Northeast Region Science Centers
Northeast Region Science Centers
Science Centers
Geology, Energy, and Minerals Science Center
The Geology, Energy, and Minerals Science Center (GEMSC) conducts comprehensive, interdisciplinary research, assessments, and surveys of the origin, occurrence, distribution, quantity, and composition of oil, gas, coal, minerals, and associated deposits. We also evaluate other current and emerging geology, energy, and minerals issues including investigating waters produced during oil and gas extraction; identifying wastes that can be recovered or repurposed and used in new processes; conducting studies and assessments of critical minerals and rare earth elements; providing up-to-date, modern scientific data in the form of publicly-available databases; performing remote sensing of mineral deposits; understanding the formation and generation of fossil fuels; investigating low to no-carbon energy sources; and assessing impacts to the environment due to anthropogenic activities associated with energy and mineral resource exploration, development, and production.
Florence Bascom Geoscience Center (Video)
The Florence Bascom Geoscience Center (FBGC) is at the leading edge of scientific research addressing critical societal issues and providing unbiased data and information to decision makers and the public. Our research center is built around four broad science themes: Paleoclimate & Paleoecology, Geologic Mapping, Hazards, and Special Geologic Studies.
Eastern Ecological Science Center (formerly Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and Leetown Science Center)
As a newly combined center, our vision is to be recognized as a world leader in fish, wildlife and associated ecosystem science through scientific excellence and responsiveness to society’s needs. Our center’s scientific expertise is organized into four science capability teams: Quantitative Methods and Decision Science, Species Population Dynamics and Surveillance, Animal Health Diagnostics and Surveillance, and Ecological Patterns and Processes. A strength of the center is integrating science capabilities to address complex natural resource challenges at multiple spatial scales.
National Minerals Information Center
Statistics and information on the worldwide supply of, demand for, and flow of minerals and materials essential to the U.S. economy, the national security, and protection of the environment.
Science and Decisions Center
The USGS Science and Decisions Center (SDC) conducts interdisciplinary research and applications with a goal of increasing the use and value of USGS science in decision making. SDC’s work crosscuts natural resource economics; ecosystem services and natural capital; decision science; and crowdsourcing, citizen science, and open innovation.
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
The Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center is one of three centers serving the mission of the USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program—the primary Federal marine geology and physical science research program responsible for the Nation’s entire coastal and marine landscape. The center conducts scientific research in various locations throughout the United States to describe and understand the processes shaping coastal and marine ecosystems. The center’s research products are used by other Federal agencies, State and local entities, private organizations, and the public to make informed decisions about the use, management, and protection of our coastal and marine resources. For more information on USGS' Coastal and Marine Science in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, visit here.
Water Science Centers
Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center (Video)
Water resources of Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia consist of numerous streams, springs, lakes, and aquifer systems. Streamflow, groundwater levels, and water-quality data are collected at numerous locations, and water-use data are collected throughout the area in cooperation with other federal, state and local agencies, universities, and research centers.
New England Water Science Center
Our mission is to collect timely and reliable information on the water resources of our six-state region (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont), and to partner with Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies in hydrologic studies that advance human health, public safety, and environmental sustainability.
New Jersey Water Science Center
Since 1903, the New Jersey Water Science Center has been collecting high-quality hydrologic data and conducting unbiased water-science research to address the water-resource priorities of the Nation, global trends and support statewide water-resource infrastructure and management needs.
New York Water Science Center
The NYWSC studies the effects of weather, climate, and man-made influences on groundwater levels, streamflow, and reservoir and lake levels as well as the ecological health of rivers, lakes, reservoirs, watersheds, estuaries, and fish and wildlife.
Pennsylvania Water Science Center
The Pennsylvania Water Science Center conducts monitoring, assessments, and research on a variety of hydrological and biological themes and topics across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Characterizing the quantity and quality of Pennsylvania’s surface and groundwaters is a focus of the Pennsylvania Water Science Center’s mission.
Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
We operate streamgages, observation wells, and monitoring stations that provide reliable scientific information needed to make informed decisions. We use advanced science and analytical methods to investigate and understand our natural world.