Friday’s Findings highlights the breadth of ecosystem science conducted by the USGS, offering insights into research that informs the management and conservation of natural resources. Topics span a wide range of issues, including environmental health, wildlife disease, invasive species, climate change, and species population monitoring.

Through Friday’s Findings, the USGS aims to share knowledge that supports understanding and stewardship of the ecosystems upon which society depends.

2026 Friday's Findings Schedule

Using new tools for old problems: innovative and actionable science that informs decision making for our vast and dynamic U.S. drylands
Date:  January 9, 2026
Sasha Reed, Research Ecologist, USGS Southwest Biological Science Center
 

CASC Climate Adaptation Technical Services: Science and lessons from the first year
Date:  January 23, 2026
Presenters:  USGS National Climate Adaptation Science Center 

• Ryan Boyles, Senior Advisor and CATS Lead
• Katherine Kurth, Biologist
• Marta Lyons, Biologist
• Andy Maguire, Biologist
• Kasia Nikiel, Physical Scientist
• Sarah Whipple, Biologist

Rapid mapping tool for grassland birds in the Great Plains and Sagebrush biomes
Date:  February 6, 2026
Presenter:  Caleb Roberts, Unit Leader, USGS Arkansas Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit
 

Tackling invasive mussels with science and strategy
Date:  February 20, 2026
Presenter:  Diane Waller, Research Fishery Biologist, USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

Geospatial applications to visualize science and support decision-making across scales
Date:  March 6, 2026
Presenters:  

• Dan Jones, Physical Scientist, USGS Utah Water Science Center
• Brianna Williams, Geographer, USGS New Jersey Water Science Center
• Stephanie Gordon, Physical Scientist, USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center

Back from the brink: DEC announces new collaborative study estimates population of Hudson River endangered shortnose sturgeon 
Date: March 20, 2026
Presenter:  Shannon White, Research Biologist, USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center 

Assessing at-risk bee species for proactive management in the Southeast
Date: April 10, 2026
Presenter:  Hailey Shanovich, Biologist and Climate Adaptation Service Scientist, Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center

Wildlife Health Awareness Day
Date: April 24, 2026
Presenter:  TBD

Amphibian Week
Date: May 8, 2026
Presenter:  TBD

USGS Wildland Fire Science
Date: May 29, 2026
Presenter:  TBD

Seabirds in the California Channel Islands
Date: June 12, 2026
Presenters:  

• Sarah Converse, Unit Leader, USGS Washington Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit
• Amelia DuVall, post-doc, USGS Washington Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit 

Lost and Found: A rapid assessment approach to finding undiscovered populations of an endangered bumble bee
Date: June 26, 2026
Presenter:  USGS Northern Prairie Pollinator Lab

Voyage into the past: Ocean exploration and the story of the California Current over the last 100,000 years
Date: July 10, 2026
Presenter:  Jason Addison, Research Geologist, USGS Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Coral Reef Awareness Week - Coral disease and invasive corallimorphs
Date: July 25, 2026
Presenter:  TBD

Hawaiian Honeycreepers Celebration Day
Date: August 7, 2026
Presenter:  TBD

Filling key data gaps to better understand how rare earth elements and other critical minerals may affect aquatic species, supporting informed and responsible resource use
Date: August 21, 2026
Presenter:  David Soucek, Research Biologist, USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center

Advancing evaluation of ecological efficacy for climate adaptation actions
Date: September 11, 2026
Presenter:  Meagan Oldfather, Biologist, USGS North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center

Coastal wetland resilience: Lessons learned from large-scale field manipulations, measurements, and modeling
Date: September 25, 2026
Presenters:  

• Joel Carr, Research Ecologist, USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center
• Mike Osland, Research Ecologist, USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Co-developing an adaptive management framework for a cold-water river facing ecosystem change
Date: October 9, 2026
Presenter:  Kaili Gregory, Graduate Student, USGS Georgia Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit

Bat Week
Date: October 23, 2026
Presenter:  Bethany Shulze, Biological Science Technician, USGS Western Ecological Research Center

DOI Bison Metapopulation Strategy
Date: November 6, 2026
Presenter:  Sara Oyler-McCance, Supervisory Research Geneticist and Branch Chief for the Ecosystem and Organismal Ecology Branch, USGS Fort Collins Science Center

GIS Day / Geography Awareness Week - Species habitat mapping
Date: November 20, 2026
Presenter:   TBD

Supporting healthy recreational fish and wildlife game species through partnerships with State conservation agencies
Date: December 4, 2026
Presenter:  David Alvarez, Research Chemist, USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center

The North American Breeding Bird Survey: On the road again for a bird survey that counts! 
Date: December 18, 2026
Presenter: David Ziolkowski Jr., North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) Program Manager, USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center