Director's Welcome
Welcome to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC). The Center is one of 17 USGS science centers engaged in biological research on critical natural resource issues facing the nation. Since the 1930s, WFRC has provided reliable impartial science to managers of fish and aquatic resources in the western states to support management of these important public trust resources (take a look at our history).
WFRC scientists work from four laboratory locations in two western states. Our research includes work in habitats that encompass rivers, streams, lakes, estuaries and marine environments. We help in recovery of imperiled species ranging from threatened populations of Pacific salmon to the endangered desert fishes. We are concerned with fish diseases, and with the multiple stresses imposed by human activities such as water and land development, grazing, mining, and harvest on aquatic ecosystems. We study aquatic invasive species—organisms that can alter natural habitats and harm native populations – to help control or mitigate their spread and effect. We are innovative, helping devise new technologies to better manage hatcheries and care for wild fish populations, using state-of-the-art approaches ranging from molecular genetics to decision support computer models. We are collaborative and multidisciplinary in approach, and our scientists are well known in the national and international fisheries community (take a look at their profiles).
Please enjoy your exploration of our website. I am pleased to provide you an opportunity to learn more about us, our scientific interests and, most importantly, the range and magnitude of threats affecting fishery resources in the West. I hope this site provides you with the information you seek, or stimulates your interest in the conservation of species and environments we work with.
Jill Rolland
Center Director
USGS Western Fisheries Research Center
