Research
Technical Assistance
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
Perceptions and management of chronic wasting disease in Washington State: A survey of cervid hunters Perceptions and management of chronic wasting disease in Washington State: A survey of cervid hunters
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurological disease caused by a misfolded protein, or prion, and is found in cervids (e.g., deer, elk, moose). It represents a serious threat to cervid populations and is one of the most important ungulate management issues facing state wildlife management agencies. Issues associated with CWD can affect many groups including hunters, tribal...
Multi-scale habitat characteristics influence Paleback Darter occupancy and detection probability Multi-scale habitat characteristics influence Paleback Darter occupancy and detection probability
ObjectiveThe limited distribution of the Paleback Darter Etheostoma pallididorsum, which is often associated with dynamic headwater streams, makes the species vulnerable to changes in its environment in west-central Arkansas. A detailed understanding of habitat characteristics that support the species at multiple spatial scales is limited. This project assessed the relative influences of...
Overcoming challenges in mapping hydrography and heterogeneity in urban landscapes Overcoming challenges in mapping hydrography and heterogeneity in urban landscapes
Understanding how water moves through a watershed is one of the most fundamental yet often complicated aspects of hydrology, especially in urban areas. Urban infrastructure and water management alter natural hydrological pathways in developed watersheds, which can violate assumptions of a watershed approach to ecosystem science. We focus on two aspects of urban landscapes that often...
Science
USGS research on coastal and nearshore ecosystems informs wildlife and fisheries management
Coastal ecosystems are where the land and sea meet. USGS coastal science plays a critical role in supporting effective, science-based management of coastal ecosystems. USGS helps decision-makers navigate complex ecosystem challenges.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, 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.
