What can the size of a deer mouse tell you about the number of species present in its environment? A lot, as it turns out. A team of ecologists turned to data from the NEON project to look for clues.

The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) has been collecting ecological data on coastal ecosystems in the Chesapeake Bay area for more than 50 years. Hosting a NEON field site gives SERC scientists access to new local data as well as important comparative data from across the country to further their research goals.