NWRC Weekly Highlights 10/03/2005

Weekly Highlights

MEMORANDUM

From: Susan Horton
Subject: Biology Highlights for National Wetlands Research Center, October 3, 2005

I. Department /Bureau News

B. Current

USGS Team Heads to Madagascar: USGS scientist Jacoby Carter left October 3 for a month in the Anosy region of Madagascar as part of an interdisciplinary (water, geology and biology) assessment team put together by USGS. As an ecologist on the team, Carter will help identify natural areas of significant conservation concern, such as national parks or lands that support high biodiversity, in order to provide sound science information for decisions about mineral development. Known for its abundant diversity in both flora and fauna, Madagascar is home to more than 200,000 species of plants and animals and few of these varieties are found anywhere else on earth. (Susan Horton, Lafayette, LA, 337-266-8655)

II. Press Inquiries/Media

USGS scientists and public affairs staff from the National Wetlands Research Center are continuing to respond to media inquiries about all aspects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita including preliminary assessments of wetland damage and acres lost, impacts on wildlife especially migratory waterfowl, and the role of marshes, forests and barrier islands in protecting coastal areas from storms. Examples of media include: Baltimore Sun, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Scripps Howard News Service, The Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, LA), The Times of Acadiana (Lafayette, LA) and the American Museum of Natural History Science Bulletin.

A radar image showing the exodus of Neotropical songbirds from the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge during the fall migration was provided by USGS to the Weather Channel. The image will be included in a “Forecast Earth” program about birds and radar that will run the week of Oct. 9 to highlight National Wildlife Refuge Week.

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