Ecosystems

Fisheries

Thriving fisheries and healthy watersheds are vital to America’s food supply, outdoor recreation, and diverse and abundant ecosystems.

Over 46 million recreational fishers annually generate approximately $48 billion for the American economy in equipment, fuel purchases, guide services, and travel and lodging¹. Unfortunately, in many places around the United States, fish and the habitats on which they depend are in trouble, with almost 40 percent of the Nation’s freshwater species at risk of decline or vulnerable to extinction².

The USGS Fisheries Program employs world-class scientists to work on cutting-edge research that leads to the protection and restoration of our Nation’s fisheries and aquatic resources, the habitats that support them, and the services they provide. USGS capacity and expertise are applied to the priorities of species conservation, habitat restoration, energy development, and water quantity and quality needs.

Research by Topic

Sources:

¹American Sportfishing Association, 2015

²National Fish Habitat Action Plan, 2012

Top Photo: Giant fern salvinia papillae. Photo courtesy of Myriah Richerson, USGS.