U.S. Geological Survey: Ecosystems

Welcome to the USGS Status and Trends Program

The Nation's living resources and the habitats on which they depend are undergoing constant change. Climate change, invasive species, and a plethora of human activities are causing natural resource management and conservation efforts to become increasingly challenging and complex. To help meet this challenge, USGS's Status and Trends of Ecosystems Mission Area supports and provides the collection and analysis of biological data for use by natural resource managers, scientists, and the general public. USGS works closely with its partners in Department of Interior Bureau's and other resource management agencies to provide scientific information to meet management needs. For example, USGS Status and Trends information is used by Fish and Wildlife Service to help develop management strategies for fish in the Great Lakes and migratory birds.

Status & Trends Program's Research Topics

Taxa

Understanding disease to support the management and restoration of aquatic species.

Ecosystems

Aquatic species diversity is the hallmark of healthy aquatic ecosystems.

Issues

These tools offer invaluable insights into fishery resource problems.

Methods & Tools

Functional relationships among aquatic species for conserving and restoring aquatic community function.

Recent Highlights

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Iodophor Disinfection of Walleye and Northern Pike Eggs to Eliminate Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus - The USGS Fact Sheet 2009, Evaluation of the Efficacy of Iodophor Disinfection of Walleye and Northern Pike Eggs to Eliminate Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus presents the results of a study to assess the effectiveness of iodophor disinfection for eliminating VHS (strain IVb) from fertilized eggs of walleye and northern pike intentionally challenged with VHS following egg fertilization. Walleye and northern pike egg survival (hatch) following iodophor egg disinfection also was assessed. Read the Fact Sheet >>