USGS Science in California

Dear USGS Science in California Followers:

There have recently been some positive changes with USGS social media. We have a new team in place that is devoted to our social media channels. In light of this change, we will now be posting our stories and updates to the main USGS social media accounts. This will give us visibility to a wider audience. If you are not already watching these, please go to the USGS social media page and follow them: https://www.usgs.gov/connect/social-media.(See the list under Bureau Accounts.) We are looking forward to working with the new team to continue to bring you the latest news on USGS Science in California.

This account will remain active temporarily but will be archived soon.

We are hiring a Post-Doc! The USGS Southwest Biological Science Center is looking for a candidate with interests in decision analysis, ecological modeling, and native fish management. The post-doc will develop value-of-information analysis realted to supplementation of endangered delta smelt in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This position can be based in Arizona or California. Application deadline is Sept 20. Contact [email protected] for more information, and please include "VOI postdoc" in the subject line.

What do you call an otter that just got glasses?
A see otter.

USGS biologists and several partners are celebrating World Otter Day with the annual Sea Otter Census. The 2024 census began the first week of May and will continue until the entire southern sea otter range is counted. The survey extends across approximately 375 miles of California coast, from Half Moon Bay south to Santa Barbara, and includes a spring survey at San Nicolas Island. The information gathered is used by federal and state wildlife agencies in making sea otter-related management decisions.

Multiple agencies have coordinated the counting of the southern sea otter population since 1982 to help inform the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who manage the threatened keystone subspecies. USGS currently leads and performs the census in collaboration with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Monterey Bay Aquarium, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Navy and with the help of experienced volunteers.

📷 A sea otter swims in Monterey Bay, California (USGS photo).

We have ribbiting news! 🐸

USGS Western Ecological Research Center biologists Robert Fisher, Adam Backlin, and Elizabeth Gallegos, along with other partners, were recognized with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) 2023 Recovery Champions Award for their work in advancing the recovery of the threatened California red-legged frog. 🏆

These USGS researchers and partners collectively moved the species closer to recovery by helping to reestablish the frog in the southern-most portion of its range where it had disappeared decades earlier. They demonstrated vision and leadership in developing a bi-national reintroduction plan which included transporting egg masses from Baja California, Mexico to sites in Riverside and San Diego counties, California. Efforts of these USGS scientists to work with landowners to identify suitable habitat for releases, along with management and monitoring of the species, demonstrate how they exemplify the USFWS’s mission of working with others to conserve species and their habitats for the benefit of the American people.

The Recovery Champions Award is an annual honor given by the USFWS to provide recognition to select employees and their partners for work in advancing the recovery of endangered and threatened species.

📷 🎥 USGS

To read the full announcement, please visit https://www.fws.gov/program/recovery/2023-recovery-champions

USGS California Water Science Center Research Biologist Keith Bouma-Gregson contributed research for this article on lethal cyanobacteria creeping into rivers. He is continuing research through a USGS-National Park Service Water Quality Partnership project.

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It’s .

Wildfires are expensive and have massive impacts on people―causing the loss of homes, livelihoods, and lives― yet fire in wildlands is essential to reduce future wildfire risk, improve wildlife habitat, and manage fire-adapted species in many ecosystems across the country. Here are a few stats that show how fire impacts the U.S. each year.

What stat stands out to you? Comment below.

Read more: https://ow.ly/ln0750Rt19j

Every day is Earth Day at the USGS!

Where did they come from? Where did they go? For some western wildlife, scientists now know. 🦌

USGS and a large team of partners are working together to map herds of hooved animals, a.k.a ungulates, in the Western United States. Released today, the fourth volume of "Ungulate Migrations of the western United States" includes maps of 33 new herd migrations for mule deer, pronghorn, and elk. Read the full news release here: https://ow.ly/mmWb50RcKjC 📖

With this latest volume, the report series includes details and maps of the migrations and seasonal ranges for a total of 182 unique herds across 10 states. The maps reveal the migration routes and critical ranges used by ungulates in the western U.S., furthering scientists’ understanding of the geography of big game migrations. 🗺️

Ungulates migrate throughout the American West each spring and fall to access the most nutritious plants and avoid deep snow. But as the human footprint in the West expands, these species increasingly face obstacles such as new subdivisions, energy development, impermeable fences and high-traffic roads on their long journeys. By mapping their migrations, scientists provide critical information—like where migrations overlap with existing and potential obstacles—to managers, policymakers, NGOs and private landowners working to minimize impacts on wildlife.

Photo by Joe Riis, Wyoming Migration Initiative



University of Wyoming University of Oregon U.S. Forest Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Park Service Bureau of Land Management Shoshone and Arapaho Fish and Game Navajo Fish & Wildlife Arizona Game & Fish Department California Department of Fish and Wildlife Colorado Parks and Wildlife Nevada Department of Wildlife New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife Wyoming Game and Fish Department Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Happy Eclipse Day from this field sparrow and all of us here at EESC! Remember to be safe and wear your eclipse glasses.

Where different habitats come together, like deserts meeting forests or coastal areas, you can find an amazing variety of plants and animals. Scientists call these transition zones "ecotones."

Researchers from the USGS Western Ecological Research Center conducted a study for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management that explored the diversity of wildlife living in one such ecotone - the desert transition area in southeastern San Diego County, California. They set up motion-sensor cameras at 5 different sites to capture images of animals big and small.

Their goal was to get a snapshot of the different species living there, especially any rare or endangered ones, detect closely-related species at the edges of their ranges, and compare species richness across the study area. And in this relatively small region, they identified at least 40 different vertebrate species! This included 20 types of mammals, 7 different birds, and 13 kinds of reptiles.

Among the animals spotted were 11 species considered "species of special concern" in California, meaning they need extra protection. One exciting find was the Cope's leopard lizard - a rare lizard that hadn't been recorded living that far into San Diego County before.

Using camera traps turned out to be a really effective way to quickly survey the animal life in the area. The results give scientists a great starting point for further studying this area.

The study findings also show just how important transition zones like this are for supporting a wide variety of species.

No joke, this is what it looks like when a your coastal timelapse.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) uses cameras to study changing coastal processes at , the northernmost point of the United States. Learn more about the coastal camera project: ow.ly/jqkP50Or6mR