Research
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Graduate education
Cooperative Research Units
Our website is currently undergoing a major update. Be sure to visit regularly for the latest enhancements. Last updated September 15, 2025.
Established in 1935 at Iowa State University, our mission is our hallmark: to work with University students to develop the conservation workforce, help decision-makers make complex conservation decisions, and provide technical assistance between natural resource agencies and universities. We support 43 units located in 41 States, at 44 host universities. Our Program Office is in Reston, Virginia.
2023 Year in Review
2023 Year in Review
We have more than 700 research projects under way and generate 400-500 scientific publications annually.
10-year Overview
10-year Overview
Supporting Fish and Wildlife agency partners for natural resource management since 1935.
Where's our Science?
Where's our Science?
We support 43 units in 41 states, at 44 host universities, with a Program office at USGS National Center.
News
Fishing in Nervous Waters: Using Science to Address Uncertainty in Steelhead Fisheries
Fishing in Nervous Waters: Using Science to Address Uncertainty in Steelhead Fisheries
CRU Featured in USGS Energy and Wildlife Science 2025 Year in Review
CRU Featured in USGS Energy and Wildlife Science 2025 Year in Review
Fiscal Year 2025 Highlights from EESC’s Disease Decision Analysis and Research Group
Fiscal Year 2025 Highlights from EESC’s Disease Decision Analysis and Research Group
Publications
Seasonal movements of nonnative White Catfish in the Penobscot River estuary Seasonal movements of nonnative White Catfish in the Penobscot River estuary
Objective White Catfish Ameiurus catus has been introduced to coastal watersheds across the United States. In the Penobscot River, Maine, this species has become increasingly common in upstream habitats that have been made accessible by recent dam removals. We characterized the movements of White Catfish to understand the temporal variation in their movement patterns and contextualize...
Muskellunge spawning habitat characteristics and availability in Green Bay, Lake Michigan Muskellunge spawning habitat characteristics and availability in Green Bay, Lake Michigan
Objective Habitat degradation has been associated with the loss of many self-sustaining Muskellunge Esox masquinongy populations, including those in Green Bay, where stocking has provided an exceptional trophy fishery but restoration goals include establishing self-sustaining populations and there is little evidence of natural recruitment. Our objectives were to determine whether (1)...
Summary of first daily ring formation in otoliths of freshwater fishes in the continental United States Summary of first daily ring formation in otoliths of freshwater fishes in the continental United States
Daily ring counts in young-of-the-year fishes are important for estimating important vital rates, such as growth, mortality, and timing of hatch. To accurately estimate some of these rates, the timing of the first daily ring must be estimated accurately. Variation in the timing of the first daily ring can be attributed to many factors, including biology of the species and experience of...
Science
Where land meets sea: USGS science for coastal habitats
USGS coastal science plays a critical role in supporting the effective, science-based management of coastal ecosystems, where the biodiversity of land and sea meet. It provides managers with the information they need to make sound decisions. Through cutting-edge research, predictive modeling, and decision-support tools, USGS empowers resource managers to make informed, science-based choices. From...
By
Core Science Systems Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Land Management Research Program, Science and Decisions Center, Species Management Research Program, California Water Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Western Fisheries Research Center, Western Geographic Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
Invasive flathead catfish now top predators in Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania
New study suggests that smallmouth bass and channel catfish are changing what they eat to avoid having to compete with or being eaten by the invader
Population ecology of the invasive American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) in Southeastern Arizona
Native to eastern North America, the American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) was introduced to Arizona for sport hunting in the early 1900s and has since come to dominate many aquatic systems and threaten native amphibians through four primary mechanisms.
