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
A new framework for guiding management decisions for amphibians in an uncertain future
A new framework for guiding management decisions for amphibians in an uncertain future
USGS Joins the Bird Collision Prevention Alliance to Combat Bird Collisions
USGS Joins the Bird Collision Prevention Alliance to Combat Bird Collisions
Climate change and the global redistribution of biodiversity: are expected range shifts supported by the evidence?
Climate change and the global redistribution of biodiversity: are expected range shifts supported by the evidence?
Publications
U.S. Geological Survey Pollinator Science Strategy, 2025–35—A Review and Look Forward U.S. Geological Survey Pollinator Science Strategy, 2025–35—A Review and Look Forward
This “U.S. Geological Survey Pollinator Science Strategy, 2025–35—A Review and Look Forward” (“Pollinator Science Strategy”) describes the science vision of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to support management, conservation, and policy decisions on animal pollinators and their habitats. As the science arm of the Department of the Interior, the USGS has a primary role in providing...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Great Lakes Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, National Geospatial Technical Operations Center
Foundational science in flight—USGS bird programs support conservation, culture, and a thriving U.S. economy Foundational science in flight—USGS bird programs support conservation, culture, and a thriving U.S. economy
Birds are vital to our economy, ecosystems, and cultural heritage. Investing in bird conservation benefits communities, businesses, and working lands while reinforcing our nation’s legacy of stewardship and biodiversity. By valuing birds, we ensure a richer, healthier, and more vibrant future for all Americans. The USGS leads two national bird monitoring programs Thriving bird...
Imperiled Great Basin terminal lakes: Synthesizing ecological and hydrological science gaps and research needs for waterbird conservation Imperiled Great Basin terminal lakes: Synthesizing ecological and hydrological science gaps and research needs for waterbird conservation
Terminal lakes are declining globally because of human water demands, drought, and climate change. Through literature synthesis and feedback from the resource and conservation community, we review the state of research for terminal lakes in the Great Basin of the United States, which support millions of waterbirds annually, to prioritize ecological and hydrologic information needs. From...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Water Availability and Use Science Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Nevada Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Utah Water Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Saline Lake Ecosystems Integrated Water Availability Assessment
Science
Tracking Data for Spectacled Eiders (Somateria fischeri)
Available here are tracking data of Spectacled Eider, a sea duck species that breeds only in Alaska and Russia and spends the winter exclusively in the Bering Sea. The Alaska breeding population is listed as threatened under provisions of the Endangered Species Act. These data were collected to better understand the winter distribution in the Bering Sea and locate birds for winter aerial surveys...
Tracking Data for Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima)
Available here are tracking data of Common Eider, a sea duck species found across Alaska and the Arctic. Some populations migrate between distant breeding and wintering areas while others are essentially nonmigratory. These data were collected to better understand the migration of the different populations in Alaska and migratory connectivity to adjacent regions, such as Russia.
USGS Alaska Science Center Wildlife Tracking Data Collection
Understanding the short- and long-distance movements of wildlife is critical for a wide variety of ecological research questions and management decisions. Since the mid-1980s, the USGS Alaska Science Center has used information from telemetry devices on wildlife species to determine locations of animals throughout their annual cycles, understand patterns of habitat use, quantify time spent on...