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Overview

Wildlife diseases and invasive species are costly threats that face the American public. Invasive species, for instance, annually cost the U.S. economy more than all-natural disasters combined, and three out of four emerging and infectious diseases can be harbored in wildlife species. The Biological Threats and Invasive Species Program develops decision-support tools and technologies to better and more efficiently manage invasive species and wildlife diseases. Program scientists develop and improve the ability to detect, monitor, assess risks, and control nationally significant invasive species and fish and wildlife diseases. Research and technology development focus on species that cause, or have potential to cause, significant economic or ecological impacts, or harm human health. The program integrates control strategies to empower land and water managers to respond quickly and effectively to a wide variety of new invasions.

The USGS is the primary Federal agency conducting surveillance for wildlife disease. The Biological Threats and Invasive Species Program aids partners to determine where to conduct surveillance and which animals to target, which requires an understanding of wildlife population dynamics pathogen spread within their populations. The program supports whole-of-government efforts to respond to high impact and emerging infectious diseases. Field and laboratory surveillance, cause of death determination and pathogen discovery, decision support tools, and research are leveraged with activities to support Federal responses to diseases that impact public health and the agricultural economy. The program often provides important information to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Interior, and other Federal agencies to improve management of fish and wildlife disease outbreaks across the country. The program also conducts multiscale, integrated assessments to map and monitor infestations of high-impact invasive plants and animals across the Nation. The program also develops decision support frameworks and risk assessments to better empower natural resource managers to minimize the ecological and economic impacts of invasive species. Work by scientists in the program enhances biosurveillance of invasive species by improving information and data delivery on monitoring and species occurrences through field and lab research, online databases, and information systems to advance our understanding of the complex interactions affecting the spread of invasive species.

Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program activities fall under two areas:

• Invasive Species
• Wildlife Diseases

INVASIVE SPECIES

The program develops and improves methods for early detection and rapid response to invasive species and improves situational awareness of local, State, and Federal managers through the Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) database (https://nas.er.usgs.gov). The NAS provides species profiles and distribution maps, identifies areas of potential spread, sends alerts of new observations, and provides aquatic species data scanning tools to identify nonindigenous aquatic species.

In response to the threat Asian carp pose in the Great Lakes, the Mississippi River and its subbasins, the Biological Threats and Invasive Species Program continues to work with Federal and State partners to develop and implement deterrent, containment, and control tools. Program scientists are also developing models that integrate hydrology, life history, habitat characteristics, and potential management actions in a decision-making framework to decrease management costs and increase the potential for management success.

The program conducts multiscale, integrated assessments to map and monitor infestations of invasive plants in the West, helping us to predict areas most vulnerable to invasive species. In addition, the program examines the effects of management practices and natural disturbances on invasive species and evaluates how invasive plants alter the frequency and intensity of wildfires, which enables land managers to reduce the risks posed by wildfire. The program also provides science, training, and logistical support to aid the USDA and Pacific Island governments in rapid response and control of brown treesnakes on Guam; conducts research to help Florida and the NPS reduce the impacts of Burmese pythons and other invasive reptiles in the Everglades; and has particular and unique expertise in developing species-specific control for aquatic invasive species.

WILDLIFE DISEASES

The Biological Threats and Invasive Species Program is investigating vector-borne diseases of concern to Interior and other Federal agencies. Sylvatic plague was one of eight zoonotic diseases prioritized by CDC, USDA, and DOI that needs to be addressed by the Federal government with a “One Health” approach (One Health is a collaborative, multisectoral approach working at local, regional, national, and global scales that recognizes the interconnection of health outcomes among people, animals, plants, and their shared environment.) Endangered black-footed ferrets, prairie dogs, domestic and wild cats, as well as humans, can die from sylvatic plague, a flea-borne bacterial disease. The program is investigating the ecology of plague and harnessing that information to develop and adapt integrated pest management tools, such as a novel vaccine, for this and other wildlife diseases. The technology behind the plague vaccine is also being used by the program to develop a White Nose Syndrome (WNS) vaccine for bats. WNS has killed millions of bats across the United States, causing significant negative effects on agriculture and potentially increasing the spread of insect-borne diseases.

The program also assesses mass mortalities and develops fish and wildlife disease management tools for species, such as salmon, sturgeon, trout, whitefish, and mussels. This work enhances biosurveillance of aquatic diseases by improving information and data delivery on monitoring and species occurrences through field and lab research, online databases, and information systems to advance our understanding of the complex interactions that influence disease outbreaks. Program scientists also conduct investigations into marine diseases impacting sea turtles and other organisms to support FWS, NPS, and NOAA species management. By understanding disease patterns and processes, the science is being used by managers to take actions to improve the health of threatened or endangered fish populations.

REIMBURSABLE ACTIVITIES

The Biological Threats and Invasive Species Program works with various Federal, State, Tribal, and international partners, including DOI bureaus (Office of Insular Affairs [OIA], Office of the Secretary [OS], BLM, BOR, NPS, FWS), other Federal agencies (USDA, Commerce, DOD, HHS, DHS, FDA, NASA, EPA), States, and a host of other consortia, academia and industry.