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Year in Review

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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility

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Science

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World's Longest Mule Deer Migration

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Beluga Whale in Alaska’s Cook Inlet

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Wildlife Management Institute Outdoors New Bulletin

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Stories from the Field

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All Research

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Michigan State University

This is the 42nd Unit in our Program

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University of Nevada, Reno

New Unit focuses on human dimensions and quality of life

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Cooperative Research Units

Established in 1935 at Iowa State University, our mission is our hallmark: work with university students to develop the conservation workforce, help decision-makers make complex conservation decisions, and to provide technical assistance between natural resource agencies and universities. There are 42 units in 40 states. We host a national program office at the USGS in Reston, Virginia.

Outdoors New Bulletin Stories

Research at a Glance

American beachgrass planted near South Beach in Edgartown, MA (looking east) - sunrise

We have more than 1,000 research projects under way and generate 250-300 scientific publications annually.

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Many elk of various ages, some with antlers, some without all face the same direction with a hazy background. Steam rises from all around them.

Our international research portfolio includes climate, wildlife disease, fire, and human dimensions.

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Where's our Science?

Ecosystems science centers and CRU

USGS Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units are located on 41 universities campuses in 39 states.

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News

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

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New big game migration maps support conservation planning across the West

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

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Publications

Tracking anadromous fish over successive freshwater migrations reveals the influence of tagging effect, previous success and abiotic factors on upstream passage over barriers

Predicting and mitigating the impact of anthropogenic barriers on migratory fish requires an understanding of the individual and environmental factors that influence barrier passage. Here, the upstream spawning migrations of iteroparous twaite shad Alosa fallax were investigated over three successive spawning migrations in a highly fragmented river basin using passive acoustic telemetry (n=184). M
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Cooperative Research Units

Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program—2022 year in review

Established in 1935, the CRU program is a unique cooperative partnership among State Fish and Wildlife agencies, host universities, Wildlife Management Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Designed to meet the scientific needs of natural resource management agencies and to produce trained wildlife management professionals, the program has grown from the origin
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Cooperative Research Units

Wind-energy development alters pronghorn migration at multiple scales

Migration is a critical behavioral strategy necessary for population persistence and ecosystem functioning, but migration routes have been increasingly disrupted by anthropogenic activities, including energy development. Wind energy is the world's fastest growing source of electricity and represents an important alternative to hydrocarbon extraction, but its effects on migratory species beyond bir
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)
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Science

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A group of mule deer on a smoky morning

Wyoming Migration Initiative: Ungulate Migration in the West

Advancing the conservation and understanding of Wyoming's migratory hooved animals (mule deer, elk, pronghorn, etc.). The Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit is led by USGS federal researchers. The Wyoming Migration Initiative is a University of Wyoming’s Zoology and Physiology Department-based collaborative of biologists, photographers, mapmakers, and writers working to research...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units
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Wyoming Migration Initiative: Ungulate Migration in the West

Advancing the conservation and understanding of Wyoming's migratory hooved animals (mule deer, elk, pronghorn, etc.). The Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit is led by USGS federal researchers. The Wyoming Migration Initiative is a University of Wyoming’s Zoology and Physiology Department-based collaborative of biologists, photographers, mapmakers, and writers working to research...
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The USGS Coastal Change Hazards Portal shows a screenshot of Hurricane Zeta approaching the northern U.S. Gulf Coast

Hurricane Portfolio

Research conducted as part of the CRU program is determined, approved, and supported by each unit’s coordinating committee composed of representatives from the USGS, one or more of the respective State fish and wildlife agencies, the host university, the Wildlife Management Institute, and the USFWS. The stakeholder-driven nature of the program’s research portfolio is designed to ensure that the...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units
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Hurricane Portfolio

Research conducted as part of the CRU program is determined, approved, and supported by each unit’s coordinating committee composed of representatives from the USGS, one or more of the respective State fish and wildlife agencies, the host university, the Wildlife Management Institute, and the USFWS. The stakeholder-driven nature of the program’s research portfolio is designed to ensure that the...
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A group of people on a canoe on a river with fishing poles

Fishing and Hunting

This page is a work in progress and showcases fishing and hunting as a way of life, a food source, and recreational opportunity for millions of Americans. The management of fish and wildlife populations for the benefit of current and future generations is the foundation of our Nation’s conservation heritage. We help to inform decisions through a variety of actions, from the development and...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units
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Fishing and Hunting

This page is a work in progress and showcases fishing and hunting as a way of life, a food source, and recreational opportunity for millions of Americans. The management of fish and wildlife populations for the benefit of current and future generations is the foundation of our Nation’s conservation heritage. We help to inform decisions through a variety of actions, from the development and...
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