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Ecosystems Mission Area

The USGS Ecosystems Mission Area provides science that directly benefits the health, safety, and prosperity of the American people by providing trusted and timely information to help address the Nation’s toughest management and conservation issues impacting public lands and the surrounding communities that benefit from them. 

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

Summer Drought May Increase Human-Bear Interactions

Summer Drought May Increase Human-Bear Interactions

Bats of the California Coast and Beyond!

Bats of the California Coast and Beyond!

Publications

Genetic bottleneck and panmixia following the collapse of a Great Lakes lake whitefish fishery Genetic bottleneck and panmixia following the collapse of a Great Lakes lake whitefish fishery

Lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis abundance has declined throughout most of the Laurentian Great Lakes in North America for two decades. Current management strategies in Lake Erie assume that there is a single stock of lake whitefish that spawns in the West Basin. There is documented lake whitefish spawning activity throughout the lake, leading to questions about locally adapted...
Authors
Peter T. Euclide, Joseph Schmitt, Zak J. Slagle, Jared J. Homola, H. Andrew Cook, Pascal D. Wilkins, Thomas MacDougall, Scott T. Koenigbauer, Richard Kraus

Spatial ecology and recovery patterns of a translocated mammal community in southern Africa Spatial ecology and recovery patterns of a translocated mammal community in southern Africa

Conservation translocations are an increasingly common tool to restore wildlife populations within protected areas. Along with identifying and mitigating threats, post-release monitoring allows managers to evaluate recovery effectiveness and improve success rates. Multispecies translocations present challenges in monitoring design, data processing, and analysis. Camera traps coupled with...
Authors
Cara L. Appel, Damon B. Lesmeister, Alinafe Chibwana, Raymond J. Davis, Samuel Kamoto, John Kerkering, Marnet Ngosi, Dave Robertson, Charles B. Yackulic, Taal Levi

Diet and trophic ecology of invasive Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus in an eastern shore tributary of the Chesapeake Bay Diet and trophic ecology of invasive Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus in an eastern shore tributary of the Chesapeake Bay

Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus were first introduced to Virginia tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay in the 1970s and have greatly expanded in population size and distribution, prompting ecological and economic concerns. This study investigates the diet and trophic ecology of invasive Blue Catfish in tidal, low-salinity reaches of the Nanticoke River and Marshyhope Creek, on the...
Authors
Zachary Crum, Clayton D. Raines, Christine Densmore, Regina Trott, Rodney T. Richardson, Christina Bradley, Corbin David Hilling, Noah R. Bressman

Science

Fish and Aquatic Ecology

Fish and aquatic habitats in Alaska support important commercial, sport, and subsistence fisheries and provide forage fish that support wildlife populations. The USGS Alaska Science Center conducts interdisciplinary research to inform local, state, federal, and international policy makers regarding conservation of fish, aquatic species, and their habitats. We work collaboratively with hydrologists...
Fish and Aquatic Ecology

Fish and Aquatic Ecology

Fish and aquatic habitats in Alaska support important commercial, sport, and subsistence fisheries and provide forage fish that support wildlife populations. The USGS Alaska Science Center conducts interdisciplinary research to inform local, state, federal, and international policy makers regarding conservation of fish, aquatic species, and their habitats. We work collaboratively with hydrologists...
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The Rusting of Arctic Rivers: Freshwater Ecosystems Respond to Rapidly Uptaking Metals

The water quality of streams and rivers in the Arctic is sensitive to rapid climate change and altered disturbance regimes.
The Rusting of Arctic Rivers: Freshwater Ecosystems Respond to Rapidly Uptaking Metals

The Rusting of Arctic Rivers: Freshwater Ecosystems Respond to Rapidly Uptaking Metals

The water quality of streams and rivers in the Arctic is sensitive to rapid climate change and altered disturbance regimes.
Learn More

Landbird Research in Alaska

On this page, learn about USGS work with the Alaska Landbird Monitoring Survey (ALMS), Beak Deformities in Landbirds, and Boreal Partners in Flight (BPIF).
Landbird Research in Alaska

Landbird Research in Alaska

On this page, learn about USGS work with the Alaska Landbird Monitoring Survey (ALMS), Beak Deformities in Landbirds, and Boreal Partners in Flight (BPIF).
Learn More
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