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Click on the articles below to read about the latest WERC scientific discoveries.

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USGS-led Study: Sediment Management is Key to Preserving Puget Sound's Estuarine Habitats

USGS-led Study: Sediment Management is Key to Preserving Puget Sound's Estuarine Habitats

Rising sea levels and ongoing anthropogenic development continue to threaten estuaries worldwide. New research conducted by USGS alongside state...

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San Francisco Bay Shallow Water Strategic Placement Pilot Project

San Francisco Bay Shallow Water Strategic Placement Pilot Project

The USGS is providing support for an innovative project between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, California Coastal Conservancy, and Port of Redwood...

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Latest science findings from Ocean Ecology Research to be presented at Conferences in February 2024

Latest science findings from Ocean Ecology Research to be presented at Conferences in February 2024

USGS scientists will present findings from their ocean and coastal research at three scientific conferences this February.  USGS research in ocean...

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Amphibians have one more thing to worry about—mercury—large USGS study shows

Amphibians have one more thing to worry about—mercury—large USGS study shows

RESTON, Va. — The first widescale assessment of methylmercury in adult amphibians in the U.S. to date shows that, in amphibians, this toxic compound...

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3 Cool Ways USGS is Studying Bats in National Parks

3 Cool Ways USGS is Studying Bats in National Parks

From the latest wildlife tracking tech to collaboration with recreationalists, USGS scientists and partners are using innovative methods to study bats...

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Annual Southern Sea Otter Census Temporarily Modified

Annual Southern Sea Otter Census Temporarily Modified

The annual rangewide southern sea otter census has been temporarily modified to adapt to limitations that prevented surveys from airplanes in 2021 to...

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Research Spotlight: What Habitat Features Make Duck Nests Vulnerable to Raccoons and Striped Skunks?

Research Spotlight: What Habitat Features Make Duck Nests Vulnerable to Raccoons and Striped Skunks?

Research by USGS scientists finds that predator-specific behaviors can shape where duck nests are most vulnerable in Suisun Marsh, CA. The findings...

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Building maps to help geothermal energy and greater sage-grouse coexist in Nevada’s sagebrush country

Building maps to help geothermal energy and greater sage-grouse coexist in Nevada’s sagebrush country

A U.S. Geological Survey study finds that geothermal energy development contributes to population declines of greater sage-grouse.  A new tool can...

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Saline Lakes Stakeholder Workshop Meeting Materials

Saline Lakes Stakeholder Workshop Meeting Materials

In fall 2022, the Saline Lakes Team held three two-day virtual workshops to identify stakeholder science priorities for the Great Basin terminal lakes...

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New research shows people, wildlife, and marine environment benefit when island-ocean connections are restored

New research shows people, wildlife, and marine environment benefit when island-ocean connections are restored

An international team of researchers has found that restoring and rewilding islands decimated by damaging invasive species benefits coastal and marine...

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USGS Scientists are Authors on New Framework for Seabirds and Offshore Wind Energy

USGS Scientists are Authors on New Framework for Seabirds and Offshore Wind Energy

Scientists from the USGS Western Ecological Research Center (WERC) are authors on a new framework for addressing the impacts of offshore wind farms on...

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Environmental Impacts on Space Use of Mohave Ground Squirrels

Environmental Impacts on Space Use of Mohave Ground Squirrels

Mohave ground squirrels are small rodents native to the western Mojave Desert of California and are listed as threatened under the California...

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