In the winter of 2015, the public noticed thousands of dead seabirds washing ashore across the western coast of the United States and Canada. The USGS linked this massive seabird die-off to the North Pacific Marine Heatwave. A marine heatwave occurs when sea surface temperatures are above normal for an extended period of time.
Marine Biology and Ecosystems
The ocean is home to a wealth of biodiversity - from invisible-to-the-eye microbes to the larger-than-life megafauna - and unique marine habitat, such as deepwater coral reefs, seamounts, and submarine canyons. USGS science helps inform the management and conservation of marine biodiversity and habitats, from the coastlines down to the deepest trench.
Life in the Sea
From the microscopic plants known as phytoplankton that form the basis of the aquatic food web to the largest animal to ever live on Earth, the blue whale, our oceans are home to a wealth of biodiversity and every organism plays a critical role in the structure and function of this expansive marine environment.
Maintaining this biodiversity is important because a healthy ocean provides us with oxygen, helps regulate climate and weather, acts as a source of protein for many people around the world, and provides jobs and opportunities for eco-tourism and recreation. USGS science informs the management and conservation of marine biodiversity and habitats, in both nearshore and deepwater ecosystems.
USGS Role in Marine Ecosystems Research
From the Atlantic to the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico in between, USGS scientists have implemented a multi-faceted offshore research program that weaves together expertise in a variety of disciplines to investigate nearshore and deepwater ecosystems. This interdisciplinary approach relies on a network of partners from around the Nation and the world to examine microbiology, population genetics, paleoecology, food webs, taxonomy, community ecology, physical oceanography, seafloor characteristics, and submarine hazards in the little explored, yet vital, marine ecosystems.
USGS Science in Nearshore Ecosystems
Nearshore systems are the habitats in which most people interact with marine environments, which include seabirds, seagrasses, algae, benthic invertebrates and fish, and top predators that include marine mammals like sharks, sea otters, walruses, and even polar bears. USGS research addresses natural and human-induced changes to this ecosystem and all its components.
Exploring Deep-sea Ecosystems
Most life in the ocean exists in surface waters above 200 meters depth where they have access to sunlight. However, even below 200 meters, where little to no sunlight reaches, temperatures drop, and pressure increases, abundant life exists. A diversity of organisms, including fishes, crustaceans, cephalopods, anemones, sea stars, microbes, and even corals make their home in the deep sea. These organisms reside on topographically complex terrain mirroring our terrestrial landscape, dotted with features like trenches, seamounts, canyons, and volcanoes. They also leave behind fossils that help geoscientists construct models of ancient ocean conditions and Earth’s geologic history, as shown in the schematic below.
Life at the Bottom of the Ocean
The mention of the seafloor may evoke thoughts of a deep, dark expanse of nothing, but the often-assumed void of life in the deep sea couldn’t be further from the truth. Even with the lack of sunlight, an average temperature of 4 degrees Celsius, and extreme pressures that an unprotected human could not survive, the deep sea is brimming with biodiversity, including deep-sea corals. The DISCOVRE (DIversity, Systematics and COnnectivity of Vulnerable Reef Ecosystems) program investigates unique and fragile deep-sea coral environments from the microscopic level to the ecosystem level. The multi-disciplinary approach has enhanced our understanding of the structure and function of significant biological communities surrounding deep coral reefs off the United States’ coasts.
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
California Deepwater Investigations and Groundtruthing (Cal DIG) I, volume 3 — Benthic habitat characterization offshore Morro Bay, California
Estimating species misclassification with occupancy dynamics and encounter rates: A semi-supervised, individual-level approach
Evaluation of MPA designs that protect highly mobile megafauna now and under climate change scenarios
Surface ocean warming and acidification driven by rapid carbon release precedes Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum
Science
California Sea Otter Surveys and Research
Walrus Research
North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database
Polar Bear Research
Pacific Marine Heatwave
Multimedia
In the winter of 2015, the public noticed thousands of dead seabirds washing ashore across the western coast of the United States and Canada. The USGS linked this massive seabird die-off to the North Pacific Marine Heatwave. A marine heatwave occurs when sea surface temperatures are above normal for an extended period of time.
Illustrates where Common Eiders were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Common Eiders were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Four Tufted Puffins on the water, near their breeding colony at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Four Tufted Puffins on the water, near their breeding colony at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Zoomed image of a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface.
Zoomed image of a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface.
Illustrates where Pelagic Cormorants were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Pelagic Cormorants were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Tufted Puffins were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking
Illustrates where Tufted Puffins were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking
Illustrates where Northern Fulmars were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Northern Fulmars were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Timing is Everything: How Fish and Wildlife are Responding to Climate Change Through Shifts in the Timing of Life Events
Timing is Everything: How Fish and Wildlife are Responding to Climate Change Through Shifts in the Timing of Life Events
News
A new strategy to help unleash USGS eDNA capabilities
What's in a Sea Otter's Microbiome?
Video on the North Pacific Marine Heatwave
Effects of sea ice decline and summer land use on polar bear home range size in the Beaufort Sea
Evaluation of satellite imagery for monitoring Pacific walruses at a large coastal haulout
Iñupiaq knowledge of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea, Alaska
Rigorously valuing the impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria on coastal hazard risks in Florida and Puerto Rico
Energetic and health effects of protein overconsumption constrain dietary adaptation in an apex predator
Response of forage plants to alteration of temperature and spring thaw date: Implications for geese in a warming Arctic
Diffusion modeling reveals effects of multiple release sites and human activity on a recolonizing apex predator
Translocations maintain genetic diversity and increase connectivity in sea otters, Enhydra lutris
Sea otter predator avoidance behavior
Sea turtles across the North Pacific are exposed to perfluoroalkyl substances
Characterization of deep-sea coral and sponge communities in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary: Point Arena South Essential Fish Habitat Conservation Area and New Amendment 28 Areas
Variability of lipids and fatty acids in Pacific walrus blubber
Eastern Ecological Science Center partnership with Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
CASC Fish Research
Ecological and Socio-Cultural Responses to Transplanting Corals to Enhance Reef Resilience Near Oʻahu
Increasing Tribal Climate Adaptive Capacity for Coastal Resources in the Northeast
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Geologic Mapping
Tracking Data for Tufted Puffins (Fratercula cirrhata)
USGS Role in DEEP SEARCH: Deep Sea Exploration to Advance Research on Coral, Canyon, and Cold-seep Habitats
Tracking Data for Pelagic Cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus)
Marbled Murrelet Surveys off the Central California Coast
A Novel Monitoring Framework to Assess Intertidal Biodiversity in Mixed Coarse Substrate Habitats Across the Boston Harbor Islands
Examining How Ridge-to-Reef Governance in Palau Can Enhance Coastal Food Security in a Changing Climate
Fine-Scale Dive Profiles and Activity Patterns of Sea Turtles in the Gulf of Mexico
A healthy coral reef in the Tumon Bay Marine Preserve off Tumon, Guam, showing a number of different species of fish swimming over a high coral cover reef composed of a number of hard and soft coral species.
A healthy coral reef in the Tumon Bay Marine Preserve off Tumon, Guam, showing a number of different species of fish swimming over a high coral cover reef composed of a number of hard and soft coral species.
Photograph of the seafloor off the California coast showing coarse sand, shells, and a sunflower sea star. It was taken during a "ground-truthing" survey off of Salt Point, California, in support of the California Seafloor Mapping Program.
Photograph of the seafloor off the California coast showing coarse sand, shells, and a sunflower sea star. It was taken during a "ground-truthing" survey off of Salt Point, California, in support of the California Seafloor Mapping Program.
Hawaiian green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) with fibropapillomatosis
Hawaiian green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) with fibropapillomatosis
Hawaiian green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) with fibropapillomatosis
Hawaiian green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) with fibropapillomatosis
The ocean is home to a wealth of biodiversity - from invisible-to-the-eye microbes to the larger-than-life megafauna - and unique marine habitat, such as deepwater coral reefs, seamounts, and submarine canyons. USGS science helps inform the management and conservation of marine biodiversity and habitats, from the coastlines down to the deepest trench.
Life in the Sea
From the microscopic plants known as phytoplankton that form the basis of the aquatic food web to the largest animal to ever live on Earth, the blue whale, our oceans are home to a wealth of biodiversity and every organism plays a critical role in the structure and function of this expansive marine environment.
Maintaining this biodiversity is important because a healthy ocean provides us with oxygen, helps regulate climate and weather, acts as a source of protein for many people around the world, and provides jobs and opportunities for eco-tourism and recreation. USGS science informs the management and conservation of marine biodiversity and habitats, in both nearshore and deepwater ecosystems.
USGS Role in Marine Ecosystems Research
From the Atlantic to the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico in between, USGS scientists have implemented a multi-faceted offshore research program that weaves together expertise in a variety of disciplines to investigate nearshore and deepwater ecosystems. This interdisciplinary approach relies on a network of partners from around the Nation and the world to examine microbiology, population genetics, paleoecology, food webs, taxonomy, community ecology, physical oceanography, seafloor characteristics, and submarine hazards in the little explored, yet vital, marine ecosystems.
USGS Science in Nearshore Ecosystems
Nearshore systems are the habitats in which most people interact with marine environments, which include seabirds, seagrasses, algae, benthic invertebrates and fish, and top predators that include marine mammals like sharks, sea otters, walruses, and even polar bears. USGS research addresses natural and human-induced changes to this ecosystem and all its components.
Exploring Deep-sea Ecosystems
Most life in the ocean exists in surface waters above 200 meters depth where they have access to sunlight. However, even below 200 meters, where little to no sunlight reaches, temperatures drop, and pressure increases, abundant life exists. A diversity of organisms, including fishes, crustaceans, cephalopods, anemones, sea stars, microbes, and even corals make their home in the deep sea. These organisms reside on topographically complex terrain mirroring our terrestrial landscape, dotted with features like trenches, seamounts, canyons, and volcanoes. They also leave behind fossils that help geoscientists construct models of ancient ocean conditions and Earth’s geologic history, as shown in the schematic below.
Life at the Bottom of the Ocean
The mention of the seafloor may evoke thoughts of a deep, dark expanse of nothing, but the often-assumed void of life in the deep sea couldn’t be further from the truth. Even with the lack of sunlight, an average temperature of 4 degrees Celsius, and extreme pressures that an unprotected human could not survive, the deep sea is brimming with biodiversity, including deep-sea corals. The DISCOVRE (DIversity, Systematics and COnnectivity of Vulnerable Reef Ecosystems) program investigates unique and fragile deep-sea coral environments from the microscopic level to the ecosystem level. The multi-disciplinary approach has enhanced our understanding of the structure and function of significant biological communities surrounding deep coral reefs off the United States’ coasts.
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
California Deepwater Investigations and Groundtruthing (Cal DIG) I, volume 3 — Benthic habitat characterization offshore Morro Bay, California
Estimating species misclassification with occupancy dynamics and encounter rates: A semi-supervised, individual-level approach
Evaluation of MPA designs that protect highly mobile megafauna now and under climate change scenarios
Surface ocean warming and acidification driven by rapid carbon release precedes Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum
Science
California Sea Otter Surveys and Research
Walrus Research
North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database
Polar Bear Research
Pacific Marine Heatwave
Multimedia
In the winter of 2015, the public noticed thousands of dead seabirds washing ashore across the western coast of the United States and Canada. The USGS linked this massive seabird die-off to the North Pacific Marine Heatwave. A marine heatwave occurs when sea surface temperatures are above normal for an extended period of time.
In the winter of 2015, the public noticed thousands of dead seabirds washing ashore across the western coast of the United States and Canada. The USGS linked this massive seabird die-off to the North Pacific Marine Heatwave. A marine heatwave occurs when sea surface temperatures are above normal for an extended period of time.
Illustrates where Common Eiders were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Common Eiders were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Four Tufted Puffins on the water, near their breeding colony at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Four Tufted Puffins on the water, near their breeding colony at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Zoomed image of a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface.
Zoomed image of a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) breaking the surface.
Illustrates where Pelagic Cormorants were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Pelagic Cormorants were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Tufted Puffins were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking
Illustrates where Tufted Puffins were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking
Illustrates where Northern Fulmars were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Illustrates where Northern Fulmars were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.
Timing is Everything: How Fish and Wildlife are Responding to Climate Change Through Shifts in the Timing of Life Events
Timing is Everything: How Fish and Wildlife are Responding to Climate Change Through Shifts in the Timing of Life Events
News
A new strategy to help unleash USGS eDNA capabilities
What's in a Sea Otter's Microbiome?
Video on the North Pacific Marine Heatwave
Effects of sea ice decline and summer land use on polar bear home range size in the Beaufort Sea
Evaluation of satellite imagery for monitoring Pacific walruses at a large coastal haulout
Iñupiaq knowledge of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea, Alaska
Rigorously valuing the impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria on coastal hazard risks in Florida and Puerto Rico
Energetic and health effects of protein overconsumption constrain dietary adaptation in an apex predator
Response of forage plants to alteration of temperature and spring thaw date: Implications for geese in a warming Arctic
Diffusion modeling reveals effects of multiple release sites and human activity on a recolonizing apex predator
Translocations maintain genetic diversity and increase connectivity in sea otters, Enhydra lutris
Sea otter predator avoidance behavior
Sea turtles across the North Pacific are exposed to perfluoroalkyl substances
Characterization of deep-sea coral and sponge communities in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary: Point Arena South Essential Fish Habitat Conservation Area and New Amendment 28 Areas
Variability of lipids and fatty acids in Pacific walrus blubber
Eastern Ecological Science Center partnership with Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
CASC Fish Research
Ecological and Socio-Cultural Responses to Transplanting Corals to Enhance Reef Resilience Near Oʻahu
Increasing Tribal Climate Adaptive Capacity for Coastal Resources in the Northeast
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Geologic Mapping
Tracking Data for Tufted Puffins (Fratercula cirrhata)
USGS Role in DEEP SEARCH: Deep Sea Exploration to Advance Research on Coral, Canyon, and Cold-seep Habitats
Tracking Data for Pelagic Cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus)
Marbled Murrelet Surveys off the Central California Coast
A Novel Monitoring Framework to Assess Intertidal Biodiversity in Mixed Coarse Substrate Habitats Across the Boston Harbor Islands
Examining How Ridge-to-Reef Governance in Palau Can Enhance Coastal Food Security in a Changing Climate
Fine-Scale Dive Profiles and Activity Patterns of Sea Turtles in the Gulf of Mexico
A healthy coral reef in the Tumon Bay Marine Preserve off Tumon, Guam, showing a number of different species of fish swimming over a high coral cover reef composed of a number of hard and soft coral species.
A healthy coral reef in the Tumon Bay Marine Preserve off Tumon, Guam, showing a number of different species of fish swimming over a high coral cover reef composed of a number of hard and soft coral species.
Photograph of the seafloor off the California coast showing coarse sand, shells, and a sunflower sea star. It was taken during a "ground-truthing" survey off of Salt Point, California, in support of the California Seafloor Mapping Program.
Photograph of the seafloor off the California coast showing coarse sand, shells, and a sunflower sea star. It was taken during a "ground-truthing" survey off of Salt Point, California, in support of the California Seafloor Mapping Program.
Hawaiian green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) with fibropapillomatosis
Hawaiian green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) with fibropapillomatosis
Hawaiian green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) with fibropapillomatosis
Hawaiian green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) with fibropapillomatosis