Our Units
Scientist Expertise
10-Year Overview
Cooperative Research Units
The Cooperative Research Units program was established in 1935—and codified by Congress in 1960— with a tripartite mission. Today, there are 43 units located in 41 States, at 44 host universities, with a national program office located at the U.S. Geological Survey headquarters in Reston, Virginia.
Our Tripartite Mission:
1. Deliver applied research to fish and wildlife resource decision makers,
2. Enhance graduate education in fisheries and wildlife sciences to cultivate the next generation of conservation professionals,
3. Provide robust technical assistance to personnel managing fish, wildlife, and ecosystems.
Publications
Putting weight to work: A review and examples of weight-based indicators in freshwater fish stock assessment Putting weight to work: A review and examples of weight-based indicators in freshwater fish stock assessment
Despite being a direct measure of biomass and central to fisheries management, weight-based metrics remain underutilized in freshwater fish stock assessment. Here, we present a concise review of the application of weight in evaluating freshwater fish populations. We examine the historical use of weighing, assess how weight is applied across subdisciplines of freshwater fish science...
Colonization of southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans) to urban Nebraska: Range expansion or human assisted translocation? Colonization of southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans) to urban Nebraska: Range expansion or human assisted translocation?
Southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans; Linnaeus 1758) were first observed in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 2018, 80 km north of their described range. Given that southern flying squirrels are a species of concern within Nebraska, determining the origin of this new population (natural expansion or pet-trade) garnered interest from state biologists. Further, the recent colonization of...
Patterns of recent brook trout invasion in bull trout streams in relation to habitat, source connectivity, biotic resistance, and disturbance Patterns of recent brook trout invasion in bull trout streams in relation to habitat, source connectivity, biotic resistance, and disturbance
Anticipating biological invasions by nonnative species is critical to effective conservation. Nonnative brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis represents one of the most widespread threats to native bull trout Salvelinus confluentus, but the factors allowing or preventing ongoing range expansions are poorly understood. We addressed this uncertainty by resampling 221 survey locations in bull...
Science
USGS Ecosystems Mission Area: Animal Welfare Assurance
The Ecosystems Mission Area (EMA) provides support for the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs) at EMA science centers across the nation.
Science for management of America’s iconic wild horses and burros
Wild horses and burros are iconic wildlife of the western USA as well as a complicated management issue on tribal, state, and federal lands. Due to their history as domesticated animals, these wild equids – also called “free-roaming” or “feral” equids – can reproduce quickly, and have few natural predators, allowing their populations to grow rapidly if not managed. When populations are too large...
Graduate Education
While becoming a leader in the conservation workforce, graduate students in the Cooperative Research Unit Program work to (1) Conduct research with USGS scientists through a host university, (2) Collaborate directly with natural resource managers to inform decision making, and (3) Earn a Master of Science or Doctoral Degree.