T. Douglas Beard, Jr., Ph.D.
Doug Beard is the Senior Administrator of the National Climate Adaptation Science Center (NCASC) and the head of the broader CASC network, consisting of one national and nine regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers.
Doug Beard is the Senior Administrator of the National Climate Adaptation Science Center (CASC). He previously held the position of Acting Associate Director for the Land Resources Mission Area. In this role, he provided executive level oversight for several programs, including the Land Change Science Program, Land Remote Sensing Program, National Climate Adaptation Science Center, Climate Research and Development Program, Carbon Sequestration assessments, and the Earth Resources Observation and Science Center.
Prior to joining the USGS, Doug served as the program coordinator for the USGS Fisheries: Aquatic and Endangered Resources Program and worked for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as a staff fisheries biologist. Doug holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, a master’s degree in fish and wildlife sciences from Penn State University, and a doctorate in zoology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Science and Products
Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment
Understanding the interplay between biodiversity and climate change is critical for the implementation of effective and lasting solutions to climate change and for maintaining biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people. The USGS was charged by the US Congress in the Fiscal Year 2022 budget with conducting an assessment that characterizes the state of understanding concerning linkages...
“Climate-Smart” Fisheries and Aquaculture to Support Resilient Aquatic Ecosystems in Vietnam
The Vietnamese government has committed to climate mitigation and adaptation in support of the Paris Agreement. Implementation of Vietnam’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to adaptation involves a greater focus on the Mekong River Delta, which is poised to be impacted by sea level rise. Saline intrusion from sea level rise and droughts can affect aquatic ecosystems and the services they p
Informing Mekong River Basin Resiliency and Climate Adaptation
CASC experts are often requested to provide technical assistance to other Federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of State, as well as national and international partners. The U.S. Consulate in Thailand solicited leadership and guidance from the CASCs to help develop community-supported recommendations for increasing resiliency for fishing communities in the Mekong River Basin. Thail
Estimating Global Inland Recreational Consumption to Adapt to Global Change
Inland recreational fishing, defined as primarily leisure-driven fishing in freshwaters, is a popular past-time which can provide substantial contributions to human consumption which are often overlooked at global scales. Here, we aim to establish a baseline of national inland recreational consumption estimates with species specificity to identify the nutritional composition and total use value of
Assessing the State of Global Inland Fisheries
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) documents the status and trends of marine fish stocks that represent approximately 80% of global marine catch. These stocks are routinely monitored, and the FAO assessment describes the extent of exploitation against different reference points - such as underfished, sustainable fished, or overfished. Although inland fisheries, which
Workshops and Collaborations to Improve Biodiversity and Climate Modeling
As our world changes and communities are faced with uncertain future climate conditions, decision making and resource planning efforts can often no longer rely on historic scientific data alone. Scientific projections of what might be expected in the future are increasingly needed across the country and around the world. Scientists and researchers can develop these projections by using computer mo
A Value and Investment Assessment of Marine and Inland Fisheries Globally to Inform Future Resource Management Strategies
Marine and inland fisheries provide substantial economic, nutritional, recreational, and cultural benefits to human populations globally. Though extensive research and management efforts exist to ensure the sustainability of these important resources, many fisheries still face threats including climate change, habitat degradation, and overfishing. The inland fisheries community often cites that le
Understanding and managing for resilience in the face of global change
Resilience science provides a conceptual framework and methodology for quantitatively assessing the ability of a system to remain in a particular state. Probable non-linear ecological responses to global change, including climate change, require a clear framework for understanding and managing resilience. However, much of the resilience research to date has been qualitative in nature, and framewor
Science and Products
Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment
Understanding the interplay between biodiversity and climate change is critical for the implementation of effective and lasting solutions to climate change and for maintaining biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people. The USGS was charged by the US Congress in the Fiscal Year 2022 budget with conducting an assessment that characterizes the state of understanding concerning linkages...
“Climate-Smart” Fisheries and Aquaculture to Support Resilient Aquatic Ecosystems in Vietnam
The Vietnamese government has committed to climate mitigation and adaptation in support of the Paris Agreement. Implementation of Vietnam’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to adaptation involves a greater focus on the Mekong River Delta, which is poised to be impacted by sea level rise. Saline intrusion from sea level rise and droughts can affect aquatic ecosystems and the services they p
Informing Mekong River Basin Resiliency and Climate Adaptation
CASC experts are often requested to provide technical assistance to other Federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of State, as well as national and international partners. The U.S. Consulate in Thailand solicited leadership and guidance from the CASCs to help develop community-supported recommendations for increasing resiliency for fishing communities in the Mekong River Basin. Thail
Estimating Global Inland Recreational Consumption to Adapt to Global Change
Inland recreational fishing, defined as primarily leisure-driven fishing in freshwaters, is a popular past-time which can provide substantial contributions to human consumption which are often overlooked at global scales. Here, we aim to establish a baseline of national inland recreational consumption estimates with species specificity to identify the nutritional composition and total use value of
Assessing the State of Global Inland Fisheries
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) documents the status and trends of marine fish stocks that represent approximately 80% of global marine catch. These stocks are routinely monitored, and the FAO assessment describes the extent of exploitation against different reference points - such as underfished, sustainable fished, or overfished. Although inland fisheries, which
Workshops and Collaborations to Improve Biodiversity and Climate Modeling
As our world changes and communities are faced with uncertain future climate conditions, decision making and resource planning efforts can often no longer rely on historic scientific data alone. Scientific projections of what might be expected in the future are increasingly needed across the country and around the world. Scientists and researchers can develop these projections by using computer mo
A Value and Investment Assessment of Marine and Inland Fisheries Globally to Inform Future Resource Management Strategies
Marine and inland fisheries provide substantial economic, nutritional, recreational, and cultural benefits to human populations globally. Though extensive research and management efforts exist to ensure the sustainability of these important resources, many fisheries still face threats including climate change, habitat degradation, and overfishing. The inland fisheries community often cites that le
Understanding and managing for resilience in the face of global change
Resilience science provides a conceptual framework and methodology for quantitatively assessing the ability of a system to remain in a particular state. Probable non-linear ecological responses to global change, including climate change, require a clear framework for understanding and managing resilience. However, much of the resilience research to date has been qualitative in nature, and framewor
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government