Species of Management Concern

WARC scientists work with local partners to verify and document sightings of non-native marine fishes.

WARC will assess Cape Sable seaside sparrow population response and viability under different management and habitat change scenarios. The USGS EverSparrow model will be run on future scenarios, and differences in the predicted probability of presence and the efficacy of varying conservation strategies will be evaluated.

USGS researchers are conducting ground surveys and collecting aerial imagery to understand avian use of restored habitats at Whiskey Island, Shell Island, Cheniere Ronquille, and Breton Island. They will also develop habitat maps to understand how coastal processes and episodic events influence barrier islands.

USGS scientists have developed and optimized python-specific eDNA markers to detect Burmese pythons from water samples taken from the Florida Everglades. This development may aid in the identification of possible waterways used as corridors for northward expansion of this invasive species.

Mole skinks that occur on Florida’s islands rely on sand beaches, beach berms, and dunes, making them particularly vulnerable to sea level rise and storm surge. USGS researchers predicted the impacts of sea level rise and storm surge on habitat for the Florida Keys mole skink ( Plestiodon egregius egregius), the Cedar Key mole skink ( P. e. insularis), and the Egmont Key mole skink (known from a...

Researchers at WARC are determining if temporal mismatches between digital elevation models and land cover data can impact estimates of inundation of beach habitat for barrier islands and low-lying beaches off the Gulf Coast of Florida.

The ornate chorus frog, once common throughout its range, appears to be experiencing population declines. USGS has partnered with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to assess the ornate chorus frog population status across its distribution.

While islands are some of the most biodiverse places on earth, they are also among the most threatened. Researchers from WARC and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are assessing the vulnerability of Florida’s coastal islands to inundation from sea-level rise and estimating potential loss of the terrestrial biodiversity on Florida’s islands.

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.

WARC researchers evaluated whether outreach campaigns targeting pet owners are effectively reaching their desired audiences, namely pet owners who might unintentionally or purposefully release their pet into the wild.

Researchers will evaluate the potential of aquatic species to invade the Northeast U.S. Following the identification of appropriate target species by regional stakeholders, researchers will gather data from the NAS database and develop models to determine habitat suitability for each species.

USGS researchers will track juvenile Burmese python within Big Cypress National Preserve (BICY) and collect data on snake growth, habitat use, and causes of mortality. Known-fate models will be used to estimate survival and better understand factors that influence survival.