Project Information

Proposed Project Completion: September 2020
Principal Investigator(s):
Erik Hofmeister, USGS National Wildlife Health Center
Jonathan Sleeman, USGS National Wildlife Health Center
Implements Science Plan Theme: Adaptation, Impacts

Key Points

• Synthesized current understanding of what the health impacts of climate change are on fish and wildlife
• Gathered diverse groups of experts to collaborate on identifying future research priorities
• Created a database to easily access all relevant information on climate change’s impacts to support resource managers and adaptation strategy. 

Overview

Temperature and precipitation shifts may directly impact disease occurrence in fish and wildlife. Disease-carrying animals like mosquitoes and ticks could expand their range. The time it takes for a parasite to develop from an egg to an adult could speed up. These shifts could also affect wildlife health as their habitat potentially changes. For example, reduced food availability could lead to overcrowding and increased disease transmission. 

This project reviewed existing information on climate change impacts on fish and wildlife health in North America. We developed a searchable database containing this information that can then be used to identify gaps in knowledge and unique areas of concern. We defined near-term science priorities at a symposium with DOI scientists, resource managers, state agencies, Tribes,  and stakeholders. Together, we will take steps toward understanding the impacts of climate change on wildlife health, to ultimately identify potential adaptation strategies.