USGS to host bat research webinar October 23

The US Geological Survey announced it will host a public webinar on Friday, October 23, 2026 from 2:00 to 2:30 pm ET. The agency will present findings on bat migratory activity in coastal and offshore environments during Bat Week. Bethany Shulze, Biological Science Technician with the USGS Western Ecological Research Center, will lead the presentation.

According to the report, the agency deployed acoustic bat detectors at coastal and offshore rocks and island sites to investigate bat activity in these areas. The agency also used the Motus Wildlife Tracking system to determine the movements of individual bats.

The findings showed migratory and resident bat species are active in coastal and offshore environments throughout the year. The agency reported peaks in activity during spring and fall.

Activity at offshore and island sites is significantly lower than coastal sites. The agency found northern sites have substantially higher activity than southern sites for most seasons and species.

The data from Motus tagged bats shows they often fly very far distances in short periods of time. The agency reported they do not appear to follow any type of consistent migratory route.

The agency said the research demonstrates coastal and offshore environments are frequently used by bats that have erratic and long-distance movement patterns. The agency said this has implications for management of offshore wind energy development.

Friday's Findings is a twice-monthly public webinar series hosted by the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area.