Photo of a USGS scientist holding a hen mallard equipped with a GPS transmitter.
Michael Casazza
Mike Casazza's research program at the Dixon Field Station focuses on the ecology of waterfowl and wetland management in the Pacific Flyway.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Mike and his team are experts in wildlife telemetry and apply cutting edge tools to answer complex ecological questions. In addition, Mike’s program also focuses on threatened and endangered species in a variety of ecosystems including primary ecological research on the endangered California Ridgway's Rail in SF Bay, the endangered San Francisco Gartersnake, the threatened Giant Gartersnake in the Central Valley of California, the California state-listed Greater Sandhill Crane, and the Greater Sage-Grouse. Mike Casazza's research has targeted studies which provide critical species information to land managers responsible for maintaining diverse and healthy wildlife populations while trying to help recover special status species. Understanding key life history traits of special status species can lead to management options promoting species recovery.
EDUCATION
- 1995 M.S. California State University, Sacramento Thesis: Habitat use and movement of Northern Pintails wintering in Suisun Marsh, CA
- 1988 B.S. Wildlife Biology, U.C. Davis
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 13
AIMS for Wildlife
We are building a 21st century wildlife monitoring system to inform resource management of the impacts of drought, wildfire, land use, climate change, and other landscape level stressors. The Automated Interactive Monitoring System (AIMS) for Wildlife will provide an actionable data stream by combining enormous quantities of wildlife movement data with environmental data and delivering it to...
Waterbird Ecology and Movement in the Saline Lakes
How do changing conditions in the terminal lakes of the Great Basin effect the migratory birds that depend on them? USGS scientists investigate bird movement and habitat use to find out.
Avian Influenza Prevalence Correlated to Mercury Concentrations in Wild Waterfowl
Low pathogenic avian influenza infections were directly correlated with blood mercury concentrations in wild waterfowl, indicating that mercury exposure may be related to pathogen susceptibility. Further study is needed to determine if and how mercury and other environmental contaminant exposures may affect disease susceptibility in wildlife.
Goose Population Dynamics in the California Central Valley and Pacific Flyway
USGS scientists and partners are studying how growing goose populations in the California Central Valley wintering areas are affecting ducks and other waterfowl.
Webinar: Linking Remote Sensing and Bird Behavior Data to Understand the Impacts of Drought on Waterfowl
View this webinar to learn how scientists are exploring the impacts of drought on waterfowl.
Suisun Marsh Waterfowl and Wildlife Studies
Suisun Marsh provides critical habitat for wintering and breeding waterbirds in California. USGS WERC collaborates with the California Department of Water Resources to examine trends in bird declines and to assess the habitat factors driving long-term survival of waterfowl, rails, and other birds in this important area.
Integrating Remote-Sensing and Ecological Forecasting into Decision-Support for Wetland Wildlife Management in the Central Valley of California
In the Central Valley of California, the few remaining wetlands plus cropland that is flooded after harvest provide critical habitat for wetland-dependent species. However future climate conditions and a growing human population will challenge how they are managed. To support coordinated conservation, wetland restoration, and climate adaptation planning, we partnered with Point Blue Conservation...
Waterfowl Ecology in California and the Pacific Flyway
The Suisun Marsh and Central Valley in California offer some of the world’s most important wetland habitats for waterfowl in the Pacific Flyway. Mike Casazza and USGS WERC biologists are providing the science to support and evaluate waterfowl populations and habitat management in North America.
Ecology and Population Dynamics of Ridgway's Rails along the West Coast of the U.S.
The Ridgway’s rail is a federal and state listed endangered species that occurs in wetlands along the Pacific Coast and from the Lower Colorado River drainage to southern Baja California. Three subspecies of Ridgway’s rail are found within the United States: the California Ridgway’s Rail, Yuma Ridgway’s rail, and Light-footed Ridgway’s rail. All three subspecies have declined since 1900 as a...
Dixon Field Station
WERC scientists at the Dixon Field Station conduct studies from the San Francisco Bay-Delta in California to the Great Basin spanning California and Nevada.
The Impact of Drought on Waterbirds and Their Wetland Habitats in California’s Central Valley
California’s Central Valley is a nexus for water resources in the state, draining the Sacramento and San Joaquin River watersheds. Urban centers, agricultural operations, and the environment all compete for limited water, and demand is expected to only increase as the population grows and agriculture intensifies. At the same time, the water supply is projected to decrease as temperatures rise, pre
Effects of Sea-Level Rise and Extreme Storms on California Coastal Habitats: Part 1
In California, the near-shore area where the ocean meets the land is a highly productive yet sensitive region that supports a wealth of wildlife, including several native bird species. These saltmarshes, mudflats, and shallow bays are not only critical for wildlife, but they also provide economic and recreational benefits to local communities. Today, sea-level rise, more frequent and stronger stor
USGS WERC Scientist Holding Hen Mallard with Transmitter
Photo of a USGS scientist holding a hen mallard equipped with a GPS transmitter.
USGS WERC Scientist with Male Mallard
A photo of USGS biological science technician Desmond Mackell holding a male mallard. USGS scientists based out of Dixon, CA are banding and marking mallards and other waterfowl with GPS transmitters as part of an ongoing study in the Suisun Marsh.
A photo of USGS biological science technician Desmond Mackell holding a male mallard. USGS scientists based out of Dixon, CA are banding and marking mallards and other waterfowl with GPS transmitters as part of an ongoing study in the Suisun Marsh.
USGS WERC Scientist Releasing Tagged Male Pintail
A photo of USGS biological science technician releasing a male pintail in Suisun Marsh, CA. USGS Western Ecological Research Center scientists based out of Dixon, CA are marking and tagging waterfowl with GPS transmitters as part of an ongoing study.
A photo of USGS biological science technician releasing a male pintail in Suisun Marsh, CA. USGS Western Ecological Research Center scientists based out of Dixon, CA are marking and tagging waterfowl with GPS transmitters as part of an ongoing study.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 13
AIMS for Wildlife
We are building a 21st century wildlife monitoring system to inform resource management of the impacts of drought, wildfire, land use, climate change, and other landscape level stressors. The Automated Interactive Monitoring System (AIMS) for Wildlife will provide an actionable data stream by combining enormous quantities of wildlife movement data with environmental data and delivering it to...
Waterbird Ecology and Movement in the Saline Lakes
How do changing conditions in the terminal lakes of the Great Basin effect the migratory birds that depend on them? USGS scientists investigate bird movement and habitat use to find out.
Avian Influenza Prevalence Correlated to Mercury Concentrations in Wild Waterfowl
Low pathogenic avian influenza infections were directly correlated with blood mercury concentrations in wild waterfowl, indicating that mercury exposure may be related to pathogen susceptibility. Further study is needed to determine if and how mercury and other environmental contaminant exposures may affect disease susceptibility in wildlife.
Goose Population Dynamics in the California Central Valley and Pacific Flyway
USGS scientists and partners are studying how growing goose populations in the California Central Valley wintering areas are affecting ducks and other waterfowl.
Webinar: Linking Remote Sensing and Bird Behavior Data to Understand the Impacts of Drought on Waterfowl
View this webinar to learn how scientists are exploring the impacts of drought on waterfowl.
Suisun Marsh Waterfowl and Wildlife Studies
Suisun Marsh provides critical habitat for wintering and breeding waterbirds in California. USGS WERC collaborates with the California Department of Water Resources to examine trends in bird declines and to assess the habitat factors driving long-term survival of waterfowl, rails, and other birds in this important area.
Integrating Remote-Sensing and Ecological Forecasting into Decision-Support for Wetland Wildlife Management in the Central Valley of California
In the Central Valley of California, the few remaining wetlands plus cropland that is flooded after harvest provide critical habitat for wetland-dependent species. However future climate conditions and a growing human population will challenge how they are managed. To support coordinated conservation, wetland restoration, and climate adaptation planning, we partnered with Point Blue Conservation...
Waterfowl Ecology in California and the Pacific Flyway
The Suisun Marsh and Central Valley in California offer some of the world’s most important wetland habitats for waterfowl in the Pacific Flyway. Mike Casazza and USGS WERC biologists are providing the science to support and evaluate waterfowl populations and habitat management in North America.
Ecology and Population Dynamics of Ridgway's Rails along the West Coast of the U.S.
The Ridgway’s rail is a federal and state listed endangered species that occurs in wetlands along the Pacific Coast and from the Lower Colorado River drainage to southern Baja California. Three subspecies of Ridgway’s rail are found within the United States: the California Ridgway’s Rail, Yuma Ridgway’s rail, and Light-footed Ridgway’s rail. All three subspecies have declined since 1900 as a...
Dixon Field Station
WERC scientists at the Dixon Field Station conduct studies from the San Francisco Bay-Delta in California to the Great Basin spanning California and Nevada.
The Impact of Drought on Waterbirds and Their Wetland Habitats in California’s Central Valley
California’s Central Valley is a nexus for water resources in the state, draining the Sacramento and San Joaquin River watersheds. Urban centers, agricultural operations, and the environment all compete for limited water, and demand is expected to only increase as the population grows and agriculture intensifies. At the same time, the water supply is projected to decrease as temperatures rise, pre
Effects of Sea-Level Rise and Extreme Storms on California Coastal Habitats: Part 1
In California, the near-shore area where the ocean meets the land is a highly productive yet sensitive region that supports a wealth of wildlife, including several native bird species. These saltmarshes, mudflats, and shallow bays are not only critical for wildlife, but they also provide economic and recreational benefits to local communities. Today, sea-level rise, more frequent and stronger stor
USGS WERC Scientist Holding Hen Mallard with Transmitter
Photo of a USGS scientist holding a hen mallard equipped with a GPS transmitter.
Photo of a USGS scientist holding a hen mallard equipped with a GPS transmitter.
USGS WERC Scientist with Male Mallard
A photo of USGS biological science technician Desmond Mackell holding a male mallard. USGS scientists based out of Dixon, CA are banding and marking mallards and other waterfowl with GPS transmitters as part of an ongoing study in the Suisun Marsh.
A photo of USGS biological science technician Desmond Mackell holding a male mallard. USGS scientists based out of Dixon, CA are banding and marking mallards and other waterfowl with GPS transmitters as part of an ongoing study in the Suisun Marsh.
USGS WERC Scientist Releasing Tagged Male Pintail
A photo of USGS biological science technician releasing a male pintail in Suisun Marsh, CA. USGS Western Ecological Research Center scientists based out of Dixon, CA are marking and tagging waterfowl with GPS transmitters as part of an ongoing study.
A photo of USGS biological science technician releasing a male pintail in Suisun Marsh, CA. USGS Western Ecological Research Center scientists based out of Dixon, CA are marking and tagging waterfowl with GPS transmitters as part of an ongoing study.