U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

Did you know that the health of our communities is directly tied to the health of our ecosystems? This is the core idea behind the One Health initiative, which highlights the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. Environmental stressors often overlap, creating complicated challenges that impact us all. Fortunately, Scientists are collaborating across multiple disciplines to disentangle and solve these complex issues. By addressing ecosystem and environmental issues holistically, the USGS plays a critical role in One Health-related efforts. USGS scientists provide valuable insights into how ecosystem health affects all aspects of life, from wildlife management to public health. 🧑🔬🤝 For example, USGS research on wildlife diseases like sylvatic plague and avian influenza informs not only wildlife management but also supports public health efforts in collaboration with agencies like the CDC and USDA. 🦠🐾 Curious to learn how USGS science can benefit our communities and environments? Read our new story to delve deeper: https://ow.ly/n80Y50TXwBQ #OneHealth #EcosystemHealth #PublicHealth #OneHealthDay #UnleashingTheScience #UnleashTheScience USGS Video. A father and daughter fly fish. The One Health Framework showing overlapping, interconnected aspect of One Health, including humans, animals, and ecosystems. A family walks on a beach, cows eat from a trough, and a person takes a water sample. Overlapping images of an invasive species (a Burmese python), a forest that has been clear cut showing habitat loss, a body of water full of trash showing pollution, and a microscope image of bacteria representing disease. Scientists look in a microscope and work on a computer, a scientist tracks an animal with an antenna in a forest, and a scientist takes a water sample at the edge of a stream. The camera pans away from a forest and the USGS logo pops up. Narration is the post text.

Bats don’t make it easy to study them. How do you study an animal that is small enough to fit in your hand, blends well into its surroundings, only active at night, has a call that humans can’t hear, and spends much of its time well-hidden in caves and trees? Bat scientists have to get creative. Some of the methods used by USGS bat scientists have been around for a long time, like setting up big nets to capture bats, or counting bats as they emerge from a roost. But other methods rely on the latest technology, and USGS scientists are innovators, constantly coming up with and testing out new strategies for studying bat biology. Swipe through the carousel to see some of the tools USGS scientists are using to study bats, from nets and acoustic monitors to tiny transmitters, CRISPR, and 3D printing, then learn more about these tools and more in our new feature here: https://ow.ly/bvsW50TXIQA 1) A bat with a Motus nanotag, a type of radio transmitter that can weigh as little as a raindrop 2) Biologist Andrea Schuhmann examines an acoustic bat recording. 3) Biologists set up a mist net at Yosemite National Park to trap bats. 4) Fluorescent samples show that the pathogen that causes white-nose syndrome in bats has been detected using a biosensor developed using CRISPR, a type of gene editing. 5) Biologist Paul Cryan holds 3D printed tools that make bat monitoring more accessible and customizable. P.S. #BatWeek is a made-up greeting card holiday so we can actually celebrate it whenever we want, including one day late.

Exciting new discovery - Rare western yellow-billed cuckoos are nesting in surprising places. 🌵🐦 🔍 For the first time ever, a new USGS study found that these elusive and striking birds are nesting in hot, dry foothills of Arizona's stunning "Sky Islands," not just their typical streamside homes. Over the past four years, researchers discovered new nesting sites among trees like oak and mesquite in canyons and washes at the foothills of some of southeast Arizona’s mountain ranges, that rise dramatically from the Sonoran Desert floor. 🌄🥳 This finding is particularly significant because over the 20th century, western yellow-billed cuckoo populations have declined by as much as 95%. 😢 These birds, listed as Threatened and beloved by birders, once ranged from British Columbia to Mexico. Their remaining stronghold in the U.S. is primarily in Arizona and New Mexico. This breakthrough adds crucial nesting areas: the identification of approximately 100 new breeding sites represents a substantial addition to known populations in the western U.S. 🪺 Given that cuckoo numbers outside of Arizona and New Mexico are very small, this study underscores the regional importance of southeast Arizona’s biodiverse Sky Island region. 🌍❤️🦉 The study was conducted in partnership with Northern Arizona University, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), USDA Forest Service, and 100 other agency staff, collaborators, and dedicated volunteers. Learn more: https://ow.ly/MWYM50TXx2g Image 1: A western yellow-billed cuckoo roosts in a tree in riparian habitat in southern Arizona. Photo by Alan Schmierer on Flickr. Public domain & used with permission. Image 2: Photo of Rock Corral Canyon, a desert canyon next to Sky Island mountains in southern Arizona. This area is newly discovered habitat for western yellow-billed cuckoos. Photo by Charles Drost, USGS. Image 3: Arrieta Wash, a desert area in southern Arizona. This location is newly discovered habitat for western yellow-billed cuckoos. Photo by Charles Drost, USGS. Image 4: Verde River and West Clear Creek confluence, AZ. An example of the type of riparian streamside habitat that is known habitat for western yellow-billed cuckoos. Photo by Chris Calvo, National Park Service. #USGS_SBSC #NAUFlagstaff #USFWS #EndangeredSpecies #Arizona #SkyIslands #Audubon #birds #ornithology #birding

Need a last-minute Halloween costume? Love science? How about one that's USGS science-inspired?! The options are limitless, but here are some ideas to get you started: 🪨Rock 🗺️Colorful bathymetric map What would your ideal USGS-inspired costume be? USGS images #SpookyScience #HalloweenCostume #StealTheLook

USGS is excited to announce the release of the Annual National Land Cover Database (NLCD), a key resource for understanding land cover change across the United States. With six new products and data spanning from 1985 to 2023, this annual update leverages advancements in remote sensing to provide timely, consistent land cover information. These improvements are critical for applications such as environmental modeling, conservation, urban planning, and more. The Annual NLCD represents decades of collaboration with the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium, ensuring accurate and actionable data for scientists, resource managers, and policymakers. Learn more about how this resource supports better decision-making: https://ow.ly/1UAh50TSIAj #Landcover #NLCD #AnnualNLCD #Landsat #Geography #remotesensing #Earthobservation #geospatial Video Description: An animated GIF depicting changes in the landscape around Salt Lake City from 1985 to 2023. The image transitions over time, highlighting variations in land cover and urban development. Changes are shown through shifting colors, representing the growth of urban areas, potential loss of natural landscapes, and alterations in vegetation.

You only have one week left to apply for the Mendenhall Fellowships! All applications are due by November 1. As a Mendenhall Fellow, Dr. Hope Ianiri has spent months at sea collecting samples from deep-sea mineral systems and studying these systems with interdisciplinary teams: “As a Mendenhall Fellow, I have the freedom to pursue research questions I find compelling and significant yet also contribute to federal science priorities. I am also constantly learning and always feel intellectually challenged. I am well supported in this work and am grateful for a fantastic team of mentors, collaborators, and colleagues. I learn so much from them, and we have a lot of fun!” Apply today! https://ow.ly/ui2850TRLI0 📸: Two Mendenhall Fellows describing marine sediments in a lab at sea. Dr. Hope Ianiri (left) works on understanding carbon sequestration in marine mineral host sediments, and Dr. Maria Figueroa (right) studies the relationship between hydrothermal vents and marine minerals. #USGS #Science #Mendenhalls #Fellowships #Postdoc #Postdoctoral

🐍 Are reptiles on the move?🦎 A new study found that many lizard and snake species could expand their range north later in the century as western North America heats up. Cooler regions like Washington and Idaho may welcome new species, including the Gila monster! 🦎 Species arriving in unexpected places could mean new challenges for wildlife management and conservation. Learn more in our new story: https://ow.ly/h56K50TQ2vJ 📷USGS GIF of predicted range changes and BLM photo by John Kellam of a gila monster

What if we told you there’s enough lithium beneath Arkansas to meet the global demand for car batteries NINE times over by 2030? 🚗🔋 In a groundbreaking study, USGS scientists used a combination of water testing and AI to estimate that there is between 5 and 19 million tons of lithium reserves hiding beneath the Smackover Formation in southwestern Arkansas. This finding could be huge for the energy transition, as lithium is the most important critical mineral for powering electric vehicles and more. The lithium is located in brines and extracting it during oil and gas operations would turn what was once waste into a valuable resource. Lead study author and USGS Hydrologist Katherine Knierim says the lithium estimated in this area could "replace U.S. imports of lithium and more." Fun fact: The Smackover Formation dates back to the Jurassic period, making it home to some of the richest deposits of oil, bromine, and now… lithium! Ready to dive deeper into the science behind this incredible discovery? Explore the full study: https://ow.ly/8FPf50TQVj3 #UnleashTheScience #UnleashingTheScience #Lithium #RenewableEnergy #EV #CriticalMinerals

Join us on October 24 at 1 PM CST for a free webinar introducing the Annual National Land Cover Database (NLCD) product, the latest advancement in land cover mapping from the USGS. Unlike previous NLCD releases, which occurred every few years, Annual NLCD offers yearly insights into land cover change from 1985-2023, providing researchers, policymakers, and land managers with up-to-date information for more precise decision-making in environmental conservation, urban planning, and resource management. The webinar will cover the history of NLCD, introduce the new Annual NLCD product line, and showcase the significant impact NLCD has had on science, land management, and policy over the past 30 years. Register for the webinar at https://lnkd.in/g6g4C_2R 📸 A map illustrating various land cover types using a color-coded system. Each type of land cover is represented by a distinct color: green for forests, yellow for croplands, brown for grasslands, red for urban areas, and other colors for additional classifications like water and wetlands.

📣Attention, geology enthusiasts! In celebration of #GeologicMapDay, explore our Unified Geologic Map of the Moon! 🌒 Created by the USGS Astrogeology Science Center, in collaboration with NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Lunar and Planetary Institute, this first-ever comprehensive map reveals the moon’s entire surface geology, combining Apollo-era data with recent satellite missions. Not only does it show the 4.5-billion-year history of our lunar neighbor, but it’s also a key tool for future human missions and an invaluable resource for scientists, educators, and space enthusiasts. Download the entire map and legend here: https://ow.ly/YMUw50TOTY1 #EarthScienceWeek #NASA #MoonMap #GeologicMap #Apollo #LunarScience #SpaceExploration #Geology 📹: This animation shows a rotating globe of the new Unified Geologic Map of the Moon with shaded topography from the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA). Credit: NASA/GSFC/USGS.