Images

This is an image of a scientist holding a Pinto Abalone. Pinto abalone, once a familiar presence in Washington’s coastal ecosystems, have suffered a decline since.

This is an image of a boat propeller with an invasive mussel infestation.

This is an illustration of a Pinto abalone.

Two black bass (Micropterus spp.) caught during the 2026 Bassmaster Classic in Knoxville, TN held on the Tennessee River. The fish on the left is a smallmouth bass, the fish on the right is what is known by bass anglers as a “meanmouth,” which is a hybrid between Alabama bass (M. henshalli) and smallmouth bass (M. dolomieu). Tom Miles, TTU PhD student.

This is a photo of scientist, Ramona Rapp, holding a Lost River Sucker that was tagged in Klamath Falls, OR.

Clayton Raines, PhD, is a fish biologist at the Eastern Ecological Science Center in Leetown, WV.

This is an infographic detailing 6PPDQ toxicity levels in different fish species.

Hatchery vulnerability range for key zebra mussel (Dreissena polumorpha) and quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) parameters. If your hatchery is within range of all the vulnerability parameters for a given organism, it is at risk for settlement.

Purple owl’s clover (Castilleja exserta) blooming in the Sonoran Desert near Roosevelt Lake in the Tonto National Forest in March 2026. Photo by Sarah Birchard (USGS).

Scientists at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center have been working on vaccines to protect bats from diseases like such as rabies and white-nose syndrome. The most promising method is called orotopical vaccination. By applying the vaccine to the bat’s muzzle, the gel-based vaccine is spread to others in the colony through grooming.

This photo is from USGS Western Fisheries Research Center’s field work on the lower Salmon River this past Fall. Partnering with the Nez Perce Tribe, Rhodes and his team were counting the number of fall Chinook salmon nests, known as redds, with a drone piloted from a jet boat.

A USGS scientist examines microorganisms from salamander skin to investigate for potential pathogens.

A USGS scientist prepares to analyze a skin swab from a salamander to investigate for potential pathogens.

A USGS scientist examines a skin sample from a salamander as part of a study to investigate for potential pathogens.

A USGS scientist reaches for a microbiological plate with cultures from salamander skin to investigate for potential pathogens.

The exterior of FIDO, a new instrument developed by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and the USGS Rapid eDNA Assessment and Deployment Initiative and Network (READI-Net) project.

Red mangrove and brown pelicans at Ten Thousand Islands, Florida. Ecosystems are more than a static collection of plants and animals. An ecosystem is a dynamic set of processes that supports species and with which species interact.  Ecosystems don’t just have structure, they have functions.

This is a photo of a fish in Ross Lake, WA called the Redside Shiner. Ecologists at the Western Fisheries Research Center are studying this fish and the food web in Ross Lake.

This is a photo of Ross Dam as viewed from the boat. This photo was taken by fisheries scientists from the USGS Western Fisheries Research Center.

This is a photo of scientist, Marshal Hoy, holding a bull trout in Ross Lake. The USGS Western Fisheries Research Center does food web studies in Ross Lake to better understand the ecology and habitat for salmon in the area.

This is a photo of scientists, Ben Jensen and Shelley Johnson, collecting tissue samples from a rainbow trout on Ross Lake. The USGS Western Fisheries Research Center does work on Ross Lake to understand the food web and ecology for salmon.