Ecosystems
News
Biofilm is on the Kids’ Menu, and Other Lessons from the Western Sandpipers of San Francisco Bay
USGS scientists are studying what western sandpipers in San Francisco Bay eat to fuel up for their migration. This research can inform conservation and management efforts for this tiny seabird.
Friday's Findings - April 23 2021
Roadmap Through Fire: USGS Wildland Fire Strategic Plan
Date: April 23, 2021 from 2-2:30 p.m. eastern time
Speaker: Paul F. Steblein, Wildland Fire Science Coordinator
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Regional Habitat Differences Identified for Threatened Piping Plovers on Atlantic Coast
Piping plovers, charismatic shorebirds that nest and feed on many Atlantic Coast beaches, rely on different kinds of coastal habitats in different regions along the Atlantic Coast, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
USGS, Southern Illinois University researchers advance genome mapping for critically-endangered sturgeon
This scientific advancement can lead to the development of new genetic markers that will help scientists distinguish between pallid sturgeon and the shovelnose sturgeon, another sturgeon species that looks similar but is more common.
National Park Service Feature Story on Pacific Marine Heatwave
Marine heatwaves are global phenomena that can have major impacts on the structure and function of coastal ecosystems. The 2014-2016 northeast Pacific marine heatwave in the Gulf of Alaska was the longest lasting heatwave globally over the past decade.
Piping Plovers Breed Less and Move More in the Northern Great Plains
Piping plover breeding groups in the Northern Great Plains are notably connected through movements between habitats and show lower reproductive rates than previously thought, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey study. These new findings point to a need for further studies and suggest the species may show a higher extinction risk than currently presumed.
Sound Waves Newsletter - December 2020-March 2021
Read about the challenges of conducting research during a pandemic, how USGS scientists conducted a nationwide assessment of salt marsh vulnerability, and more, in this December 2020-March 2021 issue of Sound Waves.
Tracking Elusive Male Sea Turtles with Satellites
Through satellite telemetry, researchers have discovered patterns of migratory behavior of long-lived imperiled marine reptiles.
USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Database Releases 500+ Alert Risk Maps
The USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) database, housed at the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, has released...
New USGS Analysis of Wind Turbine Upgrades Shows No Impact on Wildlife Mortality
CORVALLIS, ORE. – Reduction in wildlife mortality rates is sometimes cited as a potential benefit to the replacement of older, smaller turbines by larger, next generation turbines. In contrast, others have expressed concern that newer, larger turbines may actually increase bird and bat deaths.
Low Risk of Researchers Passing Coronavirus to North American Bats
The risk is low that scientists could pass coronavirus to North American bats during winter research, according to a new study led by the U.S. Geological Survey.
New Research Highlights Decline of Greater Sage-Grouse in the American West, Provides Roadmap to Aid Conservation
RESTON, Va. – Greater sage-grouse populations have declined significantly over the last six decades, with an 80% rangewide decline since 1965 and a nearly 40% decline since 2002, according to a new report by the U.S. Geological Survey. Although the overall trend clearly shows continued population declines over the entire range of the species, rates of change vary regionally.