Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Fish Passage Technologies

Explore our Science

Decision Science and Quantitative Methods

Explore our Science

Bird and Terrestrial Species Conservation

Explore our science

Fish and Aquatic Species Conservation

Explore our science

Pollinator Conservation

Explore our science

Fish and Wildlife Disease Investigation and Surveillance

Explore our science

Freshwater and Coastal Ecology

Explore our science

Eastern Ecological Science Center

The USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC) strives to provide world-class science to inform natural resource decisions that preserve and enhance our quality of life. 

The land and water we live on and around shapes our lives. We share responsibility for the healthy fish, wildlife and landscapes that are assets to current and future generations.

EESC works directly with managers of our shared natural resources to provide the unbiased scientific tools, research and innovations needed to make informed decisions in today’s complex and rapidly changing conditions.

EESC’s broad expertise spans from mountain streams to deep oceans and the lands in between, supporting stewardship of a wide range of species and habitats.

Unique facilities in Maryland, Massachusetts and West Virginia help EESC deliver the reliable, actionable science that partners need to effectively conserve our treasured natural resources.

Key Values of a Century of EESC Science

EESC Makes an Impact

Greater Scaup floating on the water in Northern Alaska

Learn how EESC science is applied to today's biggest issues.

Read Impact Stories

Connect with Us

Woman wearing overalls and carrying a net in a flower field

Find locations, staff profiles and contact information for our team. 

Meet the EESC Team

EESC Quick Links

Follow Us on Facebook!

News

USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center at the 2026 Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry North America Meeting

USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center at the 2026 Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry North America Meeting

The Slime Trail: How USGS eDNA Efforts Are Revealing What Lives in the Deep Gulf

The Slime Trail: How USGS eDNA Efforts Are Revealing What Lives in the Deep Gulf

MacGillivray’s Warbler First Confirmed State Record for Maryland

MacGillivray’s Warbler First Confirmed State Record for Maryland

View All

Publications

Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza infection and exposure in waterfowl and waterbirds of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 2022-2025 Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza infection and exposure in waterfowl and waterbirds of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 2022-2025

The introduction of clade 2.3.4.4b highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 into North America in 2021 marked a significant shift in disease dynamics for wild waterfowl populations. To assess infection and seroprevalence trends following this incursion, we leveraged ongoing capture efforts at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex between October 2022 and July 2025 to...
Authors
Jeffery D. Sullivan, Rebecca L. Poulson, Michael L. Casazza, Elliott L. Matchett, Michael D'Errico, Alisha Bundy, Jacob William Chappell, Desmond Alexander Mackell, Andrea Mott, Cory T. Overton, David E. Stallknecht, Diann J. Prosser
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Climate change is reshaping seagrass futures: Novel environments and opportunities along coastlines and across oceans Climate change is reshaping seagrass futures: Novel environments and opportunities along coastlines and across oceans

Seagrasses are a highly productive ecosystem that supports biodiversity and fisheries, protects coastlines, and buries globally significant carbon stocks. Because seagrasses are increasingly stressed by warmer, darker, and more variable waters, established management strategies may not guarantee future success. Here, we depict a global outlook for seagrass futures by synthesizing how...
Authors
Marc J.S. Hensel, Christopher J. Patrick, Christopher Brown, Jillian Dunic, Jonathan S. Lefcheck, Enie Hensel, Lina Mtwana Nordlund, Melisa C. Wong, Joel A. Carr, William C. Dennison, Katharina A. Engelhardt, Kendrick. Gary A., Karen McGlathery, Richard C. Zimmerman, David J. Wilcox, Robert J. Orth
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Effects of turbulence-inducing baffles on passage performance of brook trout, white sucker, and sea lamprey: Implications for conservation and control Effects of turbulence-inducing baffles on passage performance of brook trout, white sucker, and sea lamprey: Implications for conservation and control

Invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) control in the Great Lakes is ongoing. Installing passive selective passage structures could reduce costs, yet there is a need to evaluate such methods under realistic hydraulic conditions to inform designs. In this study, we evaluated the swimming performance of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), white sucker (Catostomus commersonii), and sea...
Authors
Mahmoud Abdelbaky, Dencil Mathew, R.W. Jay Lacey, Elsa M.C. Goerig, Aaron C. Heisey, Gabriel Chénarda, Theodore Castro-Santos
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center
View All

Science

Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey - Traditional and Eastern Survey Areas

Redesigning the Eastern Breeding Waterfowl Population and Habitat Survey

USGS and partners are revising the design of a key waterfowl survey to increase management efficiency and cost-effectiveness, and inform annual harvest regulations in the U.S. and Canada.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Redesigning the Eastern Breeding Waterfowl Population and Habitat Survey

Redesigning the Eastern Breeding Waterfowl Population and Habitat Survey

USGS and partners are revising the design of a key waterfowl survey to increase management efficiency and cost-effectiveness, and inform annual harvest regulations in the U.S. and Canada.
Learn More
USFWS Plane

Evaluating the Design of the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey

The Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey (WBPHS) is a primary source of waterfowl population status and trend information for management of ducks in North America. The survey has not been reviewed in several decades, and since the last review new analysis approaches and information needs have created a need to reassess the design, scope of inference, and analysis of the survey to...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Evaluating the Design of the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey

Evaluating the Design of the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey

The Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey (WBPHS) is a primary source of waterfowl population status and trend information for management of ducks in North America. The survey has not been reviewed in several decades, and since the last review new analysis approaches and information needs have created a need to reassess the design, scope of inference, and analysis of the survey to...
Learn More
French Creek near Phoenixville, PA, river in the foreground and trees with green, yellow, and red leaves in the background.

39 Years of Stream Conditions Show Widespread Biological Changes Across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

USGS scientists predicted stream biological conditions across the Chesapeake Bay watershed from 1985 through 2023, revealing widespread changes but only a ~1% increase in stream length classified as improved. These predicted improvements fell short of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s goal of improving the health of 10% of streams by 2025.
By
Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)
39 Years of Stream Conditions Show Widespread Biological Changes Across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

39 Years of Stream Conditions Show Widespread Biological Changes Across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

USGS scientists predicted stream biological conditions across the Chesapeake Bay watershed from 1985 through 2023, revealing widespread changes but only a ~1% increase in stream length classified as improved. These predicted improvements fell short of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s goal of improving the health of 10% of streams by 2025.
Learn More
View All
Was this page helpful?