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Field sampling
Collecting pieces or specimens or making measurements or observations at determined intervals or areas. Results may be used as representative of the whole research area or population.
Subtopics:
Animal tracking (12 items)
Capturing (animals) (12 items)
Drilling and coring (16 items)
Plant and animal tagging (5 items)
Plot sampling (2 items)
Sexing (plants & animals) (2 items)
Specimen collecting (10 items)
Transect sampling (1 items)
Water sampling (42 items)

Fish inventories (6 items)
Results 1 - 105 of 105 listed by similarity [list alphabetically]
PDF Illustrated field guide for assessing external and internal anomalies in fish [New Window]
Links to PDF version of the field guide.
Field Conference on Impacts of Coalbed Methane Development in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming. [New Window]
Field trip to Powder River Basin coalbed methane (CBM) development areas showing impacts related to drilling, facilities, pipeline networks, access roads, withdrawal, and disposal of co-produced water from CBM wells.
Field manual of wildlife diseases: general field procedures and diseases of birds [New Window]
Manual listing field procedures for bird specimen collecting, bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and viral diseases, biotoxins, chemical toxins, common and scientific names of birds, and glossary. Manual can be downloaded or viewed in PDF format.
Field methods: capture and marking of pintails [New Window]
Method of tracking pintail ducks by capturing with rocket nets or swim-in traps and attaching telemetry devices that allow satellite tracking. Includes video of rocket nets.
PDF Lake monitoring field manual [New Window]
Handbook on monitoring methods for lake management, including program design, sampling methods and protocol, biota and chemical sampling methods, laboratory methods, preservation of data and samples, glossary, and bibliography. (PDF file, 92 pp.)
National field manual for the collection of water-quality data [New Window]
Field manual (also available in PDF and paper formats) with instructions on techniques to collect and process water samples and to perform measurements of temperature, oxygen content, conductance, pH, turbidity, and fecal contaminants.
Seabed Observation and Sampling System (SEABOSS) [New Window]
Link to PDF fact sheet describing the SEABASS system that collects seabed images and sediment samples in coastal regions.
Vegetation sampling and classification of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Cades Cove and Mount Le Conte quadrangles): final report [New Window]
Report of a pilot study to classify vegetation communities in parts of the Smoky Mountains National Park by sampling vegetation in selected areas with information on field methods and data analysis and lists of communities identified.
Agricultural chemicals [New Window]
Overview of the Toxic Substances Hydrology Program role in investigating the occurrence and fate of agricultural chemicals with links to investigations, headlines, on-line fact sheets, new publications, bibliographies and photo gallery.
Amargosa Desert research site [New Window]
Online reports, site description and photographs of the Amargosa Desert research site monitoring low level radioactive waste.
Apoidea -- Bees and Sphecid Wasps [New Window]
Guide to the identification, biology, and ecology of bees and sphecid wasps, mostly in eastern North America.
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 1002 Area, petroleum assessment, 1998, including economic analysis [New Window]
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) 1002 area's petroleum resource assessment. Text available in PDF and HTML formats.
Arsenic in ground water of the United States [New Window]
Information on arsenic in United States ground water largely as a result of minerals dissolving from weathered rocks and soils. Includes links to publications, data, maps, and links to other sites with information on arsenic.
Avian Influenza: Information and on-going research at the USGS Alaska Science Center [New Window]
Maps and information about potential spread of avian influenza in migratory birds in Alaska. Includes descriptions and photos of the waterfowl that are being monitored.
Bat research in California [New Window]
Brief review of bat research in the San Francisco Bay area and southern California providing land managers with information on the occurrence and status of bat species with links to bat inventories for California and related material.
Bedrock and soil geochemistry from Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota [New Window]
Maps and text (Word or PDF format) and database (Excel or HTML format) for bedrock, forest floor, and mineral soil sampling in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota to establish the background and baseline geochemistry and terrestrial mercury sources.
Biogeochemical and geohydrologic processes in a landfill-impacted alluvial aquifer, Norman, Oklahoma [New Window]
Discussion and links to research for the multi-disciplinary investigation on the Norman Landfill located on alluvium associated with the Canadian River in central Oklahoma.
Biosolids, Animal Manure, and Earthworms: Is There a Connection? [New Window]
Research findings and examples of application to real problems--how household contaminants accumulate in and effect the environment
Bird Banding Laboratory: the North American Bird Banding Program [New Window]
Bird banding is used to study the movement, survival and behavior of birds. The Bird Banding Laboratory Site has links to the value, procedure and history of bird banding, how to report bird bands (English & Spanish), and resources for birders.
PDF Buck Island Reef National Monument Sea Turtle Research Program: Sea turtle nesting research & monitoring protocols manual [New Window]
Manual for research program on the nesting habits of sea turtles of the Virgin Islands, with descriptions of species, nesting behavior, observation methods, record keeping, tagging, and tissue sample collection. (PDF file, 121 pp.)
Climate-Driven Ocean Changes Affect Estuaries [New Window]
Research findings and examples of application to real problems--Pacific Ocean cooling triggers phytoplankton blooms in San Francisco Bay.
Core Research Center [New Window]
Overview of the Core Research Center (CRC) in Denver for preserving valuable rock cores for permanent storage and making the cores available for examination and testing. Includes links to services, well reports, and resources.
Detecting Amphibian-Killing Fungus Helps Scientists Study Amphibian Declines [New Window]
Research findings and examples of application to real problems--a new method to track down amphibian disease in the environment.
Discovery for Recovery: an International Pintail Recovery Initiative (Pinsat) [New Window]
Using satellite telemetry and field studies to track pintail ducks during spring migration north from California's Central Valley plus pintails in New Mexico and Texas. Includes links to migration maps, journal, duck calls, and field methods.
Dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) of the United States [New Window]
Manual on dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata), with links to photo thumbnails, checklists, distribution maps, and other Odonata information.
Drilling technique [New Window]
Brief description of the coring system and crew used to obtain cores for geological research in the Eastern Region as one of the specialized capabilities of USGS teams.
Earthworms of North Dakota [New Window]
Species maps, aggregate map, earthworm diagram, species photos, and bibliography of earthworm species found in North Dakota
PDF Effects of wastewater on forested wetlands [New Window]
Study of the effects of the practice of cycling municipal nutrient-enriched wastewater from holding ponds through forested wetlands. Studies were in the Cypiere Perdue Swamp, Louisiana, and the Drummond Bog, Wisconsin.
Electronic Natural History Museum (ENHM): the world of natural history on your computer [New Window]
The Electronic Natural History Museum Project is a collaborative effort among government agencies, natural history collections and museums, and universities for providing access to data on specimens in natural history museum collections.
Flying by Night: USGS Scientists Put Technology to Work on Bats [New Window]
Short description of techniques used to monitor migration patterns and behavior of bats in New Mexico.
Forum on Wildlife Telemetry - Innovations, Evaluations, and Research Needs [New Window]
Papers from Forum on Wildlife Telemetry, Snowmass Village, CO, 1997 about innovations in transmitting and receiving systems, attachment techniques, collection of data using telemetry, data processing and analysis. Available as *.zip file to download.
Great Lakes Science Center research vessels [New Window]
Description of ships used for Great Lakes research by scientists at the Great Lakes Science Center.
Ground-water monitoring for pesticides in Wyoming [New Window]
Sampling program to determine if pesticides are present in ground water, in accordance with Wyoming's Generic State Management Plan for Pesticides in Ground Water (SMP).
Information on fossils and fossil collecting [New Window]
Links to general interest publications, special references, and other sources for fossil and fossil collecting information.
Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) [New Window]
Description of research program for immediate and long-term management of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) inhabiting the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Includes links to reports in PDF format and cooperating organizations.
Johnson Creek basin hydrologic monitoring [New Window]
Hydrologic data and analyses of surface-water, water quality, and ground water in the Johnson Creek basin in Oregon.
Lake Clark sockeye salmon research projects [New Window]
Summary of research on salmon fish resources in the Lake Clark area in Alaska with links to scientific projects, Native Alaskan intern program, lake core analysis, radio telemetry, genetics, subsistence fishing, and research staff.
Marine aggregate resources and processes [New Window]
Regional studies mapping the seafloor sedimentary character and assessing marine sand and gravel resources around the United States, to inform beach nourishment and coastal restoration, benthic habitat and sediment transport studies
Mercury Concentrations in Streams Found to Go Through Daily Cycles [New Window]
Research findings and examples of application to real problems--highly variable conditions cause the production of toxic methyl mercury in the environment which accumulates in fish.
Mercury in stream ecosystems - publications [New Window]
Publications dealing with the occurrence, methods of monitoring, and changes in the concentration of mercury within streams and nearby areas
Methow River Basin [New Window]
Description of studies conducted to evaluate the surface water, ground water, water interactions, and water quality of Methow River Basin in Washington. With links to related science topics, datasets, maps, project summaries, and news.
Midcontinent Agricultural Chemical Research Program [New Window]
Homepage for the research on occurrence, movement, flux, fate, and effects of agricultural chemicals, such as pesticides, in 25 states by the Midcontinent Agricultural Chemical Research Project (MACRP) with links to study results and publications.
Monitoring grizzly bear populations using DNA [New Window]
Description of project monitoring the status of Greater Glacier National Park Area's grizzly bear and black bear populations using genetic techniques on DNA from bear hair or scats without handling bears, with photos and discussion of methods.
Multielement geochemical dataset of surficial materials for the northern Great Basin [New Window]
This report presents geochemical data generated during mineral and environmental assessments for the Bureau of Land Management in northern Nevada, northeastern California, southeastern Oregon, and southwestern Idaho, along with metadata and maps.
NPElement: A database of lichen elemental concentrations in the U.S. national parks [New Window]
Database providing concentration of heavy metals, nutrients, and trace elements in 75 species of lichens sampled in 43 national park units in 24 states.
National Ice Core Laboratory [New Window]
The U.S. National Ice Core Laboratory (NICL) is a facility in the Denver Federal Center, Colorado, for long-term storage, curating, and studying ice cores recovered from the polar regions of the world with information on public tours.
National Petroleum Reserve Alaska Legacy Data Archive [New Window]
Access is provided to seismic data, image files of seismic data, well logs, and cores of petroleum reserves in Alaska from the National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska, and (NPRA) Legacy Data Archive.
National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN) [New Window]
Homepage for description of the National Stream Quality Network (NASQAN), a long-term program monitoring the concentrations and flux of sediment and chemicals in the Nation's largest rivers (Mississippi, Columbia, Colorado, Rio Grande, and Yukon).
National Water Quality Laboratory [New Window]
The National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) is a full-service laboratory that specializes in environmental analytical chemistry and has a primary role to develop new analytical methods. Links to directory, publications, and standards.
National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program: protocols for the analysis of algal samples collected [New Window]
Summary of protocols describing procedures for laboratory analysis of algae samples collected by the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA). Includes full document to be downloaded in PDF format.
National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program: reconstructed trends national synthesis study. [New Window]
Program to compile data from the National Water-Quality Assessment Program study units to study national trends with links to sediment coring sites, video on Salt Lake City, study units identification, and publications.
National Water-Quality Assessment data warehouse [New Window]
Data warehouse for national water quality program with links to chemical, biological, and physical data for water, sediment and animal tissues, nutrient, pesticide, and VOC levels, streamflow, and ground water levels from national study units.
National assessment of mercury in aquatic ecosystems [New Window]
Overview of three research programs including determining levels of mercury at selected sites in water, sediment and fish, mercury emissions into the atmosphere, and mercury cycling in the Everglades National Park, Florida.
National assessment of volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in water resources of the United States [New Window]
Links to online data retrieval, information on MTBE and gasoline oxygenates, VOCs analysis, VOC publications, news features, and featured online publications.
Nitrate in ground water near La Pine, Oregon [New Window]
Description of project studying hydrologic and chemical processes that affect the movement and fate of nitrogen within the shallow aquifers of the La Pine region of central Oregon.
Nonindigenous aquatic species alert system [New Window]
Reports indicating locations where non-indigenous aquatic organisms have been collected. Includes RSS feed you can subscribe to.
North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) [New Window]
North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is a cooperative program that monitors the status and trends of North American bird populations. Includes files of results, analyses, route collection maps and raw data.
North Dakota furtakers: educational manual [New Window]
Trapping education manual for the beginning or inexperienced trapper intended to provide information on North Dakota's predators and furbearing animals and the basics on how to trap them using good trapping skills and sound fur management.
Occurrence of selected radionuclides in ground water used for drinking water in the United States [New Window]
Results (*.pdf) of a 1998 targeted reconnaissance survey on the sources of radium, polonium, and lead radionuclides, data collection and laboratory methods, existing occurrences in drinking water, risk assessments, and compliance monitoring.
Oculina Bank - geology of a deep-water coral reef habitat off Florida [New Window]
Brief report on sidescan sonar data, sediment sampling, and submersible and video photography studies of destruction of deep-water coral pinnacles where fish spawn off east-central Florida in the Oculina Bank in order to restore and protect the habitat.
Organic metamorphism in the California petroleum basins: Chapter A - ROCK-EVAL and vitrinite reflectance [New Window]
Part A of a complex report on the results of ROCK-EVAL and vitrinite reflectance analysis of a large sample base from more than 70 wells located in three oil-rich California petroleum basins in order to study the formation of oil deposits.
Organic metamorphism in the California petroleum basins: Chapter B - Insights from extractable bitumen and saturated hydrocarbons [New Window]
Part B of a complex report on the results of geochemical analysis of 75 shale samples from the Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Joaquin Basins to gather observations relevant to exploration regarding the formation of oil deposits in these basins.
Pathways of metal transfer from mineralized sources to bioreceptors [New Window]
A synthesis of the Mineral Resources Program's past and future research directions in the western U.S. on metal contamination due to mineral deposits and mining and the environmental effects on living organisms. Chapters 1, 4, and 6 as PDF files.
Pesticide National Synthesis Project: national assessment of pesticides in streams, rivers, and ground water of the United States [New Window]
Homepage for the Pesticide National Synthesis Project, an assessment of pesticides in national water resources, with links to national reports, national statistics, national data, pesticide use, analytical strategy, and standards for the U.S.
Pesticides in Midwestern rivers, 1989-2002 [New Window]
Overview of aspects of research on pesticides and herbicides in Midwestern rivers with collection of data, results over a period of time, online publications, and bibliography.
Photographs of the Picher Mining District (Ottawa County, Oklahoma) [New Window]
Description and photos related to the Picher Mining District in Oklahoma, once a primary U.S. source of lead and zinc and now the largest superfund site in the U.S. with millions of cubic yards of mine tailings (locally known as "chat") remaining.
Polar Bear research at the Alaska Science Center [New Window]
Ecological studies of polar bears including population dynamics, dependence on sea ice, and tracking methods.
Radio tracking manatees to assess the impact of hydrologic changes in southwest Florida [New Window]
Report on the Sirenia Project use of a radio tracking study to determine manatee movement patterns and habitat to develop ecological models to understand and predict the effects of hydrologic restoration on manatees in Southwest Florida.
Radio-tracking amphibians: lessons from implant and external attachment procedures [New Window]
Paper from Forum on Wildlife Telemetry, Snowmass Village, CO, 1997, describes technique for implanting radio-transmitters for tracking amphibians such as frogs with telemetry.
Real-time water-quality monitoring and regression analysis to estimate nutrient and bacteria concentration in Kansas streams. [New Window]
Report on the use of regression equations from measurements made by water quality monitors and analytical results of manually collected samples estimating nutrient, bacteria, and other constituent concentrations to study streams in Kansas.
Reservoir sediment studies in Kansas [New Window]
Report of completed reservoir sediment studies in Kansas using a combination of bathymetric surveying, sediment coring, chemical analysis, and statistical analysis to understand the quantity and quality of deposited sediment.
Resources for banders [New Window]
Links to bird banding manual, banding associations, equipment and suppliers, bibliography, band size lookup, recapture database, bander services, aging and sexing birds, longevity records, Canadian atlas of bird banding and other resources.
Reston Chlorofluorocarbon Laboratory [New Window]
Site on the Chlorofluorocarbon Laboratory and its analytical services for CFCs, sulfur hexafluoride, dissolved gases including nitrogen, argon, methane, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and helium, and tritium/helium-3 dating.
Scientific drilling in Long Valley, California: What will we learn? [New Window]
Description of 1998 drilling project at Long Valley Exploratory Well located on Long Valley Caldera's resurgent dome to monitor changing conditions beneath the dome. (Document in PDF format.)
Source Water-Quality Assessment [New Window]
Characterize the quality of selected rivers and aquifers used as a source of supply to community water systems in the United States to determine the occurrence of about 280 primary unregulated anthropogenic organic compounds.
PDF Summary and analysis of the U.S. government bat banding program [New Window]
Analysis of the program with a detailed study of the best collection of data available from it. Includes recommendations for future studies of bats.
Summary of suspended-sediment concentration data, San Francisco Bay, California, water year 2000 [New Window]
Suspended-sediment concentration data were collected in San Francisco Bay during water year 2000 using optical backscatterance sensors and water samples. This report presents the data-collection methods, data, and calibration plots.
PDF Surveillance for asian H5N1 avian influenza in the United States [New Window]
General description of US government efforts to monitor the occurrence of highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild migratory birds.
Survival of adult female northern pintails in Sacramento Valley, California [New Window]
Report on the population of northern pintails between 1979 and the 1990s in Sacramento Valley, California, including methods of study including radio telemetry, causes of mortality, morphometrics, survival rates, and management implications.
Taming of a wild research well in Yellowstone National Park during November 1992 [New Window]
A valve failed in a research well, causing an uncontrolled eruption of steam and hot water. Video program shows technical problems encountered in controlling and capping the well.
The USGS role in Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) assessments [New Window]
Detailed information on Total Maximum Daily Load, the total quantity of a pollutant that a stream can carry and still conform to water quality standards, used as a measurement in the monitoring, assessment, and remediation of polluted waters.
The challenges of capturing and tagging manatees along west coastal Florida [New Window]
Description of method of capturing and tagging manatees in western Florida for tracking by satellite telemetry. Presented at a forum on telemetry.
The whooping crane report [New Window]
Report on the captive breeding program at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center to help save endangered whooping cranes. Site links to natural history information on whooping cranes, why they are endangered, cool facts on cranes, and a photo gallery.
Toxic Substances Hydrology Program [New Window]
Homepage for the Toxic Substances Hydrology Program, which provides scientific information on contaminated sites and on human and environmental health. Links to news, topical information, investigations, meetings, publications, and photos.
PDF Toxicity and bioavailability of metals in the Missouri River adjacent to a lead refinery [New Window]
Report (PDF format) on an evaluation of the potential environmental impacts of contaminated ground water from a metals refinery adjacent to the Missouri River in Omaha, Nebraska testing water and sediments for contaminants and toxicity.
Tualatin River basin water quality assessment [New Window]
Overview of project assessing water quality of the Tualatin River basin near Portland, Oregon with links to reports on chemical and nutrient levels and selected data on streamflow, water temperature, weather and precipitation.
U.S. Gulf of Mexico Shoreline Change [New Window]
Interactive map of the Gulf of Mexico coast reflecting shoreline changes.
USGS East-coast sediment analysis: analysis, procedures, database and georeferenced displays [New Window]
Grain-size analysis of marine sediments of the U.S. eastern coast with sampling and lab methods, surficial sediment database in three formats (Excel, Dbase IV, ASCII), and use of geographic mapping tools for visualizing sediment data layers.
Using strip-transect aerial surveys to estimate manatee abundance in the Ten Thousand Islands region of southwest Florida [New Window]
Report on use of strip-transect aerial surveys to obtain minimum manatee counts and distribution information in area of Ten Thousand Islands, Florida, with maps, diagrams, and information on method and results.
Water co-produced with coalbed methane in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming: preliminary compositional data [New Window]
Compositional data on water from 47 CBM wells sampled in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming. Data on major, minor, and trace elements are included.
Water quality of San Francisco Bay [New Window]
Thirty year database of water-quality data, visual data displays, and project information on the San Francisco Bay directed towards following and understanding changes in the water quality of San Francisco Bay.
Water quality of San Francisco Bay - database entrance [New Window]
This section of the San Francisco Bay website allows the extraction, tabulation, and downloading of specific subsets of water-quality data collected by the USGS creating either HTML formatted tables of data or comma delimited ASCII files.
Water quality well sites in New Jersey [New Window]
Map of New Jersey showing the locations of all well sites where ground water-quality data exists in the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) database.
Water resources for Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C. [New Window]
USGS water resources home page with links to detailed hydrologic information for Maryland, Delaware, and District of Columbia on ground and surface water, water quality, real-time records, news releases, local weather, and reservoir levels.
Water resources of Missouri [New Window]
Water District homepage with links to detailed real-time and long-term water resources data for Missouri on streamflow, ground and surface water, and water quality.
Water resources of Virginia - Virginia aquifer susceptibility [New Window]
Overview of a project in Virginia to develop a program for assessing public supply source waters to determine their susceptibility to contamination and to determine which systems need detailed source-water assessments.
Water resources of Virginia - river input monitoring [New Window]
Description of river input monitoring project's collecting and analyzing water-quality data to calculate and explain load and trend estimates of selected nutrients and suspended solids for five major river basins in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Water science for schools: the water science picture gallery [New Window]
Photos with descriptions of water subjects and of scientists engaged in water research.
Water-quality data for the Nation [New Window]
Homepage for USGS water quality information. The NWISWeb discrete sample database is a compilation of over 3.5 million historical water quality analyses in the USGS district databases. Also includes access to real-time data and a tutorial.
Water-quality information - data [New Window]
Links to major databases on USGS real-time and historic time period data for water quality, atmospheric deposition, streamflow, and suspended sediments and links to related databases of other agencies.
West-central Florida erosion study [New Window]
West central Florida erosion interactive map with GIS datasets to download including geologic interpretative layers, samples, bathymetry, and imagery.
Western Ecological Research Center (WERC) [New Window]
Links to research at the field stations of the Western Ecological Research Center with direct links to web pages for wildlife videos, satellite telemetry, fire ecology, invasive species, herpetology field guide, and coastal ecosystems.
World Coal Quality Inventory (WoCQI) [New Window]
Homepage of the World Coal Quality Inventory (WoCQI) with sample collection procedures.
Yakima River Basin [New Window]
Description of the studies of the ground water system in the Yakima River Basin and how it interacts with rivers and streams in the basin. Includes links to project status, datasets, maps, project summaries, news releases and bibliographies.
usSEABED (marine sediment and rock distribution) [New Window]
Data on sediment and rock distributions in the waters off the United States, shown using an internet map service with links to downloadable data files


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