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 of Mexico 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.
Polar Bear Research
Walrus Research
Nearshore Marine Ecosystem Research
Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology
Pacific Marine Heatwave
North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database
Changing Arctic Ecosystems
Coral Reef Project
Marine Geomorphology, Evolution, and Habitats
California Seafloor Mapping Program
Eastern Ecological Science Center partnership with Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
CASC Fish Research
Why are coral reefs in peril and what is being done to protect them?
Coral reefs can be damaged by natural processes, such as storms, but they are increasingly at risk from human activities. Oil spills and pollutants can threaten entire reefs. Excessive nutrients from land sources, such as sewage and agricultural fertilizers, promote the growth of algae that can smother corals. Other organisms harmful to corals, such as crown-of-thorns starfish, multiply when the...
How do salmon know where their home is when they return from the ocean?
Salmon come back to the stream where they were 'born' because they 'know' it is a good place to spawn; they won't waste time looking for a stream with good habitat and other salmon. Scientists believe that salmon navigate by using the earth’s magnetic field like a compass. When they find the river they came from, they start using smell to find their way back to their home stream. They build their...
- Overview
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.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.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. 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 of Mexico 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.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Wildlife disease: Much like terrestrial species, animals in the ocean have to worry about the spread of disease. USGS scientists across the Nation are working together with various federal and state partners to assess and better understand a novel coral disease that first appeared in stony corals off the coast of Florida in 2014 and has now spread throughout the Caribbean. In Hawaii, USGS scientists are studying the cause and spread of fibropapillomatosis, a disease that leads to tumors growing internally and externally on sea turtles.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Wildlife tracking: Understanding the short- and long-distance movements of wildlife, particularly those species that spend most of their life offshore and/or underwater, is critical for a wide variety of ecological research questions and management decisions. The USGS tags and tracks imperiled marine species, such as sea otters, sea turtles, and seabirds to learn about their behavior, migration patterns, and habitat use and areas of high use. This information can help inform the creation of marine protected areas or the development of species management strategies. Several aquatic animals, such as manatees or fishes like Chinook salmon and river herring, can move between fresh and salt water. Tracking their movement can reveal connections between marine and coastal ecosystems and provide insight into the seasonality of mass migrations.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Satellite tracking: The satellite tracking map (yellow lines show satellite locations over time) of a loggerhead sea turtle tagged in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The male turtle traveled to Palm Beach County, Florida for a probable breeding foray during March of 2020. 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.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Visit Media to see details.A healthy coral reef in the Tumon Bay Marine Preserve off Tumon, Guam, showing a number of different species of fish swimming over a high coral cover reef composed of a number of hard and soft coral species. 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.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Mid-Piacenzian generalized marine environment. Learn more about this graphic, and about the Piacenzian Age. 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.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Image of the seafloor south of Santa Cruz Island, CA, taken during an EXPRESS cruise by Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration’s (GFOE’s) remotely operated vehicles (ROV) Yogi. - Publications
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Polar Bear Research
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are one of 4 marine mammal species managed by the U.S. Department of Interior. The USGS Alaska Science Center leads long–term research on polar bears to inform local, state, national and international policy makers regarding conservation of the species and its habitat. Our studies, ongoing since 1985, are focused on population dynamics, health and energetics...Walrus Research
The USGS Alaska Science Center conducts long-term research on the Pacific walrus to provide scientific information to Department of Interior management agencies and Alaska Native co-management partners. In addition, the USGS Pacific walrus research program collaborates with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the State of Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game and Alaska Native co...Nearshore Marine Ecosystem Research
Nearshore ecosystems include many resources that are of high ecological, recreational, subsistence, and economic value. They also are subject to influences from a wide variety of natural and human-caused perturbations, which can originate in terrestrial or oceanic environments. Our research is designed to evaluate sources of variation in the nearshore and how they influence resources of high...Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology
Alaska's coastal and offshore waters provide foraging habitat for an estimated 100 million birds comprising more than 90 different species; from loons and seaducks that nest inland, to petrels and puffins that breed on islands off shore. All these birds depend on the sea to provide a wide variety of food types— from clams, crabs and urchins nearshore— to krill, forage fish, and squid offshore. The...Pacific Marine Heatwave
The USGS conducts research on marine wildlife, habitats, and ecosystem processes to provide science to inform our partners as they make decisions relative to species status, resource use, and human activities. These studies examine impacts of severe heatwaves on marine ecosystems of the North Pacific.North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database
The North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD) contains survey transect data designed and conducted by numerous partners primarily to census seabirds at sea. The NPPSD includes more than 486,000 transect segments and includes observations of over 20 million birds of 258 species collected over the span of 50 years (from 1973 to 2022).Changing Arctic Ecosystems
Arctic regions of Alaska are important for cultural and economic sustainability and host a wide variety of wildlife species, many of which are of conservation and management interest to the U.S. Department of the Interior. The USGS and collaborators provide information about Arctic ecosystems that are used by Arctic residents, management agencies, and industry.Coral Reef Project
Explore the fascinating undersea world of coral reefs. Learn how we map, monitor, and model coral reefs so we can better understand, protect, and preserve our Nation's reefs.Marine Geomorphology, Evolution, and Habitats
Seafloor resource managers and modelers need seafloor maps that can be combined in GIS, modeling, and statistical analysis environments and related successfully to biologic and oceanographic data. The Marine Geomorphology, Evolution, and Habitats Project encompasses mapping activities and the development of new mapping systems and methodologies. The emphasis is on the role of geologic processes in...California Seafloor Mapping Program
The California Seafloor Mapping Program (CSMP) is a cooperative program to create a comprehensive coastal and marine geologic and habitat base map series for all of California's State waters.Eastern Ecological Science Center partnership with Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
Collaboration between the world-class expertise of USGS scientists, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Science Program, and state and federal fishery agencies demonstrates the power of partnerships to solve seemingly-insurmountable problems in sustainable and cooperative management of Atlantic coastal fisheries.CASC Fish Research
The CASC Fish Research Program is a dynamic group of federal researchers and early-career scientists working together to explore the impacts of climate and other stressors on fish and aquatic systems to inform conservation, climate adaptation, and sustainable use. - Data and More
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Why are coral reefs in peril and what is being done to protect them?
Coral reefs can be damaged by natural processes, such as storms, but they are increasingly at risk from human activities. Oil spills and pollutants can threaten entire reefs. Excessive nutrients from land sources, such as sewage and agricultural fertilizers, promote the growth of algae that can smother corals. Other organisms harmful to corals, such as crown-of-thorns starfish, multiply when the...
How do salmon know where their home is when they return from the ocean?
Salmon come back to the stream where they were 'born' because they 'know' it is a good place to spawn; they won't waste time looking for a stream with good habitat and other salmon. Scientists believe that salmon navigate by using the earth’s magnetic field like a compass. When they find the river they came from, they start using smell to find their way back to their home stream. They build their...