In the winter of 2015, the public noticed thousands of dead seabirds washing ashore across the western coast of the United States and Canada. The USGS linked this massive seabird die-off to the North Pacific Marine Heatwave. A marine heatwave occurs when sea surface temperatures are above normal for an extended period of time.
Marine Biology and Ecosystems
The ocean is home to a wealth of biodiversity - from invisible-to-the-eye microbes to the larger-than-life megafauna - and unique marine habitat, such as deepwater coral reefs, seamounts, and submarine canyons. USGS science helps inform the management and conservation of marine biodiversity and habitats, from the coastlines down to the deepest trench.
Life in the Sea
From the microscopic plants known as phytoplankton that form the basis of the aquatic food web to the largest animal to ever live on Earth, the blue whale, our oceans are home to a wealth of biodiversity and every organism plays a critical role in the structure and function of this expansive marine environment.
Maintaining this biodiversity is important because a healthy ocean provides us with oxygen, helps regulate climate and weather, acts as a source of protein for many people around the world, and provides jobs and opportunities for eco-tourism and recreation. USGS science informs the management and conservation of marine biodiversity and habitats, in both nearshore and deepwater ecosystems.
USGS Role in Marine Ecosystems Research
From the Atlantic to the Pacific and the Gulf Region in between, USGS scientists have implemented a multi-faceted offshore research program that weaves together expertise in a variety of disciplines to investigate nearshore and deepwater ecosystems. This interdisciplinary approach relies on a network of partners from around the Nation and the world to examine microbiology, population genetics, paleoecology, food webs, taxonomy, community ecology, physical oceanography, seafloor characteristics, and submarine hazards in the little explored, yet vital, marine ecosystems.



USGS Science in Nearshore Ecosystems
Nearshore systems are the habitats in which most people interact with marine environments, which include seabirds, seagrasses, algae, benthic invertebrates and fish, and top predators that include marine mammals like sharks, sea otters, walruses, and even polar bears. USGS research addresses natural and human-induced changes to this ecosystem and all its components.

Exploring Deep-sea Ecosystems
Most life in the ocean exists in surface waters above 200 meters depth where they have access to sunlight. However, even below 200 meters, where little to no sunlight reaches, temperatures drop, and pressure increases, abundant life exists. A diversity of organisms, including fishes, crustaceans, cephalopods, anemones, sea stars, microbes, and even corals make their home in the deep sea. These organisms reside on topographically complex terrain mirroring our terrestrial landscape, dotted with features like trenches, seamounts, canyons, and volcanoes. They also leave behind fossils that help geoscientists construct models of ancient ocean conditions and Earth’s geologic history, as shown in the schematic below.

Life at the Bottom of the Ocean
The mention of the seafloor may evoke thoughts of a deep, dark expanse of nothing, but the often-assumed void of life in the deep sea couldn’t be further from the truth. Even with the lack of sunlight, an average temperature of 4 degrees Celsius, and extreme pressures that an unprotected human could not survive, the deep sea is brimming with biodiversity, including deep-sea corals. The DISCOVRE (DIversity, Systematics and COnnectivity of Vulnerable Reef Ecosystems) program investigates unique and fragile deep-sea coral environments from the microscopic level to the ecosystem level. The multi-disciplinary approach has enhanced our understanding of the structure and function of significant biological communities surrounding deep coral reefs off the United States’ coasts.

Publications
Deep-ocean macrofaunal assemblages on ferromanganese and phosphorite-rich substrates in the Southern California Borderland
Invertebrate trophic structure on marine ferromanganese and phosphorite hardgrounds
Multidisciplinary characterisation of the biodiversity, geomorphology, oceanography and glacial history of Bowditch Seamount in the Sargasso Sea
The National Ocean Biodiversity Strategy
Realizing the potential of eDNA biodiversity monitoring tools in the marine environment with application to offshore renewable energy
Science
Walrus Research
Nearshore Marine Ecosystem Research
Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology
Polar Bear Research
Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities: Coral Propagation Technique (CPT) Development Project
Multimedia
In the winter of 2015, the public noticed thousands of dead seabirds washing ashore across the western coast of the United States and Canada. The USGS linked this massive seabird die-off to the North Pacific Marine Heatwave. A marine heatwave occurs when sea surface temperatures are above normal for an extended period of time.
Illustrates where Common Eiders were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Common Eiders were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.

Four Tufted Puffins on the water, near their breeding colony at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Four Tufted Puffins on the water, near their breeding colony at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska

Zoomed image of a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface.
Zoomed image of a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface.

Illustrates where Pelagic Cormorants were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Pelagic Cormorants were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Tufted Puffins were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking
Illustrates where Tufted Puffins were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking
Illustrates where Northern Fulmars were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Northern Fulmars were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.

Timing is Everything: How Fish and Wildlife are Responding to Climate Change Through Shifts in the Timing of Life Events
Timing is Everything: How Fish and Wildlife are Responding to Climate Change Through Shifts in the Timing of Life Events
News
A new strategy to help unleash USGS eDNA capabilities
New USGS-led Research Sheds Light on Deep-Sea Food Webs
Storms Help an Underwater Cave Breathe in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Deep-ocean macrofaunal assemblages on ferromanganese and phosphorite-rich substrates in the Southern California Borderland
Invertebrate trophic structure on marine ferromanganese and phosphorite hardgrounds
Multidisciplinary characterisation of the biodiversity, geomorphology, oceanography and glacial history of Bowditch Seamount in the Sargasso Sea
The National Ocean Biodiversity Strategy
Realizing the potential of eDNA biodiversity monitoring tools in the marine environment with application to offshore renewable energy
Consumer isoscapes reveal heterogeneous food webs in deep-sea submarine canyons and adjacent slopes
Are threatened seabird colonies of the Pacific Ocean genetically vulnerable? The case of the red-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda, as a model species
A characterization of the deep-sea coral and sponge community along the Oregon Coast using a remotely operated vehicle on the EXPRESS 2022 expedition
Hawksbill and green turtle niche overlap in a marine protected area, US Virgin Islands
Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat
Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat
Ocean current patterns drive the worldwide colonization of eelgrass (Zostera marina)
Walrus Research
Nearshore Marine Ecosystem Research
Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology
Polar Bear Research
Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities: Coral Propagation Technique (CPT) Development Project
USGS DISCOVRE: Benthic Ecology, Trophodynamics, and Ecosystem Connectivity – Lophelia II: Continuing Ecological Research on Deep-Sea Corals and Deep Reef Habitats in the Gulf
Trawling and Sea Turtle Capture Records: A Collaborative Effort between USGS and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Beach Compaction and the Impacts of Tilling on Nesting Sea Turtles and Foraging Shorebirds
Fine-Scale Dive Profiles and Activity Patterns of Sea Turtles in the Gulf
Sea Turtle Movement and Habitat Use in the Northern Gulf
Changing Arctic Ecosystems
CASC Fish Research
Walrus Haulout Aerial Survey Data Near Point Lay, Alaska, 2024
Sr/Ca, Oxygen Isotope, and Linear Extension Data for Five Holocene Orbicella faveolata Corals from Dry Tortugas and Marquesas Keys, Florida, USA
Sea Turtle Nesting Decision Points and Beach Profile Data on Florida Beaches
Stable isotope, seep megafauna video analysis, and macrofauna of submarine canyons, deep-sea corals and seep habitats in the western Atlantic from 2018-2019
Physical and Imagery-Based Morphological Measures of Pacific Walruses in Human Care
Data from the Capture and Collection of Non Die-off Seabirds Across Alaska
North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database Visualization Tool
Stable isotope data for sea turtles and prey items in St. Joseph Bay, FL (2011-2021) and comprehensive summary of sea turtle diet papers
Satellite tracking of sea turtles using Biscayne National Park, 2009-2021
Pacific Walrus Coastal Haulout Images from Remote Camera Stations
Point locations and species and behavioral identifications of colonial nesting seabirds on Maine's coastal islands interpreted from 2019 plane-based imagery
Seabird Diet Data Collected on Middleton Island, Gulf of Alaska
In the winter of 2015, the public noticed thousands of dead seabirds washing ashore across the western coast of the United States and Canada. The USGS linked this massive seabird die-off to the North Pacific Marine Heatwave. A marine heatwave occurs when sea surface temperatures are above normal for an extended period of time.
In the winter of 2015, the public noticed thousands of dead seabirds washing ashore across the western coast of the United States and Canada. The USGS linked this massive seabird die-off to the North Pacific Marine Heatwave. A marine heatwave occurs when sea surface temperatures are above normal for an extended period of time.
Illustrates where Common Eiders were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Common Eiders were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.

Four Tufted Puffins on the water, near their breeding colony at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Four Tufted Puffins on the water, near their breeding colony at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska

Zoomed image of a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface.
Zoomed image of a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface.

Illustrates where Pelagic Cormorants were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Pelagic Cormorants were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Tufted Puffins were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking
Illustrates where Tufted Puffins were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking
Illustrates where Northern Fulmars were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Northern Fulmars were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.

Timing is Everything: How Fish and Wildlife are Responding to Climate Change Through Shifts in the Timing of Life Events
Timing is Everything: How Fish and Wildlife are Responding to Climate Change Through Shifts in the Timing of Life Events

Red plumes burst out from the tops of these chemosynthetic tubeworms, capturing hydrogen sulfide and oxygen from the surrounding water to feed their bacterial endosymbionts. The tubeworm tubes provide a habitat for several benthic animals, including the pale pink branching octocorals seen here
Red plumes burst out from the tops of these chemosynthetic tubeworms, capturing hydrogen sulfide and oxygen from the surrounding water to feed their bacterial endosymbionts. The tubeworm tubes provide a habitat for several benthic animals, including the pale pink branching octocorals seen here

These “pom-pom” anemones (Liponema sp.) have attached to the rock in a place where there are probably very good currents, which bring small floating particles of food to them. Water depth is 1041 m (3415 ft).
These “pom-pom” anemones (Liponema sp.) have attached to the rock in a place where there are probably very good currents, which bring small floating particles of food to them. Water depth is 1041 m (3415 ft).
A small juvenile skate (left) and a large rockfish (right) hang out on the murky, silty seafloor with sea stars. Water depth: 856 m (2808 ft).
A small juvenile skate (left) and a large rockfish (right) hang out on the murky, silty seafloor with sea stars. Water depth: 856 m (2808 ft).
See St. Joseph Bay in the Florida Panhandle through the eyes of two young adult female loggerheads as they swim, surface to breathe, dive, forage on underwater grasses and spend time with other sea turtles. Three species of threatened or endangered sea turtles congregate in St. Joseph Bay.
See St. Joseph Bay in the Florida Panhandle through the eyes of two young adult female loggerheads as they swim, surface to breathe, dive, forage on underwater grasses and spend time with other sea turtles. Three species of threatened or endangered sea turtles congregate in St. Joseph Bay.
A loggerhead sea turtle, outfitted with a popoff ADL package (orange item on the turtle’s back), is released by New England Aquarium Biologist Nick Whitney.
A loggerhead sea turtle, outfitted with a popoff ADL package (orange item on the turtle’s back), is released by New England Aquarium Biologist Nick Whitney.
Underwater view of a loggerhead turtle being released with newly installed popoff ADL package (orange item on turtle’s back).
Underwater view of a loggerhead turtle being released with newly installed popoff ADL package (orange item on turtle’s back).

Horned Puffin, one of the species affected by a recent seabird die-off in the Pribilof Islands, AK. Near Chisik Island in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska
Horned Puffin, one of the species affected by a recent seabird die-off in the Pribilof Islands, AK. Near Chisik Island in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska
Cerulean damselfish dart around lettuce coral off the Cape Range National Park along the Ningaloo Coast in Western Australia. USGS researchers combined forces with Australian colleagues in this UNESCO World Heritage Site to conduct the most extensive study of how erosion of reefs contribute sand to the beaches—a coast’s natural armor.
Cerulean damselfish dart around lettuce coral off the Cape Range National Park along the Ningaloo Coast in Western Australia. USGS researchers combined forces with Australian colleagues in this UNESCO World Heritage Site to conduct the most extensive study of how erosion of reefs contribute sand to the beaches—a coast’s natural armor.
For nearly four decades, the U.S. Geological Survey's Sirenia Project has been committed to understanding the biology and ecology of the West Indian manatee to aid managers in actions that could best help the population. To do this, USGS manatee researchers rely on a variety of tools and techniques.
For nearly four decades, the U.S. Geological Survey's Sirenia Project has been committed to understanding the biology and ecology of the West Indian manatee to aid managers in actions that could best help the population. To do this, USGS manatee researchers rely on a variety of tools and techniques.

Underwater image of a wave breaking over a coral reef on Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. This image shows how the high hydrodynamic roughness of live, healthy corals causes friction that induces breaking of waves over coral reefs, reducing wave energy at the shoreline that can cause flooding and island overwash.
Underwater image of a wave breaking over a coral reef on Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. This image shows how the high hydrodynamic roughness of live, healthy corals causes friction that induces breaking of waves over coral reefs, reducing wave energy at the shoreline that can cause flooding and island overwash.
Tufted Puffin with a meal flying over the Aleutian Islands
Tufted Puffin with a meal flying over the Aleutian Islands

Red bubblegum coral (Paragorgia) and several colonies of Primnoa occupy a boulder in close proximity to an anemone and sea star, at approximately 440 meters depth in Norfolk Canyon. Image courtesy of Deepwater Canyons 2013 – Pathways to the Abyss, NOAA-OER/BOEM/USGS
Red bubblegum coral (Paragorgia) and several colonies of Primnoa occupy a boulder in close proximity to an anemone and sea star, at approximately 440 meters depth in Norfolk Canyon. Image courtesy of Deepwater Canyons 2013 – Pathways to the Abyss, NOAA-OER/BOEM/USGS
Why are coral reefs in peril and what is being done to protect them?
How do salmon know where their home is when they return from the ocean?
The ocean is home to a wealth of biodiversity - from invisible-to-the-eye microbes to the larger-than-life megafauna - and unique marine habitat, such as deepwater coral reefs, seamounts, and submarine canyons. USGS science helps inform the management and conservation of marine biodiversity and habitats, from the coastlines down to the deepest trench.
Life in the Sea
From the microscopic plants known as phytoplankton that form the basis of the aquatic food web to the largest animal to ever live on Earth, the blue whale, our oceans are home to a wealth of biodiversity and every organism plays a critical role in the structure and function of this expansive marine environment.
Maintaining this biodiversity is important because a healthy ocean provides us with oxygen, helps regulate climate and weather, acts as a source of protein for many people around the world, and provides jobs and opportunities for eco-tourism and recreation. USGS science informs the management and conservation of marine biodiversity and habitats, in both nearshore and deepwater ecosystems.
USGS Role in Marine Ecosystems Research
From the Atlantic to the Pacific and the Gulf Region in between, USGS scientists have implemented a multi-faceted offshore research program that weaves together expertise in a variety of disciplines to investigate nearshore and deepwater ecosystems. This interdisciplinary approach relies on a network of partners from around the Nation and the world to examine microbiology, population genetics, paleoecology, food webs, taxonomy, community ecology, physical oceanography, seafloor characteristics, and submarine hazards in the little explored, yet vital, marine ecosystems.



USGS Science in Nearshore Ecosystems
Nearshore systems are the habitats in which most people interact with marine environments, which include seabirds, seagrasses, algae, benthic invertebrates and fish, and top predators that include marine mammals like sharks, sea otters, walruses, and even polar bears. USGS research addresses natural and human-induced changes to this ecosystem and all its components.

Exploring Deep-sea Ecosystems
Most life in the ocean exists in surface waters above 200 meters depth where they have access to sunlight. However, even below 200 meters, where little to no sunlight reaches, temperatures drop, and pressure increases, abundant life exists. A diversity of organisms, including fishes, crustaceans, cephalopods, anemones, sea stars, microbes, and even corals make their home in the deep sea. These organisms reside on topographically complex terrain mirroring our terrestrial landscape, dotted with features like trenches, seamounts, canyons, and volcanoes. They also leave behind fossils that help geoscientists construct models of ancient ocean conditions and Earth’s geologic history, as shown in the schematic below.

Life at the Bottom of the Ocean
The mention of the seafloor may evoke thoughts of a deep, dark expanse of nothing, but the often-assumed void of life in the deep sea couldn’t be further from the truth. Even with the lack of sunlight, an average temperature of 4 degrees Celsius, and extreme pressures that an unprotected human could not survive, the deep sea is brimming with biodiversity, including deep-sea corals. The DISCOVRE (DIversity, Systematics and COnnectivity of Vulnerable Reef Ecosystems) program investigates unique and fragile deep-sea coral environments from the microscopic level to the ecosystem level. The multi-disciplinary approach has enhanced our understanding of the structure and function of significant biological communities surrounding deep coral reefs off the United States’ coasts.

Publications
Deep-ocean macrofaunal assemblages on ferromanganese and phosphorite-rich substrates in the Southern California Borderland
Invertebrate trophic structure on marine ferromanganese and phosphorite hardgrounds
Multidisciplinary characterisation of the biodiversity, geomorphology, oceanography and glacial history of Bowditch Seamount in the Sargasso Sea
The National Ocean Biodiversity Strategy
Realizing the potential of eDNA biodiversity monitoring tools in the marine environment with application to offshore renewable energy
Science
Walrus Research
Nearshore Marine Ecosystem Research
Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology
Polar Bear Research
Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities: Coral Propagation Technique (CPT) Development Project
Multimedia
In the winter of 2015, the public noticed thousands of dead seabirds washing ashore across the western coast of the United States and Canada. The USGS linked this massive seabird die-off to the North Pacific Marine Heatwave. A marine heatwave occurs when sea surface temperatures are above normal for an extended period of time.
In the winter of 2015, the public noticed thousands of dead seabirds washing ashore across the western coast of the United States and Canada. The USGS linked this massive seabird die-off to the North Pacific Marine Heatwave. A marine heatwave occurs when sea surface temperatures are above normal for an extended period of time.
Illustrates where Common Eiders were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Common Eiders were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.

Four Tufted Puffins on the water, near their breeding colony at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Four Tufted Puffins on the water, near their breeding colony at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska

Zoomed image of a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface.
Zoomed image of a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface.

Illustrates where Pelagic Cormorants were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Pelagic Cormorants were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Tufted Puffins were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking
Illustrates where Tufted Puffins were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking
Illustrates where Northern Fulmars were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Northern Fulmars were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.

Timing is Everything: How Fish and Wildlife are Responding to Climate Change Through Shifts in the Timing of Life Events
Timing is Everything: How Fish and Wildlife are Responding to Climate Change Through Shifts in the Timing of Life Events
News
A new strategy to help unleash USGS eDNA capabilities
New USGS-led Research Sheds Light on Deep-Sea Food Webs
Storms Help an Underwater Cave Breathe in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Deep-ocean macrofaunal assemblages on ferromanganese and phosphorite-rich substrates in the Southern California Borderland
Invertebrate trophic structure on marine ferromanganese and phosphorite hardgrounds
Multidisciplinary characterisation of the biodiversity, geomorphology, oceanography and glacial history of Bowditch Seamount in the Sargasso Sea
The National Ocean Biodiversity Strategy
Realizing the potential of eDNA biodiversity monitoring tools in the marine environment with application to offshore renewable energy
Consumer isoscapes reveal heterogeneous food webs in deep-sea submarine canyons and adjacent slopes
Are threatened seabird colonies of the Pacific Ocean genetically vulnerable? The case of the red-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda, as a model species
A characterization of the deep-sea coral and sponge community along the Oregon Coast using a remotely operated vehicle on the EXPRESS 2022 expedition
Hawksbill and green turtle niche overlap in a marine protected area, US Virgin Islands
Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat
Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat
Ocean current patterns drive the worldwide colonization of eelgrass (Zostera marina)
Walrus Research
Nearshore Marine Ecosystem Research
Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology
Polar Bear Research
Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities: Coral Propagation Technique (CPT) Development Project
USGS DISCOVRE: Benthic Ecology, Trophodynamics, and Ecosystem Connectivity – Lophelia II: Continuing Ecological Research on Deep-Sea Corals and Deep Reef Habitats in the Gulf
Trawling and Sea Turtle Capture Records: A Collaborative Effort between USGS and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Beach Compaction and the Impacts of Tilling on Nesting Sea Turtles and Foraging Shorebirds
Fine-Scale Dive Profiles and Activity Patterns of Sea Turtles in the Gulf
Sea Turtle Movement and Habitat Use in the Northern Gulf
Changing Arctic Ecosystems
CASC Fish Research
Walrus Haulout Aerial Survey Data Near Point Lay, Alaska, 2024
Sr/Ca, Oxygen Isotope, and Linear Extension Data for Five Holocene Orbicella faveolata Corals from Dry Tortugas and Marquesas Keys, Florida, USA
Sea Turtle Nesting Decision Points and Beach Profile Data on Florida Beaches
Stable isotope, seep megafauna video analysis, and macrofauna of submarine canyons, deep-sea corals and seep habitats in the western Atlantic from 2018-2019
Physical and Imagery-Based Morphological Measures of Pacific Walruses in Human Care
Data from the Capture and Collection of Non Die-off Seabirds Across Alaska
North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database Visualization Tool
Stable isotope data for sea turtles and prey items in St. Joseph Bay, FL (2011-2021) and comprehensive summary of sea turtle diet papers
Satellite tracking of sea turtles using Biscayne National Park, 2009-2021
Pacific Walrus Coastal Haulout Images from Remote Camera Stations
Point locations and species and behavioral identifications of colonial nesting seabirds on Maine's coastal islands interpreted from 2019 plane-based imagery
Seabird Diet Data Collected on Middleton Island, Gulf of Alaska
In the winter of 2015, the public noticed thousands of dead seabirds washing ashore across the western coast of the United States and Canada. The USGS linked this massive seabird die-off to the North Pacific Marine Heatwave. A marine heatwave occurs when sea surface temperatures are above normal for an extended period of time.
In the winter of 2015, the public noticed thousands of dead seabirds washing ashore across the western coast of the United States and Canada. The USGS linked this massive seabird die-off to the North Pacific Marine Heatwave. A marine heatwave occurs when sea surface temperatures are above normal for an extended period of time.
Illustrates where Common Eiders were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Common Eiders were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.

Four Tufted Puffins on the water, near their breeding colony at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Four Tufted Puffins on the water, near their breeding colony at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska

Zoomed image of a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface.
Zoomed image of a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface.

Illustrates where Pelagic Cormorants were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Pelagic Cormorants were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Tufted Puffins were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking
Illustrates where Tufted Puffins were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking
Illustrates where Northern Fulmars were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Northern Fulmars were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.

Timing is Everything: How Fish and Wildlife are Responding to Climate Change Through Shifts in the Timing of Life Events
Timing is Everything: How Fish and Wildlife are Responding to Climate Change Through Shifts in the Timing of Life Events

Red plumes burst out from the tops of these chemosynthetic tubeworms, capturing hydrogen sulfide and oxygen from the surrounding water to feed their bacterial endosymbionts. The tubeworm tubes provide a habitat for several benthic animals, including the pale pink branching octocorals seen here
Red plumes burst out from the tops of these chemosynthetic tubeworms, capturing hydrogen sulfide and oxygen from the surrounding water to feed their bacterial endosymbionts. The tubeworm tubes provide a habitat for several benthic animals, including the pale pink branching octocorals seen here

These “pom-pom” anemones (Liponema sp.) have attached to the rock in a place where there are probably very good currents, which bring small floating particles of food to them. Water depth is 1041 m (3415 ft).
These “pom-pom” anemones (Liponema sp.) have attached to the rock in a place where there are probably very good currents, which bring small floating particles of food to them. Water depth is 1041 m (3415 ft).
A small juvenile skate (left) and a large rockfish (right) hang out on the murky, silty seafloor with sea stars. Water depth: 856 m (2808 ft).
A small juvenile skate (left) and a large rockfish (right) hang out on the murky, silty seafloor with sea stars. Water depth: 856 m (2808 ft).
See St. Joseph Bay in the Florida Panhandle through the eyes of two young adult female loggerheads as they swim, surface to breathe, dive, forage on underwater grasses and spend time with other sea turtles. Three species of threatened or endangered sea turtles congregate in St. Joseph Bay.
See St. Joseph Bay in the Florida Panhandle through the eyes of two young adult female loggerheads as they swim, surface to breathe, dive, forage on underwater grasses and spend time with other sea turtles. Three species of threatened or endangered sea turtles congregate in St. Joseph Bay.
A loggerhead sea turtle, outfitted with a popoff ADL package (orange item on the turtle’s back), is released by New England Aquarium Biologist Nick Whitney.
A loggerhead sea turtle, outfitted with a popoff ADL package (orange item on the turtle’s back), is released by New England Aquarium Biologist Nick Whitney.
Underwater view of a loggerhead turtle being released with newly installed popoff ADL package (orange item on turtle’s back).
Underwater view of a loggerhead turtle being released with newly installed popoff ADL package (orange item on turtle’s back).

Horned Puffin, one of the species affected by a recent seabird die-off in the Pribilof Islands, AK. Near Chisik Island in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska
Horned Puffin, one of the species affected by a recent seabird die-off in the Pribilof Islands, AK. Near Chisik Island in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska
Cerulean damselfish dart around lettuce coral off the Cape Range National Park along the Ningaloo Coast in Western Australia. USGS researchers combined forces with Australian colleagues in this UNESCO World Heritage Site to conduct the most extensive study of how erosion of reefs contribute sand to the beaches—a coast’s natural armor.
Cerulean damselfish dart around lettuce coral off the Cape Range National Park along the Ningaloo Coast in Western Australia. USGS researchers combined forces with Australian colleagues in this UNESCO World Heritage Site to conduct the most extensive study of how erosion of reefs contribute sand to the beaches—a coast’s natural armor.
For nearly four decades, the U.S. Geological Survey's Sirenia Project has been committed to understanding the biology and ecology of the West Indian manatee to aid managers in actions that could best help the population. To do this, USGS manatee researchers rely on a variety of tools and techniques.
For nearly four decades, the U.S. Geological Survey's Sirenia Project has been committed to understanding the biology and ecology of the West Indian manatee to aid managers in actions that could best help the population. To do this, USGS manatee researchers rely on a variety of tools and techniques.

Underwater image of a wave breaking over a coral reef on Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. This image shows how the high hydrodynamic roughness of live, healthy corals causes friction that induces breaking of waves over coral reefs, reducing wave energy at the shoreline that can cause flooding and island overwash.
Underwater image of a wave breaking over a coral reef on Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. This image shows how the high hydrodynamic roughness of live, healthy corals causes friction that induces breaking of waves over coral reefs, reducing wave energy at the shoreline that can cause flooding and island overwash.
Tufted Puffin with a meal flying over the Aleutian Islands
Tufted Puffin with a meal flying over the Aleutian Islands

Red bubblegum coral (Paragorgia) and several colonies of Primnoa occupy a boulder in close proximity to an anemone and sea star, at approximately 440 meters depth in Norfolk Canyon. Image courtesy of Deepwater Canyons 2013 – Pathways to the Abyss, NOAA-OER/BOEM/USGS
Red bubblegum coral (Paragorgia) and several colonies of Primnoa occupy a boulder in close proximity to an anemone and sea star, at approximately 440 meters depth in Norfolk Canyon. Image courtesy of Deepwater Canyons 2013 – Pathways to the Abyss, NOAA-OER/BOEM/USGS