers and partners investigated how California tiger salamanders in Stanford, California interacted with different types of...

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Wildfire Smoke Disrupts Bird Migration in the West

Wildfire Smoke Disrupts Bird Migration in the West

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Early fall wildfires in the western states and the smoke they generate pose a risk to birds migrating in the Pacific Flyway...

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Research Spotlight: High Salinity and Limited Wetlands Reduce Duckling Habitat for Waterfowl

Research Spotlight: High Salinity and Limited Wetlands Reduce Duckling Habitat for Waterfowl

A new publication by USGS scientists examines wetland availability and salinity in Suisun Marsh, with particular focus on the implications for young...

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Sea Otter Surveys Get a High-Tech, COVID-Safe Update for 2021

Sea Otter Surveys Get a High-Tech, COVID-Safe Update for 2021

After a 2020 cancellation of the annual sea otter census, the count was back on for 2021.

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Photo Roundup - July-August 2021

Photo Roundup - July-August 2021

A selection of coastal and ocean images and videos from across the USGS

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Research Spotlight: New Study Explores Nocturnal Nest Breaks and Predation Events for Dabbling Ducks

Research Spotlight: New Study Explores Nocturnal Nest Breaks and Predation Events for Dabbling Ducks

A new study by USGS scientists, in collaboration with the California Department of Water Resources and California Department of Fish and Wildlife...

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When Unchecked, Free-Roaming Horse Populations Threaten Greater Sage-Grouse

When Unchecked, Free-Roaming Horse Populations Threaten Greater Sage-Grouse

Greater sage-grouse populations may decline by more than 70% within free-roaming horse-occupied areas by 2034 if horse populations increase unchecked...

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