Species Biology
Species Biology
USGS WARC science plays a critical role in informing listing decisions related to the Endangered Species Act. Our work provides insight into the life history, population dynamics, and resource needs of species considered at risk or of management concern, including aquatic mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, bats, and fishes.
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Identifying Fish Nursery Habitats Using Otolith Elemental Fingerprints
Fish otoliths - ear bones - can be used to identify the fish nursery habitat used by estuarine fish.
Tracking and Modeling the Population of the Louisiana Black Bear Using “BearTRAK”
"BearTrak" is an app that provides a central repository for Louisiana Black Bear tracking data, allowing managers to access information more quickly and reliably.
Population Biology and Ecology of Diamondback Terrapins in Mangrove Forested Ecosystems in the Greater Everglades
Long-term capture-recapture research in the Everglades National Park provides baseline information on the Diamondback Terrapin, a species that may be threatened by human disturbances.
Benthic Habitat Characterization and Habitat Use of Endangered Sea Turtles in Marine Protected Areas of the Greater Everglades
USGS assesses how federally endangered sea turtles use the habitat in and around a no-take area in the Dry Tortugas National Park.
Exploration of Caribbean Seamounts within the Greater and Lesser Antilles (GA/LA) Transition Zone: Characterization of the Benthic Ecology and Geology
Seamounts may be biodiversity hotspots, oases, islands, and centers for endemism in the deep sea. USGS and partners explore these possibilities within the Greater and Lesser Antilles Transition Zone.
Monitoring Effects of Barrier Island Restoration on Piping Plovers in Louisiana
The federally threatened piping plover relies on sand-beach habitat year-round for nesting, foraging, and roosting, habitat that is particularly vulnerable to loss and degradation from coastal development, recreation activities, erosion, and sea-level rise.
Hierarchical Models for Computing Inferences About Species Assemblages Subject to Imperfect Detection
USGS is developing strategies to model species assemblages to allow inferences to be made about individual species, local communities of species, or for an entire metacommunity of species - while accounting for errors in species detection during sampling.
Response of a Threatened Shorebird to Severe Storms
The federally protected Atlantic Coast Piping Plover relies on habitats that were affected by Hurricane Sandy. USGS works to understand how these changes have affected nesting habitat and the reproductive success of the shorebird.
An Inventory and Comparative Study of Bees, A Keystone Ecological Group in the Endangered Coastal Prairie of Louisiana
Much of Louisiana's coastal prairie has been converted to rice and sugarcane cultivation. USGS is inventorying bee populations in these areas to explore how effective restoration efforts have been.
Pollinator Germplasm as a Genetic Resource for Conservation
Honey bee colony failure is primarily due to the infestation of mites and agricultural pesticides, including neonicotinoids. USGS researches the impacts these have on honey bee reproductive capabilities.
Use of a Sustained-Release Chemical Delivery Device in Assessing Effects of Systemic Insecticides
Neonicotinoid insecticides the fastest growing insecticide worldwide - and may play a role in the declines of terrestrial and aquatic vertebrate species.
Alabama Strategic Habitat Unit (SHU)
Alabama is host to a variety of freshwater species, many of which are critically imperiled. USGS and partners focus conservation activities in high priority watersheds throughout the state.