Water, Coasts and Ice
Water, Coasts and Ice
Warming temperatures and shifting weather patterns are causing major changes in water and ice availability, sea levels, and aquatic nutrient cycles across the country. CASC-supported scientists are examining how water, ice, and coastal ecosystems and communities across the country are being affected by climate change. Explore our science on this topic below.
Filter Total Items: 423
Science to Assess Future Conservation Practices for the Mississippi River Basin
USFWS Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) throughout the Mississippi River Basin (MRB) have identified high nutrient runoff, a major contributor to Gulf hypoxia, and declines in wildlife populations (especially grassland and riparian birds), as conservation challenges requiring collaborative action. This project aimed to develop a spatial decision support system (DSS) to address...
Science to Inform Management of Floodplain Conservation Lands in a Changing World
Recent extreme floods on the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers have motivated decision-makers and resource managers to expaned floodplain conservation lands. Within Missouri, there are more than 85,000 acres of public conservation lands in large-river floodplains. Floodplain lands are highly dynamic and challenging to manage, particularly climatic conditions change. These lands have the...
Spatial Conservation Priorities for Riverine and Riparian Systems in the Columbia Plateau Ecoregion
This project identified priority areas in the Columbia Plateau Ecoregion to focus on for riverine and riparian habitat conservation. The project’s products are tailored towards the Arid Lands Initiative (ALI) conservation goals and objectives and provide the foundation for adaptation to a changing climate. We adopted a “zoned” approach to identifying focal areas, connectivity management...
The Past as a Prelude to the Future: Assessing Climate Effects on Native Trout in the U.S.
Salmonids (a family of fish that includes salmon, trout, and char) are a keystone species for both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and can be an early warning indicator of ecosystem health. Salmonids also have strong societal values and contribute enormously to regional economies and Native American cultures. Today, many native salmonid populations are small, highly fragmented, and...
Yukon River Basin Indigenous Observation Network
The hydrology of the Yukon River Basin has changed over the last several decades as evidenced by a variety of discharge, gravimetric, and geochemical analyses. The Indigenous Observation Network (ION), a community-based project, was initiated by the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council and USGS. Capitalizing on existing USGS monitoring and research infrastructure and supplementing...
Webinar: Historical Trends in Summer Precipitation, Baseflows, and Stormflows in New England and Projections of Seasonal Streamflows for Coastal Streams in Maine
Check out this webinar for more information on influencing water flow in Maine rivers and streams.
Webinar: Relationships among Climate, Water Quality and Toxic Blooms of Golden Alga in Texas
View this webinar for more information on how precipitation and air temperature effect water quality.
Webinar: Impacts of Climate Change and Melting Glaciers on Coastal Ecosystems in the Nearshore Waters of the Gulf of Alaska
View this webinar to learn more about the impacts metling glaciers have on Alaska's coastal wetlands.
Webinar: From Icefield to Ocean: Impacts of Glacier Change in Alaska
Check out this webinar to learn more about glacial loss in the Gulf of Alaska.
Webinar: Breaking Traditional Barriers to Model Climate Change and Land Use Impacts on Freshwater Mussels
Check out this webinar to learn more about anthropogenic reasons for the decline in freshwater mussels.
Application of an Adaptive Management Plan to Reduce Uncertainty and Improve Decisions in Restoring the Herring River Estuary
Located between Wellfleet and Turo, Massachusetts, the 1100-acre Herring River watershed has historically provided many ecological and social benefits, including forest and wetland habitat for native fish, birds, and mammals and recreational and educational opportunities for residents and visitors. Construction of a dike and ditches beginning in the early 1900s constricted tidal exchange...
Assessing Climate Change Impacts on Pacific Lamprey and Pacific Eulachon
For thousands of years, Pacific lamprey and Pacific eulachon have been important traditional foods for Native American tribes of the Columbia River Basin and coastal areas of Oregon and Washington. These fish have large ranges – spending part of their lives in the ocean and part in freshwater streams – and they require specific environmental conditions to survive, migrate, and reproduce...