Species Stressors

USGS is collaborating with the University of Florida to describe the diverse and fascinating tactics demonstrated by wildlife to survive tropical cyclones, which can aid in understanding the impact environmental change is having on wildlife and provide insights into how those impacts may be mitigated.

With the support of the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, USGS researchers will develop and optimize a CRISPR biosensor to detect C. galea eDNA in the field. The development of this tool could assist coral restoration managers and stakeholders to more effectively inform decisions on coral outplant site selection, based on coral predator presence.

White-nose syndrome has killed more than five million bats since its discovery in 2006. USGS is developing a non-invasive and user-friendly CRISPR white-nose syndrome biosensor to allow for quick detection of the pathogen that causes the disease.

WARC researchers will be surveying nesting beaches in Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores. They will record GPS locations for all crawls, nests, and turtles encountered/captured, and will be placing satellite tags on a subset of individuals to determine habitat use and delineate inter-nesting areas used by reproductive females.

WARC Researchers are using a variety of methods to assess mammal communities across the Greater Everglades.

WARC Researchers are comparing tree and root growth, soil CO2 flux, and surface elevation change between fertilized and unfertilized mangrove forests to assess the potential impact of increased nutrient loading and to help rate mangrove stand vulnerability.

USGS scientists are collaborating with multiple agencies to provide the esssential foundation for understanding these deep-sea environments.

WARC researchers used visual encounter surveys to determine prevalence rates of snake fungal disease in south-central Louisiana.

The U.S. Geological Survey Amphibian Research Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) is using a combination of swabbing, non-lethal tissue sampling, soil and water sampling, and collection of a variety of other environmental variables to determine the relationships between the prevalence and pathogen load of Bd infection and environmental stressors on green treefrog survival.

Estuaries and their surrounding wetlands are coastal transition zones where freshwater rivers meet tidal seawater. As sea levels rise, tidal forces move saltier water farther upstream, extending into freshwater wetland areas. Human changes to the surrounding landscape may amplify the effects of this tidal extension, impacting the resiliency and function of the upper estuarine wetlands. One visible...

USGS researchers are working with partners to assess the health and foraging behavior of Florida manatees in the northern Indian River Lagoon and Banana River, areas that have experienced declining seagrasses due to an extended phytoplankton bloom.

Collisons between wildlife and vehicles threaten many species, and can lead to human loss of life, injuries, and loss of property. USGS is developing models to help evaluate the effectiveness of wildlife protection zones and optimize the design of these protected areas.