Army engineers partner for 25 years with federal biologists to study duck nesting ecology in Alaska
A biologist measures a common goldeneye hen that nested in tree-mounted box at the Chena River Lakes Flood Control Project in North Pole, Alaska. In partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District provides funding, logistical support and field assistance to a research project that studies the birds’ breeding habits on the property. The team tracks the number of eggs and their stage of incubation to estimate hatch to allow ducklings to be web-tagged and followed as adults. Scientists use information gathered by field researchers to assess the short-term effects of weather on the ducks’ productivity along with determining how climate change influences the species. (U.S. Army photo)