Fish & Aquatic Species
Energy & Wildlife
Tools & Technology
Species Management Research Program
The Species Management Research Program provides science that is used by managers, policy makers, and others for decisions that protect, conserve, and enhance healthy fish and wildlife populations across the United States and beyond.
Species We Study
Species We Study
From tiny insects to whales, check out the diversity of plants and animals our scientists study across the world.
Animal Welfare Assurance
Animal Welfare Assurance
The USGS promotes animal welfare and human and animal safety in research, teaching, and training activities.
News
Fridays Findings - June 14, 2024
Fridays Findings - June 14, 2024
A new strategy to help unleash USGS eDNA capabilities
A new strategy to help unleash USGS eDNA capabilities
USGS biologists selected as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2023 Recovery Champions
USGS biologists selected as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2023 Recovery Champions
Publications
Realizing the potential of eDNA biodiversity monitoring tools in the marine environment with application to offshore renewable energy
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researches the biological diversity and distribution of species to support management, conservation, and resource use decisions. USGS scientists advance detection and monitoring technologies to assess changes in fish and wildlife populations, biodiversity, and the health of ecosystems. The United States is planning to install 30 gigawatts of offshore marine and wi
Lead poisoning of raptors: State of the science and cross-discipline mitigation options for a global problem
Lead poisoning is an important global conservation problem for many species of wildlife, especially raptors. Despite the increasing number of individual studies and regional reviews of lead poisoning of raptors, it has been over a decade since this information has been compiled into a comprehensive global review. Here, we summarize the state of knowledge of lead poisoning of raptors, we review dev
Abundance of Long-billed Curlews on military lands in the Columbia Basin
Long-billed Curlews (Numenius americanus) are declining throughout North America, and the loss of grassland breeding habitat is one of the primary threats to the species. Intermountain West, in particular, has been identified as the most important region in North America for breeding curlews. Nevertheless, the density and abundance of Long-billed Curlews in this region is not well understood. Land
Science
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).
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...
Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goat Research in Western National Park Units
Mountain goat and bighorn sheep are iconic symbols of many national lands in the West. Both species have limited distributions that can be difficult to observe and face multiple stressors including disease, increasing recreation in remote areas, and shifting weather regimes that influence their forage and thermoregulation. As species with relatively small population sizes, understanding...