Unified Interior Regions
Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
Our Science Centers
The NAA Region has 15 Science Centers spanning 14 NE States and Washington, DC. The Centers conduct interdisciplinary biologic, geologic, hydrologic, and energy monitoring and research addressing natural resource issues facing our nation.
Learn MoreMarch Photo Contest
Check out the winning photographs in the March 2021 Photo Contest! Categories include People, USGS at Work, Where We Work, and Honorable Mention
See PhotosRegions L2 Landing Page Tabs
Terrestrial wildlife and legacy oil mining on National Wildlife Refuges
Amphibian surveys are being conducted on select National Wildlife Refuges with active and/or legacy oil mining to determine species relative distribution and their risk to short- and long-term effects from exposure to crude oil and its byproducts.
Produced water from Marcellus Shale and amphibians
Research biologists at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC) are conducting a series of scientific studies on the potential effects of wastewater from hydraulic fracturing activities on terrestrial wildlife. Findings will help in assessing proposals for managing recycling and distribution of large volumes of flowback and produced waters generated by methods of oil and gas...
Grand River near Painesville, OH
Water-quality “super” gages (also known as “sentry” gages) provide real-time, continuous measurements of the physical and chemical characteristics of stream water at or near selected U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgages in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. A super gage includes streamflow and water-quality instrumentation and representative stream sample collection for laboratory analysis....
Virginia Coast Reserve Long Term Ecological Research VII
The highly protected Virginia Coast Reserve (VCR) is the largest undeveloped region along the Atlantic seaboard.The VCR is managed by the Nature Conservancy, and was designated a Man and the Biosphere Reserve in 1979, providing a unique environment for which to study coastal impacts of climate change on a variety of coastal ecosystems from barrier islands across back barrier lagoons, mudflats...
Assessing Faunal Recovery in a Headwater Stream
A catastrophic fish-kill in a small tributary stream of the Etowah River system (Dawson County, Georgia) has created the opportunity to assess faunal recovery, including recolonization by a federally-listed fish species (the Cherokee darter Etheostoma scotti). Fishes are expected to recolonize Flat Creek by moving upstream from downstream sources. In particular, Flat Creek flows...
Evaluating the Design of the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey
The Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey (WBPHS) is a primary source of waterfowl population status and trend information for management of ducks in North America. The survey has not been reviewed in several decades, and since the last review new analysis approaches and information needs have created a need to reassess the design, scope of inference, and analysis of the survey to...
Blue-winged Teal and Cross Continental Avian Influenza Transmission
This project aims to improve our understanding of the migratory ecology of Blue-winged Teal and how this may impact the ability of this species to transmit avian influenza or other pathogens across the wild bird – domestic poultry interface.This project aims to improve our understanding of the migratory ecology of Blue-winged Teal and how this may impact the ability of this species to transmit...
Seagrass Vulnerability to Environmental Conditions Under Changing Temperature Regimes
Seagrasses are among the most productive ecosystems on the planet. Water quality degradation and direct human disturbance have caused loss of nearly a third of the seagrass habitat worldwide. These threats are exacerbated by stresses associated with a changing global climate. Predicting how seagrass distribution, abundance, and species composition will change in response to increased...
Huron River near Milan, OH
Water-quality “super” gages (also known as “sentry” gages) provide real-time, continuous measurements of the physical and chemical characteristics of stream water at or near selected U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgages in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. A super gage includes streamflow and water-quality instrumentation and representative stream sample collection for laboratory analysis....
Response of fish assemblages and habitat to stream restoration in the Ashokan Watershed
Background: Streams are ecologically, culturally, and economically important systems that are subject to impacts from a large array of human activities. There has been a relatively recent increase in efforts to manage, protect, and restore streams that have experienced physical, chemical, and biological degradation. Unfortunately, interest in any single restoration effort tends to be...
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Seaduck Challenge Study
This project seeks to improve our understanding of the susceptibility and pathogenesis of pertinent strains of avian influenza viruses in diving duck species.
Avian Influenza Surveillance in Waterfowl in the Atlantic Flyway
This project seeks to quantify the strains and prevalence of avian influenza viruses circulating in wild waterfowl across the Atlantic Flyway, and allow comparison with the nations other flyways.
GIS for focus areas of potential domestic resources of 11 critical minerals—aluminum, cobalt, graphite, lithium, niobium, platinum group elements, rare earth elements, tantalum, tin, titanium, and tungsten: U.S. Geological Survey data release
Phase 2 focuses on the following minerals: aluminum, cobalt, graphite, lithium, niobium, platinum group elements (PGE), rare earth elements, tantalum, tin, titanium, and tungsten. The focus areas are provided as geospatial data supported by tables that summarize what is known about the mineral potential and brief descriptions of data gaps that could be addressed by the Earth MRI program.
GIS for focus areas of potential domestic resources of 11 critical minerals—aluminum, cobalt, graphite, lithium, niobium, platinum group elements, rare earth elements, tantalum, tin, titanium, and tungsten
In response to Executive Order 13817 of December 20, 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) coordinated with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to identify 35 nonfuel minerals or mineral materials considered critical to the economic and national security of the United States (U.S.) (https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2018/1021/ofr20181021....
Estimated low-flow statistics at ungaged stream locations in New Jersey, water year 2019
Estimates of various low-flow statistics were computed at 53 ungaged stream locations throughout New Jersey during the 2019 water year using methods in the published reports, 1) Streamflow characteristics and trends in New Jersey, water years 1897-2003 (Watson and others, 2005) and 2) Implementation of MOVE.1, censored MOVE.1, and piecewise MOVE.1 low-flow regressions with appli
Inputs and Selected Outputs Used to Assess Spatial and Temporal Patterns in Streamflow, Water-Chemistry, and Aquatic Macroinvertebrates of Selected Streams in Fairfax County, Virginia, 2007-2018
Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and suspended-sediment (SS) loads, in Fairfax County, Virginia streams have been calculated using monitoring data from five intensively monitored watersheds for the period from water year (October - September) 2008-2017. Nutrient and suspended-sediment loads were computed using a surrogate (multiple-linear regression) approach with lab ana
Electron microprobe analyses of feldspars from the Hawkeye and Lyon Mountain Granite Gneisses in the Adirondacks of New York.
Iron oxide-apatite (IOA) deposits of the Adirondack Mountains of New York locally contain elevated REE concentrations (e.g. Taylor and others, 2019). Critical to evaluating resource potential is understanding the genesis of the IOA deposits that host the REE-rich minerals. As part of this effort, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting bedrock geologic mapping, geochro
Fort Belvoir, Virginia, stream-water, streambed-sediment, and soil data collected in 2019
Field parameters and chemical-analysis results of stream water, streambed sediment, and soil data collected during 2019 at Fort Belvoir, Virginia are presented.
Investigating the effects of broad ion beam milling to sedimentary organic matter
To test if reflectance increases to sedimentary organic matter (vitrinite) caused by broad ion beam (BIB) milling were related to molecular aromatization and condensation, we used Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies to evaluate potential compositional changes in the same vitrinite locations pre- and post-BIB milling. The same locations also were examined by at
Low-altitude aerial imagery and related field observations associated with unmanned aerial systems (UAS) flights over Coast Guard Beach, Nauset Spit, Nauset Inlet, and Nauset Marsh, Cape Cod National Seashore, Eastham, Massachusetts on 1 March 2016
Low-altitude (approximately 120 meters above ground level) digital images were obtained from cameras mounted in a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flown from the lawn adjacent to the Coast Guard Beach parking lot on 1 March, 2016. Two consecutive unmanned aerial systems (UAS) missions were flown, each with two cameras, autopilot computer, radios, and a global satellite navigation...
Geospatial Datasets for the Geohydrology and Water Quality of the Unconsolidated Aquifers in the Enfield Creek Valley, Town of Enfield, Tompkins County, New York
From 2013 to 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Town of Enfield and the Tompkins County Planning Department, studied the unconsolidated aquifers in the Enfield Creek Valley in the town of Enfield, Tompkins County, New York. The objective of this study was to characterize the hydrogeology and water quality of the unconsolidated aquifers in the Enfield Creek valley
Surficial Geology in the Enfield Creek Valley
This dataset contains locations and unit labels of the surficial geologic units.
Discharge and Surface Water Quality Sites in the Enfield Creek Valley
This dataset contains locations of surface water discharge and water quality sites.
Overburden Thickness in the Enfield Creek Valley
This dataset contains locations of overburden thickness and information regarding their relative thickness.
Probabilistic patterns of inundation and biogeomorphic changes due to sea-level rise along the northeastern U.S. Atlantic coast
ContextCoastal landscapes evolve in response to sea-level rise (SLR) through a variety of geologic processes and ecological feedbacks. When the SLR rate surpasses the rate at which these processes build elevation and drive lateral migration, inundation is likely.ObjectivesTo examine the role of land cover diversity and composition in landscape...
Lentz, Erika E.; Zeigler, Sara L.; Thieler, E. Robert; Plant, Nathaniel G.Photoperiodic regulation of pituitary thyroid-stimulating hormone and brain deiodinase in Atlantic salmon
Seasonal timing is important for many critical life history events of vertebrates, and photoperiod is often used as a reliable seasonal cue. In mammals and birds, it has been established that a photoperiod-driven seasonal clock resides in the brain and pituitary, and is driven by increased levels of pituitary thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and...
Irachi, Shotaro; Hall, Daniel J.; Fleming, Mitchell S; Maugers, Gersende; Bjornsson, Bjorn; Dufour, Sylvie; Uchida, Katsuhisa; McCormick, Stephen D.Challenges in the interpretation of anticoagulant rodenticide residues and toxicity in predatory and scavenging birds
Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are part of the near billion-dollar rodenticide industry. Numerous studies have documented the presence of ARs in non-target wildlife, with evidence of repeated exposure to second-generation ARs. While birds are generally less sensitive to ARs than target rodent species, in some locations predatory and scavenging...
Rattner, Barnett A.; Harvey, Joel JamesSeasonality of acarological risk of exposure to Borrelia miyamotoi from questing life stages of Ixodes scapularis collected from Wisconsin and Massachusetts, USA
Measures of acarological risk of exposure to Ixodes scapularis-borne disease agents typically focus on nymphs; however, the relapsing fever group spirochete, Borrelia miyamotoi can be transmitted transovarially, and I. scapularis larvae are capable of transmitting B. miyamotoi to their hosts. To quantify the...
Han, Seungeun; Hickling, Graham J.; Ogden, Nicholas H.; Ginsberg, Howard S.; Kobbekaduwa, Vishvapali; Rulison, Eric L.; Beati, Lorenza; Tsao, Jean I.Comparison of anadromous and landlocked Atlantic salmon genomes reveals signatures of parallel and relaxed selection across the northern hemisphere
Most Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) populations follow an anadromous life cycle, spending early life in freshwater, migrating to the sea for feeding and returning to rivers to spawn. At the end of the last ice age ~10,000 years ago, several populations of Atlantic salmon became landlocked. Comparing their genomes to their anadromous...
Kjaerner-Semb, Erik; Edvardsen, Rolf B; Ayllon, Fernando; Vogelsang, Petra; Furmanek, Tomasz; Rubin, Carl Johan; Vaselov, Alexey E.; Nilsen, Tom Ole; McCormick, Stephen D.; Primmer, Craig R; Wargelius, AnnaProcesses influencing marsh elevation change in low- and high-elevation zones of a temperate salt marsh
The movement of salt marshes into uplands and marsh submergence as sea level rises is well documented; however, predicting how coastal marshes will respond to rising sea levels is constrained by a lack of process-based understanding of how various marsh zones adjust to changes in sea level. To assess the way in which salt marsh zones differ in...
Blum, Linda K.; Christian, Robert R.; Cahoon, Donald; Wiberg, Patricia L.Effects of plunge pool configuration on downstream passage survival of juvenile blueback herring
Anadromous alosines are widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Juveniles of this clade are notoriously fragile animals that are at high risk of injury and death associated with passage at hydroelectric facilities. Although turbine mortality is a common concern, conditions encountered when bypassed around these routes may also be hazardous...
Castro-Santos, Theodore R.; Mulligan, Kevin; Kieffer, Micah; Haro, AlexanderSediment budget estimates for a highly impacted embayment with extensive wetland loss
External sediment supply is an important control on wetland morphology and vulnerability to storms, sea-level rise, and land use change. Constraining sediment supply and net budgets is difficult due to multiple timescales of variability in hydrodynamic forcing and suspended-sediment concentrations, as well as the fundamental limitations of...
Chant, Robert; Ralston, David K.; Ganju, Neil Kamal; Pianca, Casia; Simonson, Amy; Cartwright, RichardSource switching maintains dissolved organic matter chemostasis across discharge levels in a large temperate river network
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) helps regulate aquatic ecosystem structure and function. In small streams, DOM concentrations are controlled by transport of terrestrial materials to waterways, and are thus highly variable. As rivers become larger, the River Continuum Concept hypothesizes that internal primary production is an increasingly important...
Hosen, J.D.; Aho, K.S.; Fair, Jennifer Burlingame Hoyle; Kyzivat, E.D.; Matt, S.; Morrison, Jonathan; Stubbins, A.; Weber, L.C.; Yoon, B.; Raymond, P.A.2020 drought in New England
Below average and infrequent rainfall from May through September 2020 led to an extreme hydrologic drought across much of New England, with some areas experiencing a flash drought, reflecting its quick onset. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recorded record-low streamflow and groundwater levels throughout the region. In September, the U.S....
Lombard, Pamela J.; Barclay, Janet R.; McCarthy, Dee-Ann E.Optimization of salt marsh management at the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, Connecticut, through use of structured decision making
Structured decision making is a systematic, transparent process for improving the quality of complex decisions by identifying measurable management objectives and feasible management actions; predicting the potential consequences of management actions relative to the stated objectives; and selecting a course of action that maximizes the total...
Low, Laurel E.; Neckles, Hilary A.; Lyons, James E.; Nagel, Jessica L.; Adamowicz, Susan C.; Mikula, Toni; Vagos, Kristina; Potvin, RichardDevelopment of genetic baseline information to support the conservation and management of wild Brook Trout in North Carolina
Following centuries of declines, there is growing interest in conserving extant wild populations and reintroducing Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) populations of native ancestry. A population genetic baseline can enhance conservation outcomes and promote restoration success. Consequently, it is important to document existing patterns of...
Kazyak, David; Lubinski, Barbara A.; Rash, Jacob M; Johnson, Thomas C; King, Timothy L.Computes estimates of daily survival rate for nest visitation data.
Computes expected coefficients of variation of survival and capture probability for use in the design of capture-recapture-resighting experiments.
Computes "species richness" or total number of species from emperical species abundance distribution data.
USGS hydrographer makes a flood measurement in Tusten, NY
USGS hydrographer Dave Thompson makes a near-peak flood measurement off a bridge at Tenmile River in Tusten, New York.
Scientists find signs of undersea faults off SW Puerto Rico
Locations of multichannel seismic reflection profiles (in black), collected during cruise FA2020-14. The profiles are overlain on colored and shaded multibeam bathymetry, Lidar topography (green and white) and near-shore bathymetry (darker blue), and NOAA coastal relief model (light blue and white). Dashed purple lines – hypothesized faults from the distribution of
...Meagan Gonneea at the Herring River Estuary, Wellfleet, MA
When wetland plants in the northeast emerged this spring, USGS scientists were working from home and unable to start many planned research activities. However, many instruments were already deployed and continued to collect information critical to USGS research. These instruments still need visits occasionally to download data and make sure there aren’t any problems.
...Lesson 11b2: Using the 3DEP BAA – Areas of Interest Project Collector
In this lesson you will learn how to use the USGS areas of interest project collection tool to add your lidar project to the Seasketch Demonstration Site for Federal Mapping Data Acquisition Coordination.
Lesson 1: Introduction to Using The National Map Products and Services
Welcome to the USGS course on Using The National Map Products and Services. This series of videos is focused on The National Map and the variety of products and services that it provides.
Lesson 11b: Using 3DEP BAA Public Areas of Interest Project Collector
In this lesson you will learn how use the public areas of interest project collection tool to add your lidar project to the Seasketch Demonstration Site for Federal Mapping Data Acquisition Coordination.
Adhesion and Cohesion of Water
Adhesion and Cohesion are water properties that affect how water interacts with itself and with other things like leaves and even you! This video briefly talks about these two amazing properties of water.
Biography of Florence Bascom
This video is a brief but informative introduction to the life and work of Florence Bascom, the first woman hired by USGS! It describes the significance of her accomplishments at USGS and the legacy of her work beyond geology. This video was produced by the Florence Bascom Geoscience Center a USGS science center recently renamed in honor of Bascom and organized within the
Red-crowned cranes
Photo Contest Winner | March 2020 | Where We Work
Red-crowned cranes at USGS Wildlife Toxicology site visit to Kushiro Marsh, Japan
Green Infrastructure project West Delavan Ave. Gage
Supervisory Research Hydrologist, Mike McHale taking a volumetric flow measurement in a storm sewer at USGS 425520078535601 West Delavan Avenue, Buffalo, New York, as part of the Green Infrastructure project. (Credit: Michael Antidormi, USGS. Public domain.)
Scientist launches instrument used to map seafloor off Puerto Rico
USGS marine technician Wayne Baldwin prepares to deploy the hydrophone array during a seismic research cruise off the southwest coast of Puerto Rico on board the R/V Sultana in March 2020.

It's always exciting to see features coming in for our new challenges! Almost 100 points have already come in for this challenge. It just goes to show how amazing our volunteers are!

We've launched a new Mapping Challenge! This challenge will focus on City / Town Hall structures in Ohio and West Virginia.

FINISHED!! Our Mapping Challenge for City / Town Hall Structures in the Mid-Atlantic is now complete!

Addressing drought and habitat modification

USGS Microbial Ecologist Charlie Culbertson and Maine DEP Ecologist Jeremy Deeds met with members of the media on Thursday September 5th at Sabattus Pond while sampling for Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs).
Editor’s Note: This story was revised Sept. 10, 2019 to include the later phases of USGS’ response to Hurricane Dorian.
To learn more about USGS’ role providing science to decision makers before, during and after Hurricane Dorian, visit the USGS Hurricane Dorian page at www.usgs.gov/dorian.
USGS scientists look to the past to learn about the future of Florida mangroves
In addition to 10 years of data on the flow of heat in the Arctic ocean seafloor, the USGS and Geological Survey of Canada have published an analysis of that data using modern seismic data.

On July 19, a new journal article from the Cape Cod Toxic Substances Hydrology team was published online in the Journal of Geophysical Research—Biogeosciences. New England WSC co-authors include Denis LeBlanc and Tim McCobb. The study was partly supported by the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources in Daejeon, South Korea.
The U.S. Geological Survey is celebrating the success of eight distinguished researchers who are recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.
Storms and undeveloped coastlines can create and maintain habitat for this species, which is threatened along the Atlantic coast.

On July 9, USGS scientists deployed an advanced monitoring buoy to study water-quality conditions and a harmful algal bloom-HAB-recently detected in Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey.