We all love a great photo. We also love great science photos! It’s been another year of fantastic contributions to our Instagram account and we’re excited to share the top 5 photos from 2016*.

If you’re not following us on Instagram yet then search for us (usgs) on Instagram and follow us today. We can’t wait to see what 2017 brings!

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Like many of you, we’ve been watching the flooding in Baton Rouge and other parts of Louisiana with shock and concern. Also, like many of you, we’re worried about family, friends, and loved ones. The U.S. Geological Survey operates field offices for the Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center and the Wetland and Aquatic Research Center in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, and many of our employees li...

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By now you’ve probably seen the flooding in Louisiana and Mississippi, with the worst of it centered in Baton Rouge, La. With historic rainfall and swollen rivers, the flooding has reached beyond river banks and into neighborhoods and homes, resulting in the deaths of several people and the displacement of thousands.

Part of the reason the flooding has been so extensive is that the natural drainag...

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So by now, everyone’s at least heard of Pokémon Go, right? Well, we here at the USGS National Center are flattered that our center has no less than 8 PokéStops associated with it and not one, but two gyms! The really neat thing is that the 2 gyms and 8 PokéStops are part of our Rock Garden Walking Tour, where we highlight some of the unique rock types in the Washington, DC, region. So, without fur...

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Everyone in the Northeast dug themselves out yet? While some of us were shoveling snow, some of our scientists and technicians ventured out to the coasts to recover more than 125 storm-tide and wave sensors scattered from the Maryland coast north to southern Connecticut. We deployed these sensors prior to the arrival of the snowstorm and Nor’easter as part of the USGS Surge, Wave, and Tide Hydrod...

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In response to the forecasted development of a major coastal storm along the eastern seaboard this weekend, we have activated our USGS Surge, Wave, and Tide Hydrodynamics (SWaTH) Network. USGS teams in 5 states are working to install storm-tide and wave sensors in coastal areas expected to receive moderate to major tidal flooding from this storm. We expect to install about 125 sensors from the Del...

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The USGS has completed the second phase of releasing thousands of photos and videos of the seafloor and coastline through their Coastal and Marine Video and Photography Portal.

Most of these marine and coastal scenes have never been seen before or mapped at this level of detail. A more accurate perspective of these areas helps coastal managers make important decisions that range from protecting hab...

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Did you know that USGS is on Instagram? If you’d like to see some fantastic photos and learn more about the great work that our scientists are doing, then follow us. For now, we’re counting down our top 15 most popular photos on Instagram from 2015. We can’t wait to see what 2016 brings!

15. A View From Above

14. WHATTTTT?!

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Caribou, North America’s wild reindeer, have lives apart from their famous role on Christmas Eve. Reindeer, of course, is another common name for caribou (Rangifer tarandus) a large, cold-adapted, herding herbivore related to deer, elk and moose.

If reindeer had red, glowing noses, they’d probably be a lot easier to study in the wild. To learn more about the biology behind these arctic antler-beare...

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The national parks of the United States are often compared to, and indeed inspire, works of art. In fact, the USGS has been regularly contributing new and updated works of art for the national parks—maps.

USGS maps in national parks serve a variety of purposes, from planning to hiking to scientific interest. From outer space or beneath the water’s surface, here are some of the masterpieces of USGS...

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