BIOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT

• Texas Projects:
  • TX Gulf Coast
  • Big Bend
  • Big Thicket Preserve
  • Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Water Resources Database
  • US/Mexico Border

• Biology & Environment Links
  • Brazos Field Research Station
  • Peregrine falcon
  • Texas Gulf Coast Field Research Station
  • Burrowing Owls
  • Redhead Ducks
  • Grassland Birds
  • Marine Ecotoxicology Research Station
  • Padre Island Field Research Station
  • Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle
  • Lower Rio Grande Ecosystem Initiative (LRGEI)

USGS IN YOUR STATE

USGS Water Science Centers are located in each state.

Biology and Environment

Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC) project locations in TX

College Station: Brazos Field Research Station --Research focuses on the effects of contaminants, pesticides, agricultural chemicals, metals, and other environmental stressors on fish and wildlife. The primary species of concern are aquatic and raptorial birds such as the Peregrine falcon, bats, small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians in Texas and the lower Rio Grande Valley.

Corpus Christi: Texas Gulf Coast Field Research Station --Conducts studies to determine the abundance and diversity of resident and migratory birds in south Texas, including the Burrowing Owls, Redhead Ducks, and Grassland Birds.

Corpus Christi: Marine Ecotoxicology Research Station --Conducts field and laboratory studies to assess the impacts of contaminants on marine and estuarine organisms. A primary focus of the station is the development and evaluation of methods used to assess the quality of estuarine sediments.

Padre Island National Seashore: Padre Island Field Research Station--Conducts investigations to determine how human activities affect sea turtles in Texas and elsewhere in the U.S. Data collected on Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle nest distribution and trends, size, relative abundance, and foraging ecology are used with other information to help many entities protect, manage, and restore these endangered and threatened species.

Rio Grande Border Region: Lower Rio Grande Ecosystem Initiative (LRGEI) --Conducts research and information needs pertinent to the biotic resources of the river and its adjacent terrestrial habitats. Currently, the LRGEI, in collaboration with other governmental agencies in the U.S. and Mexico has a number of projects in various stages of development.