Ecosystems We Study: Freshwater Systems
Managing the world’s freshwater ecosystems including lakes, rivers, and springs, and the water they supply to meet environmental and societal needs in a changing climate is one of the biggest challenges for the 21st century.
Fresh waters are one of the most valuable and threatened resources worldwide. They supply critical services to society and harbor many of the world’s most imperiled species. From seasonal pools to the Great Lakes, freshwater systems play many important roles in the environment such as water purification, providing water for vegetation, and flood prevention. As habitat, wetlands support more than fish, amphibians, and waterfowl. Wetlands provide critical resources for species ranging from moose to bats, and beavers to butterflies.
Oftentimes there is no stark boundary between aquatic and terrestrial systems, and animals, nutrients, and even pollution move freely between them. Rivers also connect the terrestrial landscapes to offshore marine systems. USGS scientists conduct research on the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems; efficacy of various management, conservation, and restoration practices, and how the uses of aquatic ecosystems affect the watershed and its biodiversity.
Freshwater Research
Recent data (2020-2022) related to USGS freshwater research is listed below. A complete listing of USGS freshwater data is available from the button below.
Ecological modeling output for the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir 2020
Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MISS) Multibeam Bathymetry, Hillshades, and Sidescan Image Mosaics; River Velocity and Bed Composition Mapping for Hidden Falls
Geomorphic and ecological effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on coastal Louisiana marsh communities
Ecological modeling output for the Combined Operational Plan, Round 1 in the Greater Everglades, 2018-2019
Recent publications (2020-2022) related to USGS freshwater research are listed below. A complete listing of USGS freshwater publications is available from the button below.
Extent of sedge-grass meadow in a Lake Michigan drowned river mouth wetland dictated by topography and lake level
Interlaboratory comparison of three sediment bioaccumulation tests
Microbial source tracking and evaluation of best management practices for restoring degraded beaches of Lake Michigan
Keeping an eye on water quality from the sky
Functional wetland loss drives emerging risks to waterbird migration networks
Biomass allocation of tidal freshwater marsh species in response to natural and manipulated hydroperiod in coastal deltaic floodplains
Applied citizen science in freshwater research
Identifying factors that affect mountain lake sensitivity to atmospheric nitrogen deposition across multiple scales
Aquatic vegetation dynamics in the Upper Mississippi River over 2 decades spanning vegetation recovery
A science agenda to inform natural resource management decisions in an era of ecological transformation
Riverscape approaches in practice: Perspectives and applications
Expanding freshwater biologger studies to view fish as environmental sensing platforms
Managing the world’s freshwater ecosystems including lakes, rivers, and springs, and the water they supply to meet environmental and societal needs in a changing climate is one of the biggest challenges for the 21st century.
Fresh waters are one of the most valuable and threatened resources worldwide. They supply critical services to society and harbor many of the world’s most imperiled species. From seasonal pools to the Great Lakes, freshwater systems play many important roles in the environment such as water purification, providing water for vegetation, and flood prevention. As habitat, wetlands support more than fish, amphibians, and waterfowl. Wetlands provide critical resources for species ranging from moose to bats, and beavers to butterflies.
Oftentimes there is no stark boundary between aquatic and terrestrial systems, and animals, nutrients, and even pollution move freely between them. Rivers also connect the terrestrial landscapes to offshore marine systems. USGS scientists conduct research on the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems; efficacy of various management, conservation, and restoration practices, and how the uses of aquatic ecosystems affect the watershed and its biodiversity.
Freshwater Research
Recent data (2020-2022) related to USGS freshwater research is listed below. A complete listing of USGS freshwater data is available from the button below.
Ecological modeling output for the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir 2020
Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MISS) Multibeam Bathymetry, Hillshades, and Sidescan Image Mosaics; River Velocity and Bed Composition Mapping for Hidden Falls
Geomorphic and ecological effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on coastal Louisiana marsh communities
Ecological modeling output for the Combined Operational Plan, Round 1 in the Greater Everglades, 2018-2019
Recent publications (2020-2022) related to USGS freshwater research are listed below. A complete listing of USGS freshwater publications is available from the button below.