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Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

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By Cooperative Research Units February 18, 2026

The Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit (est. 1979) is a partnership among the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the University of Georgia, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Us.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Wildlife Management Institute.

Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Media
tricolored bat hangs upside down on a rock wall
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Tricolored Bat hanging upside down in a cave. Photo by Andrea Schuhmann (USGS).

The Georgia Unit conducts research on a variety of topics including broad areas of life history, population dynamics, ecology, and management of important game and non-game fish and wildlife through the region. Recent research has been in partnership with a variety of agencies including the GA Department of Natural Resources, GA Power Company, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Nemours Wildlife Foundation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Scientists at the GA Unit teach graduate level courses in:
- Estimation of Parameters of Wildlife Populations
- Quantitative Approaches to Conservation Biology
- Scientific Communication for Natural Resource Professionals
- Fish and Wildlife Seminars

The Unit provides technical 

assistance to its Cooperators and other natural resource agencies, as requested. Assistance includes but is not limited to workshops, technical consultations on project design and implementation, field assistance with sampling, and expert opinion on pressing natural resource issues.

American alligator demographic and harvest data from Georgetown County, South Carolina, 1979-2017 American alligator demographic and harvest data from Georgetown County, South Carolina, 1979-2017

The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is a species of ecological and economic importance in the southeastern United States. Within South Carolina, alligators are subject to private and public harvest programs, as well as nuisance removal. These management activities can have different impacts across alligator size classes that may not be apparent through widely-used...
By
Cooperative Research Units

Using structured decision making to evaluate the tradeoffs of selective fish passage Using structured decision making to evaluate the tradeoffs of selective fish passage

Dams have dramatically altered rivers and are a major contributor to native fish population declines. However, many dams serve important ecological, social, and economic functions, such as flood control, invasive species control, and provision of recreational opportunities. Therefore, dam removal is often contentious among stakeholders and involves making tradeoffs among multiple...
Authors
Shane Flinn, Andrew M. Muir, Kelly Filer Robinson
By
Cooperative Research Units

Waterfowl move less in heterogeneous and human-populated landscapes, with implications for spread of avian influenza viruses Waterfowl move less in heterogeneous and human-populated landscapes, with implications for spread of avian influenza viruses

Animal movements contribute to the spread of infectious diseases and are driven in part by environmental conditions. We investigated the links among the environment, animal movement, and infectious disease dynamics in waterfowl, which are among the primary wildlife hosts of avian influenza viruses. By combining telemetry data on 4606 individuals from 26 waterfowl species with data on...
Authors
Claire Stewart Teitelbaum, Diann J. Prosser, Joshua T. Ackerman, Sakib Ahmed, A.B.M. Sarowar Alam, Kazi Zenifar Azmiri, Nyambaya Batbayar, Joël Bêty, Abigail Blake-Bradshaw, Dmitrijs Boiko, Nelleke H. Buitendijk, Jeffrey J. Buler, David Cabot, Michael L. Casazza, Bradley S. Cohen, Batmunkh Davaasuren, Sébastien Farau, Jamie Feddersen, John R. Fieberg, Wolfgang Fiedler, Peter Glazov, Larry R. Griffin, Matthieu Guillemain, Heath Hagy, Matthew J. Hardy, Cory Highway, David Hoffman, Tehan Kang, Allison Keever, Jennifer Kilburn, Andrea Kölzsch, Helmut Kruckenberg, Toni Laaksonen, Brian S. Ladman, Hansoo Lee, Siwan Lee, Josée Lefebvre, Pierre Legagneux, Hans Linssen, Jesper Madsen, Nicholas M. Masto, Scott R. McWilliams, Tori Mezebish Quinn, Carl P.J. Mitchell, Axelle Moreau, Gerhard Müskens, Scott Newman, Bart A. Nolet, Rascha J.M. Nuijten, Jay Osenkowski, Cory T. Overton, Antti Piironen, Betty Plaquin, Andrew M. Ramey, Jean Rodrigue, David Rodrigues, Kees H.T. Schreven, Yali Si, Jeffery D. Sullivan, John Takekawa, Philippe J. Thomas, Mariëlle van Toor, Jonas Waldenström, Christopher K. Williams, David W. Wolfson, Fei Xu, Ian G. Brosnan, Susan E.W. De La Cruz
By
Cooperative Research Units

Host responses and viral traits interact to shape the impacts of climate warming on highly pathogenic avian influenza in migratory waterfowl Host responses and viral traits interact to shape the impacts of climate warming on highly pathogenic avian influenza in migratory waterfowl

Emerging infectious diseases pose threats to wildlife populations, as exemplified by recent outbreaks of avian influenza viruses in wild birds. Climate change can affect infection dynamics in wildlife through direct effects on pathogens (e.g., environmental decay rates) and changes to host ecology, including shifting migration patterns. Here, we adapt an existing mechanistic model that...
Authors
Claire Stewart Teitelbaum, Michael L. Casazza, Cory T. Overton, Elliott Matchett, Diann J. Prosser
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Ten lessons for controlling invasive species: Wisdom from the long-standing sea lamprey control program on the Laurentian Great Lakes Ten lessons for controlling invasive species: Wisdom from the long-standing sea lamprey control program on the Laurentian Great Lakes

Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) control in the Laurentian Great Lakes of North America is among the largest and most successful control programs of an invasive species anywhere on the planet. The effort began more than 75 years ago; it unites multiple nations, states, and provinces with the common goal of controlling this invasive species and protecting a valuable fishery. The science...
Authors
Steven J. Cooke, Carrie Baker, Julie L. Mida Hinderer, Michael Siefkes, Jessica Barber, Todd B. Steeves, Margaret F. Docker, Weiming Li, Michael Wilkie, Michael L. Jones, Kelly Filer Robinson, Erin S. Dunlop, Cory Brant, Nicholas S. Johnson, William Mattes, Marc Gaden, Andrew M. Muir
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Landscape changes elevate the risk of avian influenza virus diversification and emergence in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway Landscape changes elevate the risk of avian influenza virus diversification and emergence in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway

Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) persistently threaten wild waterfowl, domestic poultry, and public health. The East Asian–Australasian Flyway plays a crucial role in HPAIV dynamics due to its large populations of migratory waterfowl and poultry. Over recent decades, this flyway has undergone substantial landscape changes, including both losses and gains of waterfowl...
Authors
Shenglai Yin, Chenchen Zhang, Claire Stewart Teitelbaum, Yali Si, Geli Zhang, Xinxin Wang, Dehua Mao, Zheng Y.X. Huangh, Willem Frederik de Boer, John Takekawa, Diann J. Prosser, Xiangming Xiao
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Warmer Is deadlier: A meta‐analysis reveals increasing temperatures accentuate disease effects on fisheries hosts Warmer Is deadlier: A meta‐analysis reveals increasing temperatures accentuate disease effects on fisheries hosts

Rapid warming could drastically alter host–parasite relationships, which is especially important for fisheries crucial to human nutrition and economic livelihoods, yet we lack a synthetic understanding of how warming influences parasite-induced mortality in these systems. We conducted a meta-analysis using 266 effect sizes from 52 empirical papers on harvested aquatic species and...
Authors
M. M. Tomamichel, K. I. Lowe, K. M.H. Arnold, M. E. Frischer, Brian J. Irwin, C. W. Osenberg, R. J. Hall, J. E. Byers
By
Cooperative Research Units

An analytical approach to explore prospects and limits of nutrition-sensitive fisheries governance under climate change An analytical approach to explore prospects and limits of nutrition-sensitive fisheries governance under climate change

Researchers and policymakers increasingly recognize the contribution of aquatic food systems, such as fisheries, to food security and nutrition. Yet governing fisheries for nutrition objectives is complicated by the multiple overlapping processes that shape availability and access to nutrients over time, including fishing sustainability, climate change, trade dynamics, and consumer...
Authors
Abigail Bennett, Julia G. Mason, Willow Battista, Christopher M. Free, Jessica A. Gephart, Kristin M. Kleisner, Emma D. Rice, Kelly Filer Robinson, John Virdin
By
Cooperative Research Units

First evidence of natural reproduction and recruitment of reintroduced Lake Sturgeon in the Coosa River, Georgia First evidence of natural reproduction and recruitment of reintroduced Lake Sturgeon in the Coosa River, Georgia

Objective Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fluences became extirpated from the Coosa River system in Georgia and Alabama during the 1970s. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources began stocking hatchery-raised Lake Sturgeon in 2002 with the goal of reestablishing a self-sustaining population. Stocking lapsed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which allowed an opportunity to assess natural
Authors
Martin J. Hamel, Matthew A. Phillips, Savannah R. Perry, Brian J. Irwin, John D. Damer
By
Cooperative Research Units

The potential of remote sensing for improved infectious disease ecology research and practice The potential of remote sensing for improved infectious disease ecology research and practice

Outbreaks of Covid-19 in humans, Dutch elm disease in forests, and highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds and poultry highlight the disruptive impacts of emerging infectious diseases on public health, ecosystems, and economies. Infectious disease dynamics often depend on environmental conditions that drive occurrence, transmission, and outbreaks. Remote sensing can contribute to
Authors
Claire S. Teitelbaum, António Ferraz, Susan E.W. De La Cruz, Morgan E. Gilmour, Ian G. Brosnan
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

Disparities in Perimyotis subflavus body mass between cave and culvert hibernacula in Georgia, USA Disparities in Perimyotis subflavus body mass between cave and culvert hibernacula in Georgia, USA

The tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus), once common in the eastern United States, has experienced significant mortality due to white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease that primarily affects bats hibernating in caves and mines. In coastal regions of the southeastern United States, where caves and mines are scarce, tricolored bats often use roadway culverts as hibernacula. However...
Authors
Emily Ferrall, S. Perea, K.M. Morris, P.E. Pattavina, Brian J. Irwin, J. Hepinstall-Cymerman, S.B. Castleberry
By
Cooperative Research Units

The Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit (est. 1979) is a partnership among the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the University of Georgia, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Us.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Wildlife Management Institute.

Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Media
tricolored bat hangs upside down on a rock wall
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Tricolored Bat hanging upside down in a cave. Photo by Andrea Schuhmann (USGS).

The Georgia Unit conducts research on a variety of topics including broad areas of life history, population dynamics, ecology, and management of important game and non-game fish and wildlife through the region. Recent research has been in partnership with a variety of agencies including the GA Department of Natural Resources, GA Power Company, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Nemours Wildlife Foundation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Scientists at the GA Unit teach graduate level courses in:
- Estimation of Parameters of Wildlife Populations
- Quantitative Approaches to Conservation Biology
- Scientific Communication for Natural Resource Professionals
- Fish and Wildlife Seminars

The Unit provides technical 

assistance to its Cooperators and other natural resource agencies, as requested. Assistance includes but is not limited to workshops, technical consultations on project design and implementation, field assistance with sampling, and expert opinion on pressing natural resource issues.

American alligator demographic and harvest data from Georgetown County, South Carolina, 1979-2017 American alligator demographic and harvest data from Georgetown County, South Carolina, 1979-2017

The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is a species of ecological and economic importance in the southeastern United States. Within South Carolina, alligators are subject to private and public harvest programs, as well as nuisance removal. These management activities can have different impacts across alligator size classes that may not be apparent through widely-used...
By
Cooperative Research Units

Using structured decision making to evaluate the tradeoffs of selective fish passage Using structured decision making to evaluate the tradeoffs of selective fish passage

Dams have dramatically altered rivers and are a major contributor to native fish population declines. However, many dams serve important ecological, social, and economic functions, such as flood control, invasive species control, and provision of recreational opportunities. Therefore, dam removal is often contentious among stakeholders and involves making tradeoffs among multiple...
Authors
Shane Flinn, Andrew M. Muir, Kelly Filer Robinson
By
Cooperative Research Units

Waterfowl move less in heterogeneous and human-populated landscapes, with implications for spread of avian influenza viruses Waterfowl move less in heterogeneous and human-populated landscapes, with implications for spread of avian influenza viruses

Animal movements contribute to the spread of infectious diseases and are driven in part by environmental conditions. We investigated the links among the environment, animal movement, and infectious disease dynamics in waterfowl, which are among the primary wildlife hosts of avian influenza viruses. By combining telemetry data on 4606 individuals from 26 waterfowl species with data on...
Authors
Claire Stewart Teitelbaum, Diann J. Prosser, Joshua T. Ackerman, Sakib Ahmed, A.B.M. Sarowar Alam, Kazi Zenifar Azmiri, Nyambaya Batbayar, Joël Bêty, Abigail Blake-Bradshaw, Dmitrijs Boiko, Nelleke H. Buitendijk, Jeffrey J. Buler, David Cabot, Michael L. Casazza, Bradley S. Cohen, Batmunkh Davaasuren, Sébastien Farau, Jamie Feddersen, John R. Fieberg, Wolfgang Fiedler, Peter Glazov, Larry R. Griffin, Matthieu Guillemain, Heath Hagy, Matthew J. Hardy, Cory Highway, David Hoffman, Tehan Kang, Allison Keever, Jennifer Kilburn, Andrea Kölzsch, Helmut Kruckenberg, Toni Laaksonen, Brian S. Ladman, Hansoo Lee, Siwan Lee, Josée Lefebvre, Pierre Legagneux, Hans Linssen, Jesper Madsen, Nicholas M. Masto, Scott R. McWilliams, Tori Mezebish Quinn, Carl P.J. Mitchell, Axelle Moreau, Gerhard Müskens, Scott Newman, Bart A. Nolet, Rascha J.M. Nuijten, Jay Osenkowski, Cory T. Overton, Antti Piironen, Betty Plaquin, Andrew M. Ramey, Jean Rodrigue, David Rodrigues, Kees H.T. Schreven, Yali Si, Jeffery D. Sullivan, John Takekawa, Philippe J. Thomas, Mariëlle van Toor, Jonas Waldenström, Christopher K. Williams, David W. Wolfson, Fei Xu, Ian G. Brosnan, Susan E.W. De La Cruz
By
Cooperative Research Units

Host responses and viral traits interact to shape the impacts of climate warming on highly pathogenic avian influenza in migratory waterfowl Host responses and viral traits interact to shape the impacts of climate warming on highly pathogenic avian influenza in migratory waterfowl

Emerging infectious diseases pose threats to wildlife populations, as exemplified by recent outbreaks of avian influenza viruses in wild birds. Climate change can affect infection dynamics in wildlife through direct effects on pathogens (e.g., environmental decay rates) and changes to host ecology, including shifting migration patterns. Here, we adapt an existing mechanistic model that...
Authors
Claire Stewart Teitelbaum, Michael L. Casazza, Cory T. Overton, Elliott Matchett, Diann J. Prosser
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Ten lessons for controlling invasive species: Wisdom from the long-standing sea lamprey control program on the Laurentian Great Lakes Ten lessons for controlling invasive species: Wisdom from the long-standing sea lamprey control program on the Laurentian Great Lakes

Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) control in the Laurentian Great Lakes of North America is among the largest and most successful control programs of an invasive species anywhere on the planet. The effort began more than 75 years ago; it unites multiple nations, states, and provinces with the common goal of controlling this invasive species and protecting a valuable fishery. The science...
Authors
Steven J. Cooke, Carrie Baker, Julie L. Mida Hinderer, Michael Siefkes, Jessica Barber, Todd B. Steeves, Margaret F. Docker, Weiming Li, Michael Wilkie, Michael L. Jones, Kelly Filer Robinson, Erin S. Dunlop, Cory Brant, Nicholas S. Johnson, William Mattes, Marc Gaden, Andrew M. Muir
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Landscape changes elevate the risk of avian influenza virus diversification and emergence in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway Landscape changes elevate the risk of avian influenza virus diversification and emergence in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway

Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) persistently threaten wild waterfowl, domestic poultry, and public health. The East Asian–Australasian Flyway plays a crucial role in HPAIV dynamics due to its large populations of migratory waterfowl and poultry. Over recent decades, this flyway has undergone substantial landscape changes, including both losses and gains of waterfowl...
Authors
Shenglai Yin, Chenchen Zhang, Claire Stewart Teitelbaum, Yali Si, Geli Zhang, Xinxin Wang, Dehua Mao, Zheng Y.X. Huangh, Willem Frederik de Boer, John Takekawa, Diann J. Prosser, Xiangming Xiao
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Warmer Is deadlier: A meta‐analysis reveals increasing temperatures accentuate disease effects on fisheries hosts Warmer Is deadlier: A meta‐analysis reveals increasing temperatures accentuate disease effects on fisheries hosts

Rapid warming could drastically alter host–parasite relationships, which is especially important for fisheries crucial to human nutrition and economic livelihoods, yet we lack a synthetic understanding of how warming influences parasite-induced mortality in these systems. We conducted a meta-analysis using 266 effect sizes from 52 empirical papers on harvested aquatic species and...
Authors
M. M. Tomamichel, K. I. Lowe, K. M.H. Arnold, M. E. Frischer, Brian J. Irwin, C. W. Osenberg, R. J. Hall, J. E. Byers
By
Cooperative Research Units

An analytical approach to explore prospects and limits of nutrition-sensitive fisheries governance under climate change An analytical approach to explore prospects and limits of nutrition-sensitive fisheries governance under climate change

Researchers and policymakers increasingly recognize the contribution of aquatic food systems, such as fisheries, to food security and nutrition. Yet governing fisheries for nutrition objectives is complicated by the multiple overlapping processes that shape availability and access to nutrients over time, including fishing sustainability, climate change, trade dynamics, and consumer...
Authors
Abigail Bennett, Julia G. Mason, Willow Battista, Christopher M. Free, Jessica A. Gephart, Kristin M. Kleisner, Emma D. Rice, Kelly Filer Robinson, John Virdin
By
Cooperative Research Units

First evidence of natural reproduction and recruitment of reintroduced Lake Sturgeon in the Coosa River, Georgia First evidence of natural reproduction and recruitment of reintroduced Lake Sturgeon in the Coosa River, Georgia

Objective Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fluences became extirpated from the Coosa River system in Georgia and Alabama during the 1970s. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources began stocking hatchery-raised Lake Sturgeon in 2002 with the goal of reestablishing a self-sustaining population. Stocking lapsed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which allowed an opportunity to assess natural
Authors
Martin J. Hamel, Matthew A. Phillips, Savannah R. Perry, Brian J. Irwin, John D. Damer
By
Cooperative Research Units

The potential of remote sensing for improved infectious disease ecology research and practice The potential of remote sensing for improved infectious disease ecology research and practice

Outbreaks of Covid-19 in humans, Dutch elm disease in forests, and highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds and poultry highlight the disruptive impacts of emerging infectious diseases on public health, ecosystems, and economies. Infectious disease dynamics often depend on environmental conditions that drive occurrence, transmission, and outbreaks. Remote sensing can contribute to
Authors
Claire S. Teitelbaum, António Ferraz, Susan E.W. De La Cruz, Morgan E. Gilmour, Ian G. Brosnan
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

Disparities in Perimyotis subflavus body mass between cave and culvert hibernacula in Georgia, USA Disparities in Perimyotis subflavus body mass between cave and culvert hibernacula in Georgia, USA

The tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus), once common in the eastern United States, has experienced significant mortality due to white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease that primarily affects bats hibernating in caves and mines. In coastal regions of the southeastern United States, where caves and mines are scarce, tricolored bats often use roadway culverts as hibernacula. However...
Authors
Emily Ferrall, S. Perea, K.M. Morris, P.E. Pattavina, Brian J. Irwin, J. Hepinstall-Cymerman, S.B. Castleberry
By
Cooperative Research Units
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