Cooperative Research Units

Ancient fish, modern problem: How the pallid sturgeon could be a warning for the Missouri River

dchilds@usgs.gov — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 18:25:46 EDT

The Pallid Sturgeon is a U.S. Threatened species that primarily inhabits the Missouri River and lower Mississippi rivers. Ongoing work in the mainstems of large rivers has provided much critical information regarding the biology and ecology of the species.

Purdue University to host new multi-agency research partnership to benefit Indiana’s wildlife and wild places

mcollier@usgs.gov — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 12:00:00 EDT

The partnership is Indiana’s first U.S. Geological Survey Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

Friday's Findings - August 25, 2023

shouse@usgs.gov — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 12:47:04 EDT

Title: Seeing the Bigger Picture: Using Aerial Photos to Assess Tufted Puffin Habitat in Oregon

Speaker: Carina Kusaka, Master's Student, Oregon State University

Date: August 25, 2023 at 2:00pm ET / 11:00am PT

The Early Deer—and the Late Ones—Get the Herbs

mcollier@usgs.gov — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 12:00:00 EDT

Climate change is messing with nature’s alarm clock. For animals that use seasonal signs from nature to start important activities like migration, getting mixed signals can lead to missed connections. A new study of mule deer in Wyoming offers hope that at least some migratory animals can adapt and overcome mixed signals to connect with the resources they need to survive.

Migration Matters

dchilds@usgs.gov — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 11:15:45 EDT

Countless species of animals – big game, birds, bats, insects, amphibians, reptiles, and fish – migrate to reach suitable habitats to feed, reproduce, and raise their young. Animal migrations developed over millennia oftentimes follow migration corridors—unique routes for each species and sometimes each population—to move among seasonal habitats.

Migration Matters

dchilds@usgs.gov — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 11:15:45 EDT

2023 The Wildlife Society Wildlife Pubs Shortlist Announced

dchilds@usgs.gov — Wed, 24 May 2023 18:38:20 EDT

The Wildlife Society Publication Awards Committee has named top contenders in book, journal, monograph and student paper categories. Congrats to Angela Fuller, Kevin Pope, and Clint Moore!

Recruiting Volunteers to Track Bumble Bees in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho

dchilds@usgs.gov — Fri, 19 May 2023 09:24:34 EDT

Due to limited information on bumble bees, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Xerces Society established the Pacific Northwest Bumble Bee Atlas (PNWBBA). Approximately 300 participants observed nearly 14,000 bees over the past 5 years, including 1,000 observations of 4 out of 5 most vulnerable species.

Recruiting Volunteers to Track Bumble Bees in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho

dchilds@usgs.gov — Fri, 19 May 2023 09:24:34 EDT

Trapping Turkeys

dchilds@usgs.gov — Mon, 1 May 2023 18:50:05 EDT

The Nebraska CRU teamed up with Nebraska Game and Parks to trap turkeys, measure them, collect samples and outfit them with global positioning system (GPS) transmitters and leg bands. Researchers will learn about nesting success, turkey movements, habitat selection, and genetic diversity.

Trapping Turkeys

dchilds@usgs.gov — Mon, 1 May 2023 18:50:05 EDT

Friday's Findings - April 21 2023

ssoileau@usgs.gov — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 17:08:02 EDT

Title: Do Birds of a Feather Really Flock Together?

Speaker: Brandon J. Barlow, Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Alumnus, 2023 NOAA SeaGrant Knauss Fellow

Date: April 21 at 2:00 pm Eastern

Expanding Biologists’ Toolbox for Assessing the Status of Southeastern Freshwater Fishes

dchilds@usgs.gov — Sun, 19 Mar 2023 10:59:52 EDT

The Southeastern U.S. is a global hotspot for freshwater biodiversity. The region contains the highest diversity of fishes in the U.S. (around 589 described species) and the highest diversity of crayfishes (around 221 described species) and freshwater mussels (around 234 described species) on Earth.

Expanding Biologists’ Toolbox for Assessing the Status of Southeastern Freshwater Fishes

dchilds@usgs.gov — Sun, 19 Mar 2023 10:59:52 EDT

Platte Basin Timelapse Launches New Wetland Resources

dchilds@usgs.gov — Thu, 9 Feb 2023 18:57:34 EST

Platte Basin Timelapse, in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources released wetlands educational material in partnership with Nebraska Game and Parks.

Platte Basin Timelapse Launches New Wetland Resources

dchilds@usgs.gov — Thu, 9 Feb 2023 18:57:34 EST

Home for the Holidays: Follow One Mule Deer’s 242-Mile Journey Across the Changing American West

aweill@usgs.gov — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 17:00:52 EST

As the shortest day of the year arrives, many of us are traveling home for the holidays. Many migratory deer around the West are just arriving at their winter ranges, where they take shelter from the snowstorms the coming months will bring.

A new geonarrative, based on USGS research, paints a picture of one mule deer’s impressive journey as she travels from her summer range to her winter range.

New big game migration maps support conservation planning across the West

aweill@usgs.gov — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 10:00:44 EST

LARAMIE, Wyo.—The USGS, in partnership with state and Tribal wildlife agencies, today published the third volume in a series of new maps of big game migration corridors. The new maps add more valuable tools for land managers and policy makers to mitigate the impacts of development on wildlife.

Population declines in Alaska beluga whale population may be linked to low birth and survival rates

egoldbaum@usgs.gov — Wed, 7 Dec 2022 15:00:00 EST

Researchers studied over a decade of photographic records of individual whales and determined that belugas in Alaska's Cook Inlet have relatively low rates of birth and survival, which are both likely contributing to the population’s decline.

Michigan State University and USGS team up in state-federal partnership for fishery and wildlife science

aweill@usgs.gov — Fri, 4 Nov 2022 08:00:32 EDT

Michigan to host the 42nd USGS Cooperative Research Unit

Energy development in migration corridors affects mule deer access to best forage

aweill@usgs.gov — Wed, 5 Oct 2022 19:51:08 EDT

Findings highlight the need for migration maps in future development decisions

Working with Kansas Farmers and Non-Farmers to Benefit Habitat, Wildlife, Land, Aquatic Biodiversity

dchilds@usgs.gov — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 11:25:15 EDT

The Kansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, USGS Ecosystems Mission Area, located at Kansas State University, is working with conservation decision-makers, farmers, non-farmers, and other stakeholders to understand their values and beliefs about environmental quality (water, land, wildlife, habitat, and aquatic biodiversity) in the Smoky Hill River watershed.

Working with Kansas Farmers and Non-Farmers to Benefit Habitat, Wildlife, Land, Aquatic Biodiversity

dchilds@usgs.gov — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 11:25:15 EDT

Protecting Vulnerable Grassland Birds from Climate Change

dchilds@usgs.gov — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 11:35:35 EDT

The Central Flyway, the largest bird migration corridor in North America, stretches from Texas to North Dakota. Grasslands across the Great Plains and the northern Prairie Pothole Region are critical habitats for many birds migrating along the Central Flyway. Yet these landscapes, and the birds that depend on them, are disappearing. Story by Jordan Bush, ORISE Postdoctoral Fellow

Secretary Haaland Announces Progress Toward Conservation and Restoration of Wildlife Corridors and Habitat Connectivity

mcollier@usgs.gov — Thu, 7 Apr 2022 14:30:11 EDT

Grants to states and Tribes, new partnerships, and innovative science part of suite of announcements helping to advance wildlife corridor work at the Interior Department

How Can Managers Respond to Changing Ecosystems?

ssoileau@usgs.gov — Tue, 14 Dec 2021 15:32:33 EST

A new Special Section in the journal BioScience provides an in-depth exposition of the Resist-Accept-Direct framework, a new approach to guide natural resource decision making. Articles in the Special Section explore the practical application of the framework, compatibility of existing tools, social barriers and opportunities, and future science needs.

Restoring Prehistoric Juvenile Gulf Sturgeon from Louisiana to Florida

dchilds@usgs.gov — Mon, 6 Dec 2021 05:34:14 EST

Little is understood about the behavior, location, and habitat preferences of juvenile Gulf sturgeon. To learn more about this prehistoric fish, the Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Florida, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are studying Gulf sturgeon in the Choctawhatchee River, Florida.

Northern Spotted Owl Still Fights for Survival

plaustsen@usgs.gov — Wed, 6 Oct 2021 08:00:00 EDT

Three studies highlight how the interactions between northern spotted owl and the invasive barred owl are intertwined.

Friday's Findings - October 1 2021

ssoileau@usgs.gov — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 08:30:00 EDT

Glucocorticoid hormones associated with reduced White-tailed deer fawn survival

Date: October 1, 2021 from 2-2:30 p.m. eastern time

Speakers: Tess Gingery, PA Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Pennsylvania State University; Duane R. Diefenbach, U.S. Geological Survey, , PA Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Pennsylvania State University

Nevada Becomes 39th State to Create Multi-Agency Cooperative Research Unit

usgs_site_admin — Thu, 9 Sep 2021 07:15:00 EDT

The newly formed Nevada Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit brings state and federal wildlife-management resources together, providing for a cooperative partnership that ensures resources are best serving Nevada’s wildlife and wild places.