Biology / Ecosystems (Ecohydrology or Ecohydraulics)

Low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses naturally occur in wild birds and are rarely fatal. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses are highly contagious, spread rapidly, are often fatal to poultry, and have been responsible for worldwide outbreaks. Together, LPAI and HPAI are generally referred to as either avian influenza viruses (AIVs) or "the bird flu."

The Central Midwest Water Science Center (CMWSC) includes three states: Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. The water science center is responsible for providing information on discharge, water quality, water-use, and groundwater data. The Harmful Algal Bloom (HABs) team is currently researching ways to better predict, analyze, and study HABs.

To monitor fish movement in selected rivers, the USGS has installed near real-time receivers for fish tags. These receivers detect the presence of acoustic tags that have been surgically implanted into a variety of fish species. The tag detection data can provide information about how far fish are moving in a river system, changes in fish population distribution, and, when viewed with flow and...