Science and Technology: Ecosystems
The goal of EPA's ecosystems research is to provide scientific leadership and knowledge for assessing, improving, and restoring the integrity of ecosystems. EPA's goal includes protecting, sustaining and restoring the health of critical natural habitats and ecosystems. To accomplish this goal, EPA must assess the condition of the environment, diagnose causes of impairment and forecast the impact of alternative activities and policy scenarios. Ecosystems research provides scientific leadership and knowledge for assessing, improving, and restoring the integrity of ecosystems.
| Key Ecosystems | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Lakes | Puget Sound | Gulf of Mexico | |
Science
Science at EPA provides the foundation for credible decision-making to safeguard human health and ecosystems from environmental pollutants.
Research Programs:
- Ecosystems Research
- Ecosystems Services
- Ecological Exposure Research
- Landscape Ecology
- Ecological Condition
- Ecosystems Models, Databases and Tools
Labs:
Aquatic Ecosystems
Empowered by the Clean Water Act, the EPA strives to manage, protect and restore the water resources and ecosystems of the nation's marine and fresh waters.
- CADDIS: The Causal Analysis/Diagnosis Decision Information System - developed to help scientists and engineers in the Regions, States, and Tribes conduct causal assessments in aquatic systems
- Ecosystems Services and Restoration
- Green Infrastructure Research
- Nutrients Management Research
Wetlands and Watersheds:
Environmental Indicators
A measurement, statistic or value that provides a proximate gauge or evidence of the effects of environmental management programs or of the state or condition of the environment.
Risk and Exposure
EPA considers risk to be the chance of harmful effects to human health or to ecological systems resulting from exposure to an environmental stressor.
Risk Assessment and Characterization:
- Ecological Risk Assessment
- Waste & Cleanup: Ecological Risk Characterization
- Pesticides: Ecological Risk Assessments
- Natural Resource Damages: Ecological Risk Assessment
- Pesticides: Endangered Species Effects Determinations
Exposure:
- Ecotox Database - a source for locating single chemical toxicity data for aquatic life, terrestrial plants and wildlife
- Ecological Structure Activity Relationships - a computerized predictive system that estimates the aquatic toxicity of industrial chemicals
- Exposure Assessment Models
Top Questions: Ecosystems
Related Topics
Featured Resource
Regional Vulnerability Assessment (ReVA) Program - conducts research on innovative approaches to the evaluation and integration of large and complex datasets and models to assess current conditions and likely outcomes of environmental decisions, including alternative futures.
GEMS: Great Environmental Moments in Science
Funding Opportunities
Grants and Funding for Ecosystems Research
EPA research on ecosystems is amplified through grants and funding to researchers from academia, businesses, institutes, and organizations. Through grants and funding, EPA and its partners are working to improve the scientific basis for decisions on national environmental issues.