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Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

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WARC conducts relevant and objective research, develops new approaches and technologies, and disseminates scientific information needed to understand, manage, conserve, and restore wetlands and other aquatic and coastal ecosystems and their associated plant and animal communities throughout the nation and the world.

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Sea turtles, pythons, & manatees, oh my: USGS science in Florida

Sea turtles, pythons, & manatees, oh my: USGS science in Florida

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News

Date published: November 13, 2018

How Hurricanes Michael, Florence May Have Spread Nonnative Species

USGS’ preliminary storm trackers show potential for subtle damage in natural areas

Date published: October 26, 2018

A Unified Research Strategy for Disease Management

As wildlife diseases increase globally, an understanding of host-pathogen relationships can elucidate avenues for management and improve conservation efficacy. Amphibians are among the most threatened groups of wildlife, and disease is a major factor in global amphibian declines.

Date published: September 28, 2018

Large-scale Review of Amphibian Species and Community Response to Climate Change

Amphibian species and community richness has been declining in North America and climate change may play a role in these declines. Global climate change has led to a range shift of many wildlife species and thus understanding how these changes in species distribution can be used to predict amphibian community responses that may improve conservation efforts.

Publications

Year Published: 2018

Hyperspectral remote sensing of wetland vegetation

Chapter 11 by Ramsey and Rangoonwala provides an overview of how hyperspectral imaging (HSI) advances the mapping of coastal wetlands that comprise a unique variety of plant species, forms, and associations. Each description begins by seeking to uncover the relationship between canopy hyperspectral reflectance and one or more of the aggregated...

Ramsey, Elijah; Rangoonwala, Amina
Ramsey, E.W., III, and Rangoonwala, A., 2018, Hyperspectral remote sensing of wetland vegetation, in Thenkabail, P.S., Lyon, G.J., and Huete, A., eds., Hyperspectral Remote Sensing of Vegetation (Second Ed.), vol. IV, Advanced Applications in Remote Sensing of Agricultural Crops and Natural Vegetation: CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group, Boca Raton, Chap. 11, p. 219-248, https://www.routledge.com/Advanced-Applications-in-Remote-Sensing-of-Agricultural-Crops-and-Natural/Thenkabail-Lyon-Huete/p/book/9781138364769.

Year Published: 2018

Updated statewide abundance estimates for the Florida manatee

Knowing how many manatees live in Florida is critical for conservation and management of this threatened species. Martin et al. (2015) flew aerial surveys in 2011–2012 and estimated abundance in those years using advanced techniques that incorporated multiple data sources. We flew additional aerial surveys in 2015–2016 to count manatees and again...

Hostetler, Jeffrey A.; Edwards, Holly H.; Martin, Julien; Schueller, Paul

Year Published: 2018

Sympatry or syntopy? Investigating drivers of distribution and co‐occurrence for two imperiled sea turtle species in Gulf of Mexico neritic waters

Animals co‐occurring in a region (sympatry) may use the same habitat (syntopy) within that region. A central aim in ecology is determining what factors drive species distributions (i.e., abiotic conditions, dispersal limitations, and/or biotic interactions). Assessing the degree of biotic interactions can be difficult for species with wide ranges...

Hart, Kristen M.; Iverson, Autumn R.; Fujisaki, Ikuko; Lamont, Margaret M.; Bucklin, David N.; Shaver, Donna J.