Michelle Collier
Michelle Collier is a public affairs specialist with the U.S. Geological Survey covering media relations and outreach for the Ecosystems Mission Area. Her primary duties include writing news releases and feature stories, social media, and multimedia.
Michelle joined the USGS Office of Communications and Publishing in early 2023 after spending 6 years as a Science Communications Liaison with the National Park Service for Everglades and Dry Tortugas national parks. Her early career included work in the fields of marine mammalogy, hydrology and invasive species ecology. Although it was fun being a dolphin paparazzo, surveyor and Burmese python wrangler, Michelle now enjoys working with scientists to help them share their findings with the general public.
Michelle is interested in all things science, and she pulls from her diverse background when working with scientists. As a public affairs specialist covering the Ecosystems Mission Area, Michelle works with biologists, ecologists and other scientists who study earth's living things and the interconnected communities they belong to, called ecosystems.
Education and Certifications
B.S. from Eckerd College with a primary degree in Marine Science (concentration in Biology) and a secondary degree in Environmental Studies
Science and Products
Thermal stability of an adaptable, invasive ectotherm: Argentine giant tegus in the Greater Everglades ecosystem, USA
Invasive species globally threaten biodiversity and economies, but the ecophysiological mechanisms underlying their success are often understudied. For those alien species that also exhibit high phenotypic plasticity, such as habitat generalists, adaptations in response to environmental pressures can take place relatively quickly. The Argentine giant tegu (Salvator merianae; tegu) is a large omniv
Authors
Andrea Faye Currylow, Michelle Collier, Emma B. Hanslowe, Bryan G. Falk, Brian S. Cade, Sarah E. Moy, Alejandro Grajal-Puche, Frank N. Ridgley, Robert Reed, Amy A. Yackel Adams
Modeling the distributions of tegu lizards in native and potential invasive ranges
Invasive reptilian predators can have substantial impacts on native species and ecosystems. Tegu lizards are widely distributed in South America east of the Andes, and are popular in the international live animal trade. Two species are established in Florida (U.S.A.) - Salvator merianae (Argentine black and white tegu) and Tupinambis teguixin sensu lato (gold tegu) – and a third has been recorded
Authors
Catherine S. Jarnevich, Mark Hayes, Lee A. Fitzgerald, Amy Yackel, Bryan Falk, Michelle Collier, Lea Bonewell, Page Klug, Sergio Naretto, Robert Reed
Exotic predators may threaten another island ecosystem: A comprehensive assessment of python and boa reports from the Florida Keys
Summarizing historical records of potentially invasive species increases understanding of propagule pressure, spatiotemporal trends, and establishment risk of these species. We compiled records of non-native pythons and boas from the Florida Keys, cross-referenced them to eliminate duplicates, and categorized each record’s credibility. We report on 159 observations of six python and boa species in
Authors
Emma B. Hanslowe, James G. Duquesnel, Raymond W. Snow, Bryan G. Falk, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Edward Metzger, Michelle Collier, Robert Reed
First record of invasive Burmese Python oviposition and brooding inside an anthropogenic structure
We discovered an adult female Python bivittatus (Burmese Python) coiled around a clutch of 25 eggs in a cement culvert in Flamingo, FL, in Everglades National Park. To our knowledge, this is the first record of an invasive Burmese Python laying eggs and brooding inside an anthropogenic structure in Florida. A 92% hatch-success rate suggests that the cement culvert provided suitable conditions for
Authors
Emma Hanslowe, Bryan Falk, Michelle A. M. Collier, Jillian Josimovich, Thomas Rahill, Robert Reed
Observations of two non-native snake species in the same remote area of southern Florida
No abstract available.
Authors
Emma B. Hanslowe, Bryan G. Falk, Michelle A. McEachern, Robert N. Reed
The influence of disturbed habitat on the spatial ecology of Argentine black and white tegu (Tupinambis merianae), a recent invader in the Everglades ecosystem (Florida, USA)
The threat of invasive species is often intensified in disturbed habitat. To optimize control programs, it is necessary to understand how degraded habitat influences the behavior of invasive species. We conducted a radio telemetry study to characterize movement and habitat use of introduced male Argentine black and white tegus (Tupinambis merianae) in the Everglades of southern Florida from May to
Authors
Page E. Klug, Robert N. Reed, Frank J. Mazzotti, Michelle A. McEachern, Joy J. Vinci, Katelin K. Craven, Amy A. Yackel Adams
Tupinambis merianae as nest predators of crocodilians and turtles in Florida, USA
Tupinambis merianae, is a large, omnivorous tegu lizard native to South America. Two populations of tegus are established in the state of Florida, USA, but impacts to native species are poorly documented. During summer 2013, we placed automated cameras overlooking one American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) nest, which also contained a clutch of Florida red-bellied cooter (Pseudemys nelson
Authors
Frank J. Mazzotti, Michelle A. McEachern, Michael Rochford, Robert Reed, Jennifer Ketterlin Eckles, Joy Vinci, Jake Edwards, Joseph Wasilewki
Brumation of introduced Black and White Tegus, Tupinambis merianae (Squamata: Teiidae), in southern Florida
An established population of Tupinambis merianae (Black and White Tegu) in southeastern Florida threatens the Everglades ecosystem. Understanding the behavioral ecology of Black and White Tegus could aid in management and control plans. Black and White Tegus are seasonally active and brumate during the winter in their native range, but brumation behavior is largely unstudied in either the native o
Authors
Michelle McEachern, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Page E. Klug, Lee A. Fitzgerald, Robert N. Reed
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Filter Total Items: 33
Wildland Fire Science - Media Kit
The U.S. Geological Survey’s Wildland Fire Science Program produces information to identify the causes of wildfires, understand the impacts and benefits of both wildfires and prescribed fires, and help manage larger, catastrophic events.
Science and Products
Thermal stability of an adaptable, invasive ectotherm: Argentine giant tegus in the Greater Everglades ecosystem, USA
Invasive species globally threaten biodiversity and economies, but the ecophysiological mechanisms underlying their success are often understudied. For those alien species that also exhibit high phenotypic plasticity, such as habitat generalists, adaptations in response to environmental pressures can take place relatively quickly. The Argentine giant tegu (Salvator merianae; tegu) is a large omniv
Authors
Andrea Faye Currylow, Michelle Collier, Emma B. Hanslowe, Bryan G. Falk, Brian S. Cade, Sarah E. Moy, Alejandro Grajal-Puche, Frank N. Ridgley, Robert Reed, Amy A. Yackel Adams
Modeling the distributions of tegu lizards in native and potential invasive ranges
Invasive reptilian predators can have substantial impacts on native species and ecosystems. Tegu lizards are widely distributed in South America east of the Andes, and are popular in the international live animal trade. Two species are established in Florida (U.S.A.) - Salvator merianae (Argentine black and white tegu) and Tupinambis teguixin sensu lato (gold tegu) – and a third has been recorded
Authors
Catherine S. Jarnevich, Mark Hayes, Lee A. Fitzgerald, Amy Yackel, Bryan Falk, Michelle Collier, Lea Bonewell, Page Klug, Sergio Naretto, Robert Reed
Exotic predators may threaten another island ecosystem: A comprehensive assessment of python and boa reports from the Florida Keys
Summarizing historical records of potentially invasive species increases understanding of propagule pressure, spatiotemporal trends, and establishment risk of these species. We compiled records of non-native pythons and boas from the Florida Keys, cross-referenced them to eliminate duplicates, and categorized each record’s credibility. We report on 159 observations of six python and boa species in
Authors
Emma B. Hanslowe, James G. Duquesnel, Raymond W. Snow, Bryan G. Falk, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Edward Metzger, Michelle Collier, Robert Reed
First record of invasive Burmese Python oviposition and brooding inside an anthropogenic structure
We discovered an adult female Python bivittatus (Burmese Python) coiled around a clutch of 25 eggs in a cement culvert in Flamingo, FL, in Everglades National Park. To our knowledge, this is the first record of an invasive Burmese Python laying eggs and brooding inside an anthropogenic structure in Florida. A 92% hatch-success rate suggests that the cement culvert provided suitable conditions for
Authors
Emma Hanslowe, Bryan Falk, Michelle A. M. Collier, Jillian Josimovich, Thomas Rahill, Robert Reed
Observations of two non-native snake species in the same remote area of southern Florida
No abstract available.
Authors
Emma B. Hanslowe, Bryan G. Falk, Michelle A. McEachern, Robert N. Reed
The influence of disturbed habitat on the spatial ecology of Argentine black and white tegu (Tupinambis merianae), a recent invader in the Everglades ecosystem (Florida, USA)
The threat of invasive species is often intensified in disturbed habitat. To optimize control programs, it is necessary to understand how degraded habitat influences the behavior of invasive species. We conducted a radio telemetry study to characterize movement and habitat use of introduced male Argentine black and white tegus (Tupinambis merianae) in the Everglades of southern Florida from May to
Authors
Page E. Klug, Robert N. Reed, Frank J. Mazzotti, Michelle A. McEachern, Joy J. Vinci, Katelin K. Craven, Amy A. Yackel Adams
Tupinambis merianae as nest predators of crocodilians and turtles in Florida, USA
Tupinambis merianae, is a large, omnivorous tegu lizard native to South America. Two populations of tegus are established in the state of Florida, USA, but impacts to native species are poorly documented. During summer 2013, we placed automated cameras overlooking one American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) nest, which also contained a clutch of Florida red-bellied cooter (Pseudemys nelson
Authors
Frank J. Mazzotti, Michelle A. McEachern, Michael Rochford, Robert Reed, Jennifer Ketterlin Eckles, Joy Vinci, Jake Edwards, Joseph Wasilewki
Brumation of introduced Black and White Tegus, Tupinambis merianae (Squamata: Teiidae), in southern Florida
An established population of Tupinambis merianae (Black and White Tegu) in southeastern Florida threatens the Everglades ecosystem. Understanding the behavioral ecology of Black and White Tegus could aid in management and control plans. Black and White Tegus are seasonally active and brumate during the winter in their native range, but brumation behavior is largely unstudied in either the native o
Authors
Michelle McEachern, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Page E. Klug, Lee A. Fitzgerald, Robert N. Reed
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Filter Total Items: 33
Wildland Fire Science - Media Kit
The U.S. Geological Survey’s Wildland Fire Science Program produces information to identify the causes of wildfires, understand the impacts and benefits of both wildfires and prescribed fires, and help manage larger, catastrophic events.