Fish and Aquatic Species Conservation
Pollinator Conservation
Fish and Wildlife Disease Investigation and Surveillance
Freshwater and Coastal Ecology
Eastern Ecological Science Center
At the USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC), our vision is to be recognized as a world leader in fish, wildlife and associated ecosystem science through scientific excellence and responsiveness to society’s needs.
EESC Cooperative Science with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
EESC Cooperative Science with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
From “blue water” rivers and streams to “green water” marine environments and brackish estuaries in between, EESC and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission are collaborating to bring together local, regional, and national expertise to provide the science that modern fisheries management demands.
EESC Quick Links
EESC Quick Links
Enjoy these quick links to the most requested information about EESC!
News
A new strategy to help unleash USGS eDNA capabilities
A new strategy to help unleash USGS eDNA capabilities
Notes from the Field: American Woodcock Migration
Notes from the Field: American Woodcock Migration
Surviving Migration Through an Urban Landscape! One Songbird’s Journey
Surviving Migration Through an Urban Landscape! One Songbird’s Journey
Publications
Microtopographic variation as a potential early indicator of ecosystem state change and vulnerability in salt marshes
As global climate change alters the magnitude and rates of environmental stressors, predicting the extent of ecosystem degradation driven by these rapidly changing conditions becomes increasingly urgent. At the landscape scale, disturbances and stressors can increase spatial variability and heterogeneity — indicators that can serve as potential early warnings of declining ecosystem resilience. Inc
Identifying the forage base and critical forage taxa for Chesapeake waterbirds
To effectively maximize the conservation value of management plans intended to capture ecosystem-wide health, it is essential to obtain an understanding of emergent patterns in dietary dynamics spanning many species. Chesapeake Bay, USA, is a critical ecosystem used annually by a diverse assortment of waterbird species, including several of conservation concern. However, the ecosystem is threatene
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
Science
New studies reveal ecological importance of fine-scale groundwater connectivity for streams during drought
Stream ecosystems support vital resources that may be jeopardized by climate change and climate stressors such as drought.
Agricultural and Urban Management Practices have Hidden Costs and Benefits to Stream Health
The findings of the study highlight that management practices can have both hidden costs and benefits to fish and macroinvertebrates depending on regional and local factors like how many and what type of management practices are implemented.
Understanding wild waterfowl use of retention ponds at commercial poultry farms – a potential route for avian influenza virus transmission
Retention ponds on commercial poultry farms are used by wild waterfowl, representing a potential pathway for the transmission of avian influenza viruses between waterfowl and farmed poultry. Managing vegetation conditions surrounding ponds may be one way to reduce their use by waterfowl.