U.S. Department of the Interior
Twenty years ago, ecological studies were often limited by the number of times biologists could find (relocate) their study animals. With the advent and now widespread use of Global Positioning System (GPS)collars, tracking the animals is no longer a primary concern.
During late summer and autumn, Pacific walruses are resting on shore north of the Bering Strait more often and in larger numbers in both the United States and Russia. Historically, walruses rested primarily on floating sea ice over their offshore foraging grounds in this region, but climate warming has reduced availability of sea ice. With greater numbers of walruses gathering on shore, USGS scientists and collabor
Many wildlife species reside in sensitive habitats that make detection and monitoring difficult. For waterfowl, measuring brood production can serve as an early indicator of habitat quality and provide important insight into understanding overall ecosystem drivers.
Conventional, field-based streamflow monitoring in remote, inaccessible locations such as Alaska poses logistical challenges and make remote sensing an appealing alternative means of collecting hydrologic data.
Approximately 2 billion people are expected to experience diminished water supplies because of seasonal snowpack decline this century. Over the last 50 years, particularly in some regions of the western U.S., declines in annual snowpack levels have contributed to reduced streamflow levels, a trend supported by both models and in situ observations (USGS,
USGS researchers in the Water Resources Mission Area are partnering with NASA and the University of Southern California (USC) to measure stream surface velocity using a spectrum of sensors and edge-computing tools carried on Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS).
This project uses aerial imagery collected with Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS, or “drones”) to assess and monitor vegetation at contaminated wetlands and neighboring lands being remediated and restored under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
The western U.S., including California, has experienced extreme weather events that have resulted in catastrophic and deadly fires. These destructive fires have resulted in loss of life and property, and burned through iconic landscapes within the National Park Service (NPS). This ongoing project measures the impact and landscape response of these fires on three national parks in California.
The Department of Interior’s Office of Wildland Fire (OWF), in partnership with the USGS, is conducting evaluations to determine best practices and methodology for data collection of post-fire eve