The Center for Environmental Forensic Science is a research group at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. It is operated as the Center for Conservation Biology (CCB) — a longstanding William & Mary research center whose work is foundational to the science of environmental forensics, the use of ecological and biological evidence to identify the causes of species and habitat decline. CCB has been designated as IUCN’s Center for Environmental Forensic Science in recognition of its role in developing the methods and information resources that link field science to conservation action.
The Center conducts primary research on birds and other species of conservation concern, with particular emphasis on the mid-Atlantic and Chesapeake Bay region. Its work covers the discovery, description, and management of at-risk species and the ecosystems on which they depend, including long-running studies of southeastern shorebirds, the red-cockaded woodpecker, and migratory birds in the Great Dismal Swamp. The Center serves as one of the principal advisors to U.S. federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, on the management and recovery of avian species at risk.
By turning field data into practical, science-based guidance for agencies, the Center exemplifies the role of forensic science in modern conservation — supporting enforcement under endangered-species law, the design of mitigation measures, and the recovery of vulnerable species.
