Mission Areas
Ecosystems
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The USGS Ecosystems Mission Area, the biological research arm of the Department of the Interior (DOI), provides science to help America achieve sustainable management and conservation of its biological resources. This work is done within the broader mission of the USGS to serve the Nation with science that advances understanding of our natural resources and inform land and water stewardship.
Collaborative Conservation
What do gray wolves, manatees and bears have in common? They are just a few of the species that are part of important USGS research that informs U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decisions for endangered and threatened species.
Find out moreOutstanding in the Field
An Ecosystems Mission Area original podcast series that tells stories about our science, our adventures, and our efforts to better understand fish and wildlife and the ecosystems that support them.
Ep 2-Citizen ScienceWhere's our Science?
Find out where Ecosystems Science Centers, Field Stations, and Cooperative Research Units are located.
Browse by LocationNews
Vaccination May Help Protect Bats from Deadly Disease
A new study shows that vaccination may reduce the impact of white-nose syndrome in bats, marking a milestone in the international fight against one of the most destructive wildlife diseases in modern times.
After Hurricane Devastation, Sea Turtle Scientists Rebound, Help Rebuild
Seven months after their home base in the Florida Panhandle was demolished by Hurricane Michael, U.S. Geological Survey sea turtle researchers are headed back into the field on May 1, the start of nesting season for Florida's sea turtles.
GCMRC Updates
The Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center currently has 11 active science projects as a part of its Triennial Work Plan (FY2018-2020) for work conducted as the science provider to the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program. New developments, recent publications and other current activities will be listed here. Check here to find out the latest information from the Center.
Publications
Atrazine induced transgenerational reproductive effects in medaka (Oryzias latipes)
Atrazine is presently one of the most abundantly used herbicides in the United States, and a common contaminant of natural water bodies and drinking waters in high-use areas. Dysregulation of reproductive processes has been demonstrated in atrazine exposed fish, including alteration of key endocrine pathways on hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG...
Cleary, Jacob A.; Tillitt, Donald E.; vom Saal, Fredrick S.; Nicks, Diane; Claunch, Rachel; Bhandari, Ramji K.
Sea-cliff bedstraw (Galium buxifolium) patterns and trends, 2005–14, on Santa Cruz and San Miguel Islands, Channel Islands National Park, California
Sea-cliff bedstraw (Galium buxifolium [Rubiaceae]) is a delicate dioecious subshrub endemic to Santa Cruz and San Miguel Islands, in the northern California Channel Islands. It was listed as endangered in 1997 under the Federal Endangered Species Act, threatened by soil loss, habitat alteration, and herbivory from more than a century of ranching...
McEachern, Kathryn; Chess, Katherine A.; Flagg, Karen; Niessen, Kenneth G. The pathogenesis of H7 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)
Waterfowl are the natural hosts of avian influenza virus (AIV), and through migration spread the virus worldwide. Most AIVs carried by wild waterfowl are low pathogenic strains; however, Goose/Guangdong/1996 lineage clade 2.3.4.4 H5 highly pathogenic (HP) AIV now appears to be endemic in wild birds in much of the Eastern Hemisphere. Most research...
Stephens, Christopher B.; Prosser, Diann; Pantin-Jackwood, Mary J.; Berlin, Alicia; Spackman, EricaThe Ecosystems Mission Area provides impartial science information and tools to the Nation’s natural resource managers, with particular focus on the science needs of the Department of the Interior (DOI) and DOI bureaus to manage species, lands and priority ecosystems; fulfill treaty obligations; respond to and reduce threats to natural resources; and manage mineral and energy resources.
Check out our Cool Tools for Hot Topics!
Assessing native fish restoration potential in Catoctin Mountain Park
Native species conservation is a fundamental purpose of National Parks. Catoctin Mountain Park (CATO) in Maryland supports a prized trout fishery and a healthy community of native fishes, with one exception: native Blue Ridge Sculpin (Cottus caeruleomentum) appear to have been extirpated from Big Hunting Creek above Cunningham Falls. Infection by a fungal-like protist ...
Spatio-Temporal Statistical Models for Forecasting Climate Change Effects on Bird Distribution
Ecological indicators of climate change are needed to measure concurrent changes in ecological systems, inform management decisions, and forecast the consequences of climate change. We seek to develop robust bird-based, climate-change indicators using North American Breeding Bird Survey data.
Expanding Distribution of Chronic Wasting Disease
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been detected in 26 US states and three Canadian provinces in free-ranging cervids and/or commercial captive cervid facilities. CWD has been detected in free-ranging cervids in 24 states and two provinces and in captive cervid facilities in 17 states and three provinces.
Evaluating Ecological Vulnerabilities of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem to Provide Decision Support for Restoration
USGS scientists develop decision support tools to help inform management and restoration of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem.
GCMRC Scientist & Staff Directory
Below is a list of GCMRC scientists and key project support staff with their contact information provided. Names and positions are linked to each individual's USGS staff profile page (where applicable), so click there to find out more about each person's background, research interests and science products. Clicking on email addresses will generate a new email message to that individual....
GCMRC Data and Tools
The Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center offers a collection of data resources and online tools -- including web maps, applications, and other content -- that convey scientific information related to on-going monitoring of the Colorado River. Some applications are a culmination of long-term monitoring work, while others are developed around more a specific set of information usually...
Mapping riverine habitats of the Delaware River using bathymetric LiDAR
Ecosystem management and assessment of rivers requires detailed data on bathymetry before estimates of aquatic habitats can be determined. However, mapping bathymetry in shallow rivers is challenging due to river depth limitations for watercraft. Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology has revolutionized aerial mapping of topography and vegetation, but the infrared lasers used on these...
Assessing stream health and fish habitat in streams of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Streams and rivers provide habitat for a diverse array of aquatic and semi-aquatic species. However, human alteration to landscapes and riverscapes has affected this habitat resulting in its degradation and thus loss of habitat and associated sensitive aquatic species. While this relationship has been known for many years, only recently has the availability of data and analytical capabilities...
Exploring the potential effects of shale oil and gas development on freshwaters
Widespread shale oil and gas (unconventional oil and gas, UOG) has only recently begun and many gaps in our knowledge of its potential effects to freshwaters exist. We conducted several studies aimed at filling these gaps, providing data on the rates and volumes of materials spilled, proximity of spills to important ecosystems, and overall production of wastes. These data together with current...
Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Projects
The Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center currently functions under a Triennial Work Plan (TWP) which is thoroughly reviewed and vetted both internally within the Center and through the GCDAMP Technical Work Group (TWG) and the Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG). These advisory panels have been a part of the Glen Canyon Dam adaptive management process since the inception of the...
Brook trout vulnerability to drought: eastern component of USGS national integrated ecohydrological research and monitoring plans
There is a growing and urgent need to develop and implement innovative strategies to research, monitor, and manage freshwater resources as societal demands escalate simultaneously with climate-driven changes in water availability. Over the past several years, many regions have experienced extreme droughts, fueled by prolonged periods of reduced precipitation and exceptionally warm temperatures...
A hydrological framework to improve precision of Vital Signs metrics in the Appalachian highlands
Stream flow is a fundamental driver of ecological structure and function, but its influence on bioassessment measures is poorly understood. Although extreme flow conditions (e.g., floods and droughts) have long been known to play a central role in structuring stream communities, a mechanistic understanding of the linkages between flow variables, landscape and local physical characteristics,...
Spatial Integration of Biological and Social Objectives to Identify Priority Landscapes for Waterfowl Habitat Conservation
The information and data presented herein serve as the supplement to the report, “Spatial Integration of Biological and Social Objectives to Identify Priority Landscapes for Waterfowl Habitat Conservation”. The purpose of this supplemental material is to encourage exploration of the methods used to develop the spatially explicit products presented in the report. The in...
Predicted Shorelines for High Flows on the Colorado River Application
This application highlights modeled flows of the Colorado River for a discharge of 41,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) that is approximate to recent (2012 - 2018) and future anticipated water releases associated with a High Flow Experiments conducted from Glen Canyon Dam near Page, Arizona. These data are to help visualize the water levels during High Flow Events in relation to other map...
Virally-vectored vaccine candidates against white-nose syndrome induce anti-fungal immune response in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus)
White-nose syndrome (WNS) caused by the fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) has killed millions of North American insect-eating bats. Currently, methods to prevent the disease are limited. We conducted two trials to assess potential WNS vaccine candidates in wild-caught Myotis lucifugus. In a pilot study, we immunized bats with one of four vaccine treatments or PBS as a control and...
Sandbar Monitoring Sites - Remote Camera Photographs Application
GCMRC and Northern Arizona University have engaged in long-term monitoring of 45 sandbar sites along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon for close to three decades. Remote cameras have been established to monitor sandbar changes in between site surveys that occur every Fall. This application provides access to thousands of photos, with an option to view photos around specific high flow...
Plague positive mouse fleas on mice prior to plague outbreaks in black-tailed and white-tailed prairie dogs
In 2013, a large blinded, paired placebo-controlled field trial for the prairie dog oral sylvatic plague vaccine started in the Western US. On 17 paired plots, vaccine and placebo plots, small rodents were trapped annually for 3-5 consecutive nights (when weather allowed) and high elevation Utah plots where plague was active were more frequently trapped in 2014 and 2015. In the dataset the...
DATA RELEASE - Predictive maps of 2D and 3D surface soil properties and associated uncertainty for the Upper Colorado River Basin, USA
Raster datasets are maps of soil surface properties that were used in analyzing different approaches for digital soil mapping. They include maps of soil pH, electrical conductivity, soil organic matter, and soil summed fine and very fine sand contents that were created using 2D and 3D modeling strategies. For each property a map was created using 2D and 3D approaches to compare the mapped...
Pathology and bacteriology of 178 tadpoles with histologically confirmed Severe Perkinsea Infections: Data
(i) This dataset presents macroscopic and microscopic pathological findings and bacteriology of 178 tadpoles diagnosed with Severe Perkinsea Infections. (ii) Specimen were collected and submitted to the NWHC as part of mortality investigations and collection of specimen from apparently healthy populations as part of ongoing amphibian health monitoring. (iii) Necropsies and gross evaluation of...
LEAN-Corrected San Francisco Bay Digital Elevation Model, 2018
Lidar-derived digital elevation models often contain a vertical bias due to vegetation. In areas with tidal influence the amount of bias can be ecologically significant, for example, by decreasing the expected inundation frequency. We generated a corrected digital elevation mode (DEM) for tidal marsh areas around San Francisco Bay using the Lidar Elevation Adjustment with NDVI (LEAN) technique...
Raster data files for “Prioritizing conserved areas threatened by wildfire for monitoring and management."
The data set consists of 12 input data rasters that cover San Diego County, California. These input rasters represent criteria used in a Pareto ranking algorithm in the manuscript. These include three rasters related to fire threats, three rasters related to habitat fragmentation threats, four rasters related to species biodiversity, and two rasters related to genetic biodiversity. (see the...
Grand Canyon Map Portal
Grand Canyon Map Portal
Click to launch the Grand Canyon Map Portal hosted by the U.S. Geological Survey's Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC). GCMRC is part of the River Ecosystem Science branch of the Southwest Biological Science Center (SBSC) and is based in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Chinook Salmon Use of Eelgrass Habitats Skagit River Delta Washington
The degree to which eelgrass on river deltas provides critical habitat for estuarine fishes, especially out‐migrating juvenile salmon, is an important scientific and management issue that bears on efforts to conserve and restore both eelgrass and fish.
DATA RELEASE - Spatial distribution and risk analysis data for diamond-backed terrapins relative to crab trapping, Savannah Coastal Refuge Complex, USA - Data
The data collected during the systematic inventory of diamond-backed terrapins includes information on terrapin detection in tidal creeks on refuges, crab pot numbers and locations, and a variety of environmental-, location-, and observer-related variables to examine the effects of both environmental conditions and observer bias on terrapin detection.
White-Nose Syndrome Occurrence Map
View current and archived maps of white-nose syndrome occurrence by county/district.
Chronic Wasting Disease Map
Reported distribution of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in North America.
Grand Canyon Poster Map (Low Res)
This is a low resolution poster map of the Grand Canyon region provided by the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center). The poster map was exported from ESRI ArcGIS Desktop as a 36-inch by 24-inch output at 96 dots per inch (dpi). This map is provided for general reference only and should be used for navigational purposes.
Grand Canyon Poster Map (GCMRC)
The Grand Canyon Shaded Relief base map is provided by the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research (Southwest Biological Science Center) as a resource for identifying and locating important places of interest along the Colorado River and across the Grand Canyon region.
Wildlife Health Information Sharing Partnership – event reporting system (WHISPers)
The NWHC developed the Wildlife Health Information Sharing Partnership – event reporting system (WHISPers) to increase public awareness of wildlife disease events and promote collaboration and data sharing among wildlife professionals. It is a partner driven tool that provides a dynamic, timely, searchable web-based system for visualizing and accessing data on wildlife disease events nationwide.
Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Quagga Mussel Sightings Map
Interactive map of the distribution of quagga mussels in North America. This map is provided by the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species program.
Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Zebra Mussel Sightings Map
Interactive map of the distribution of zebra mussels in North America. This map is provided by the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species program.
USGS Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units: 2017 Year In Review
In September 1960, the 86th Congress passed Public Law 86-686 to facilitate cooperation between the Federal government, colleges and universities, the States, and private organizations for Cooperative Unit Programs of research and education relating to fish and wildlife, and for other purposes. The Cooperative Research Units originated in the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the mid 1930s
Sea Star Wasting Syndrome Map
The map includes information from Pacific Rocky Intertidal Monitoring surveys as well as information from logs submitted by other researchers, divers, and the general public.
Movement Maps for Suisun Marsh Waterfowl and Waterbird Studies
Suisun Marsh is a critical habitat for wintering and breeding waterbirds in California. USGS is working with the California DWR to examine the trends in bird decline and to assess the habitat factors driving long-term survival of waterfowl, rails, and other birds in this important area.
Map of USGS WERC Locations
WERC headquarters, field stations, and sub-stations strategically located in or near California and Nevada bioregions, form the core of the WERC science program.
Re-establishing Waterbird Breeding Colonies in San Francisco Bay
This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Western Ecological Research Center (WERC) story map details how partners are using science and management to maintain and establish new bird nesting colonies in support of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
Atrazine induced transgenerational reproductive effects in medaka (Oryzias latipes)
Atrazine is presently one of the most abundantly used herbicides in the United States, and a common contaminant of natural water bodies and drinking waters in high-use areas. Dysregulation of reproductive processes has been demonstrated in atrazine exposed fish, including alteration of key endocrine pathways on hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG...
Cleary, Jacob A.; Tillitt, Donald E.; vom Saal, Fredrick S.; Nicks, Diane; Claunch, Rachel; Bhandari, Ramji K. Sea-cliff bedstraw (Galium buxifolium) patterns and trends, 2005–14, on Santa Cruz and San Miguel Islands, Channel Islands National Park, California
Sea-cliff bedstraw (Galium buxifolium [Rubiaceae]) is a delicate dioecious subshrub endemic to Santa Cruz and San Miguel Islands, in the northern California Channel Islands. It was listed as endangered in 1997 under the Federal Endangered Species Act, threatened by soil loss, habitat alteration, and herbivory from more than a century of ranching...
McEachern, Kathryn; Chess, Katherine A.; Flagg, Karen; Niessen, Kenneth G. The pathogenesis of H7 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)
Waterfowl are the natural hosts of avian influenza virus (AIV), and through migration spread the virus worldwide. Most AIVs carried by wild waterfowl are low pathogenic strains; however, Goose/Guangdong/1996 lineage clade 2.3.4.4 H5 highly pathogenic (HP) AIV now appears to be endemic in wild birds in much of the Eastern Hemisphere. Most research...
Stephens, Christopher B.; Prosser, Diann; Pantin-Jackwood, Mary J.; Berlin, Alicia; Spackman, Erica Spatially explicit modelling of floodplain forest succession: Interactions among flood inundation, forest successional processes, and other disturbances in the Upper Mississippi River floodplain, USA
Simulation models are often used to identify hydrologic regimes suitable for different riparian or floodplain tree species. However, most existing models pay little attention to forest successional processes or other disturbances that may interact with the hydrologic regime of river systems to alter forest dynamics in space and time. In...
De Jager, Nathan R.; Van Appledorn, Molly; Fox, Timothy J.; Rohweder, Jason J.; Guyon, Lyle J.; Meier, Andrew R.; Cosgriff, Robert J.; Vandermyde, Benjamin J. Knowing your limits: Estimating range boundaries and co-occurrence zones for two competing plethodontid salamanders
Understanding threats to species persistence requires knowledge of where species currently occur. We explore methods for estimating two important facets of species distributions, namely where the range limit occurs and how species interactions structure distributions. Accurate understanding of range limits is crucial for predicting range dynamics...
Amburgey, S. M.; Miller, D. A. W. ; Brand, Adrianne B,; Dietrich, Andrea M.; Campbell Grant, Evan H.
Movements of juvenile Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) in the Yakima and Columbia Rivers, Washington, 2018—A pilot study using acoustic telemetry
Telemetry has been an invaluable tool to improve our understanding of adult Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) movements and to guide management approaches to protect and restore this species of concern. Juvenile and larval lamprey, however, are much smaller than adults, and have not been monitored with telemetry because available...
Liedtke, Theresa L.; Lampman, Ralph T. ; Deng, Z. Daniel; Beals, Tyler E.; Porter, Michael S.; Hansen, Amy C.; Kock, Tobias J.; Tomka, Ryan G.; Monk, Patrick Seed-vectored microbes: Their roles in improving seedling fitness and competitor plant suppression
This chapter discusses the role of seed-vectored microbes in modulating seedling development and increasing fitness of plants in terms of increased biotic and abiotic stress tolerance.
White, James F. Jr.; Kingsley, Kathryn L.; Butterworth, Susan; Brindisi, Lara; Gatei, Judy W; Elmore, Matthew T.; Verma, Satish Kumar; Yao, Xiang; Kowalski, Kurt P. Linking management planning for coastal wetlands to potential future wave attenuation under a range of relative sea-level rise scenarios
Understanding changes in wave attenuation by emergent vegetation as wetlands degrade or accrete over time is crucial for incorporation of wetlands into holistic coastal risk management. Linked SLAMM and XBeach models were used to investigate potential future changes in wave attenuation over a 50-year period in a degrading, subtropical wetland and...
Hijuelos, Ann; Dijkstra, Jasper; Carruthers, Tim J.B.; Heynert, Karel; Reed, Denise; van Wesenbeeck, Bregje Hydrologic lag effects on wetland greenhouse gas fluxes
Hydrologic margins of wetlands are narrow, transient zones between inundated and dry areas. As water levels fluctuate, the dynamic hydrology at margins may impact wetland greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes that are sensitive to soil saturation. The Prairie Pothole Region of North America consists of millions of seasonally-ponded wetlands that are ideal...
Tangen, Brian A.; Bansal, Sheel
Monitoring live vegetation in semiarid and arid rangeland environments with satellite remote sensing in northern Kenya
As part of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s (DOI) commitment to provide technical assistance to the Kenyan Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT), the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with the DOI International Technical Assistance Program and the U.S. Agency for International Development’s regional mission in East Africa, created a high...
Rangoonwala, Amina; Ramsey III, Elijah W.
Spatial integration of biological and social objectives to identify priority landscapes for waterfowl habitat conservation
Waterfowl population management and habitat conservation compose one of the oldest and most successful adaptive management frameworks in the world. Since its inception, the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) has emphasized strategically targeted conservation investments in regions that most affect waterfowl population dynamics. By...
Krainyk, Anastasia; Lyons, James E.; Brasher, Michael G.; Humburg, Dale D.; Souilliere, Greg J.; Coluccy, John M.; Petrie, Mark J.; Howerter, David W.; Slattery, Stuart M.; Rice, Mindy B.; Fuller, Joe C. Monitoring long-term changes in forage fish distribution, abundance and body condition
We collected data on forage fish abundance, distribution and body condition in Prince William Sound, Alaska during summers in 2012 through 2016. This included acoustic – trawl surveys, aerial-acoustic surveys, opportunistic sampling where we encountered forage aggregations, and concurrent measurements of forage fish habitat. Acoustic indices of...
Arimitsu, Mayumi L.; Piatt, John F.
GenEst - A Generalized Estimator of Mortality
GenEst, a generalized estimator of wildlife mortality at renewable energy facilities.
SSR_pipeline: Computer Software for the Identification of Microsatellite Sequences from Paired-End Illumina High-Throughput DNA Sequence Data
SSR_pipeline is a flexible set of programs designed to efficiently identify simple sequence repeats (SSRs; for example, microsatellites) from paired-end high-throughput Illumina DNA sequencing data.
fatalityCMR
Capture-recapture software to correct raw counts of wildlife fatalities using trial experiments for carcass detecition probability and persistence time.
Evidence of Absence (EoA) Software and User's Guide
Software to Estimate Bird and Bat Fatality at Wind Farms
AquaPathogen X: A Template Database for Tracking Field Isolates of Aquatic Pathogens
Aquatic Pathogen Template Database (AquaPathogen X)
Wildlife Software and Models
A suite of software tools and models developed by Colorado State University and the USGS Colorado Cooperative Fish And Wildlife Research Unit.
monitoR: Acoustic template detection in R
Tools for automated acoustic monitoring of nature.
Fishery Information and Technology Software
Software from the American Fisheries Society
R for Fisheries and Wildlife Applications
FW599: An introduction to data management and R for Fisheries and Wildlife applications--- a lighthearted look
InVEST: 18 different models for ecosystem services
The InVEST tool allows researchers to evaluate relationships between land management actions and wild bee populations.
Fatality Estimator Software
Tool to Evaluate Wildlife Fatalities at Wind-Power Facilities
CloseTest
CloseTest is a Windows program for testing capture-recapture data
Grass carp larvae
These images show grass carp larvae from the Maumee River. Characteristics of larval grass carp include overall length (left), skeletal muscle development (center) and presence of an eye spot that lacks pigmentation (right; pigment starting to develop on lower eye).
USA-NPN Pheno Forecast of emerald ash borer adult emergence.
USA-NPN Pheno Forecast of emerald ash borer adult emergence. Yellow areas indicate locations that will have reached the accumulated temperature requirements for adult emergence as of April 1, 2019.
Hillside at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area 9 Months After Fire
Vegetation has begun to regrow in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area 9 months after summer 2018's Carr Fire near Redding, California, where USGS WERC researchers are studying fire impacts, post-fire vegetation recovery, and post-fire erosion and debris flows.
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Hill at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area 9 Months After Fire
Vegetation has begun to regrow in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area 9 months after summer 2018's Carr Fire near Redding, California, where USGS WERC researchers are studying fire impacts, post-fire vegetation recovery, and post-fire erosion and debris flows.
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Landscape at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area 9 Months After Fire
Vegetation has begun to regrow in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area 9 months after summer 2018's Carr Fire near Redding, California, where USGS WERC researchers are studying fire impacts, post-fire vegetation recovery, and post-fire erosion and debris flows.
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Landscape at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area 9 Months After Fire
Vegetation has begun to regrow in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area 9 months after summer 2018's Carr Fire near Redding, California, where USGS WERC researchers are studying fire impacts, post-fire vegetation recovery, and post-fire erosion and debris flows.
...
Congressman Charlie Crist visits the SPCMSC
On May 6, 2019, Congressman Charlie Crist (13th district, FL) and Operations and Outreach Director Mr. Kendrick Lewis will visit the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC). Congressman Crist requested this visit because he is interested to learn more about the Center and to discuss needs/priorities that we may have. (First row, left to right:
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Under Ice Habitat in Canning River Delta
In the Arctic, rivers are often thought to freeze completely during winter. Since fish need liquid water to survive, there are few places where they can live. Fish usually inhabit deep river channels and areas where springwater enters a stream. However, this video shows that winter habitat occurs in places we didn't expect, below the ice in the delta of a shallow river.
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Outstanding in the Field (Ep 2): Citizen Science—Your Data in Action
The USGS Ecosystems Mission Area brings you Outstanding in the Field, a series of stories about our science, our adventures, and our efforts to better understand our fish and wildlife and the ecosystems that support them. In this episode we’re talking about citizen science and getting the public involved in the scientific process of monitoring aquatic insects in the
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Wind trubines and photovoltaic cell array and transmission lines
Blended photo of a wind and solar energy facilities.
Who's who? Print casts of grizzly (top) and black bear (bottom).
Who's who? These are print casts of front and back paw prints of a grizzly bear (top) and black bear (bottom). The casts on the right are the front paws of each species; the casts on the left are the back. How do you tell?
Grizzly/brown bear toes are closer together and form a fairly straight line above the paw pad. On a black bear, the toes are further apart and
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A sea turtle mosaic made from the field station's broken floor tiles
After Hurricane Michael obliterated Fish Inn, the sea turtle research team's field station, team members salvaged some of the building's floor tiles and made this sea turtle mosaic, which they plan to eventually install in a new field station.
Vaccination May Help Protect Bats from Deadly Disease
A new study shows that vaccination may reduce the impact of white-nose syndrome in bats, marking a milestone in the international fight against one of the most destructive wildlife diseases in modern times.
After Hurricane Devastation, Sea Turtle Scientists Rebound, Help Rebuild
Seven months after their home base in the Florida Panhandle was demolished by Hurricane Michael, U.S. Geological Survey sea turtle researchers are headed back into the field on May 1, the start of nesting season for Florida's sea turtles.
GCMRC Updates
The Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center currently has 11 active science projects as a part of its Triennial Work Plan (FY2018-2020) for work conducted as the science provider to the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program. New developments, recent publications and other current activities will be listed here. Check here to find out the latest information from the Center.
WERC Scientists Combine Bird Calls and Artificial Intelligence to Keep Tabs on the Elusive Ashy-Storm Petrel (Audubon magazine)
CALIFORNIA COAST – Artificial intelligence and acoustic sensors help scientists monitor seabirds
Burrowing owls and horned lizards thrive in ecological hot spot next to Los Angeles airport (Los Angeles Times)
LOS ANGELES -- WERC Researchers study lizards and owls at the LAX Dunes preserve
President Proposes $983 Million FY20 Budget for USGS
Budget Focuses on Priorities Supporting American Energy Enterprise, National Security, and Natural Hazard Response Efforts
Newly Hatched Invasive Grass Carp Found in Maumee River, Ohio
A genetic analysis conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey recently confirmed that larval, or newly hatched, fish collected from the Maumee River during the summer of 2018 are grass carp, one species of invasive Asian carps that threaten the Great Lakes. The Maumee River is a tributary to Lake Erie.
Genetics study reveals good news for the southern California population of the California gnatcatcher
Results of a recent study by WERC scientists are providing helpful information to resource managers as they work to protect important habitat.
Vegetation Recovery on Abandoned Oil and Gas Well Sites is Variable on Colorado Plateau
Recovery of vegetation on plugged and abandoned oil and gas well sites on the Colorado Plateau is influenced by time, moisture, nonnative plants and the type of plant community that was originally in place before well sites were constructed, according to a recently published study by the U.S. Geological Survey.
How Hurricanes Michael, Florence May Have Spread Nonnative Species
USGS’ preliminary storm trackers show potential for subtle damage in natural areas
Honey Bee Helpers: It Takes a Village to Conserve a Colony
Do you eat fruits and vegetables? What about nuts? If so, you can thank an insect pollinator, usually a honey bee. These small insects play a major role in pollinating the world’s plants, including those we eat regularly. They also increase our nation’s crop values each year by more than 15 billion dollars.
Where Have All the Turtles Gone, and Why Should We Care?
A recently published paper on the global status of turtles and their ecological roles generated quite a bit of media interest.
Social Media
Locations
U.S. Geological Survey Headquarters
Cooperative Research Units Program Headquarters
Phone: (703) 648 - 4260
Fax: (703) 648 - 4269
Fort Collins Science Center
Phone: 970-226-9100
Fax: 970-226-9230
Wetland and Aquatic Research Center - Gainesville, FL
Phone: 352-378-8181
Fax: 352-378-4956
FRESC Headquarters
fresc_outreach@usgs.gov
Phone: 541-750-1030
Fax: 541-750-1069
NOROCK Headquarters
Phone: 406-994-7544
Fax: 406-994-6556
Western Ecological Research Center - Headquarters
Phone: (916) 278-9485
Fax: (916) 278-9475
Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC)
Phone: (206) 526-6282
Fax: (206) 526-6654
Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center
Phone: (808) 985-6420
Fax: (808) 967-8568
Columbia Environmental Research Center
Phone: 573-875-5399
Great Lakes Science Center
Phone: 734-994-3331
Fax: 734-994-8780
National Wildlife Health Center
Phone: 608-270-2400
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Phone: 701-253-5500
Fax: 701-253 5553
Alaska Science Center
Phone: (907) 786-7000
Fax: (907) 786-7020
Leetown Science Center
Phone: 304 724-4400
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
webmaster@patuxent.usgs.gov
Phone: 301 497-5500
Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
Phone: (608) 783-6451
Southwest Biological Science Center - Flagstaff, AZ, Research Station
Phone: 928-556-7094
Fax: 928-556-7092
Contacts
Ecosystems provides scientific information and decision support to meet Interior’s shared responsibility to manage land and species, fulfill treaty obligations, develop energy and mineral resources on Interior lands, and supply water for irrigation and other human needs. Our main Interior Department partners are listed below. Additional partners are listed throughout our web pages.
