Bottom trawl assessment of Lake Ontario’s benthic prey fish community, 2025
Brian O’Malley, Olivia Margaret Mitchinson, Scott David Stahl, Brian Weidel, Jessica A Goretzke, Lucus Sunderland
2026, Report
Since 1978, bottom trawl surveys in Lake Ontario have provided information on the status and trends of the benthic prey fish community related to Fish Community Objectives that include understanding prey fish population dynamics and community diversity. Beginning in 2015, the benthic prey fish survey expanded from only U.S. sites...
Status and trends in the Lake Superior fish community, 2025
Nicole M. Watson, Isabel I. Field, Jared Thomas Myers, Daniel L. Yule
2026, Report
The U.S. Geological Survey has conducted annual trawl surveys across Lake Superior since 1978 that describe trends in fish species occurrence and relative abundance to support fisheries science and management. In 2025, the Lake Superior fish community was sampled with daytime bottom and surface trawls at 72 nearshore stations in...
Creating usable science: A Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center study
Kinzie Cherrel Bailey, Jia Hu, Alison M. Meadow, Stephanie Anne McAfee, Alexandder Gershunov, Carolyn Armstrong Enquist, Daniel Cayan, Beth Rose MIddleton Manning, Elizabeth Fard, Geln MacDonald, Gregg M. Garfin, Michelle Baker, Nancy Huntly, Richard F. Ambroase
2026, Earth Stewardship (3)
The southwestern United States consists of diverse ecosystems that are experiencing increasing pressures from rising temperatures, increasing aridity, and sea level rise. To prepare this region for future uncertainty, there is a need for strong partnerships among researchers and societal partners. The Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center...
Multiscale resource selection for a reintroduced elk population
Braiden A. Quinlan, Brett R. Jesmer, Jacalyn P. Rosenberger, W. Mark Ford, Michael J. Cherry
2026, Animals (16)
Patterns of resource selection are driven by the decision-making processes of animals occurring at multiple scales from where to establish a home range (i.e., second order selection) to which resource patches to use within the home range (i.e., third order selection). Elk (Cervus canadensis) were reintroduced to southwestern Virginia,...
Investigating the influence of climate and volcanic surface aging on fluvial erosion: A case study of Réunion Island, Indian Ocean
Daniel James O'hara, Loraine Gourbet, Laurent Michon, Vincent Famin
2026, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms (51)
Precipitation is one of the dominant drivers of landscape erosion and evolution; however, the effects of typical rainfall compared with less frequent, high-magnitude precipitation events on erosion remain unclear. Volcanic islands are ideal locations to study such phenomena due to their simple geometries, nontectonic construction, and strong spatiotemporal rainfall gradients....
Challenges and opportunities for national-scale projections of future coastal landscape change
Erika E. Lentz, Davina L. Passeri, Sara L. Zeigler, Kate White, Thomas Wahl, Amanda D. Stoltz, Elizabeth A. Pendleton, Shubhra Misra, Trevor D. Meckley, Ben Hamlington, Neil K. Ganju, Amanda E. Cravens, Joel Carr, Christine A. Buckel
2026, Earth's Future (14)
Local to global scale projections of future coastal landscape change are essential to improve land and resource management decisions that aim to prepare for and reduce risk exposure to impending coastal hazards. However, the availability of actionable knowledge is often limited due to the complexity of drivers...
Organic matter integration, overprinting, and the relative fraction of optically active organic carbon in a human-impacted watershed
Robert S. Eckard, Brian A. Bergamaschi, Brian A. Pellerin, Robert G. Spencer, Rachel Y. Dyda, Peter J. Hernes
2026, Frontiers in Earth Science (8)
Rivers continually integrate terrestrial organic matter (OM) into their waters, in a process that transfers 1.9 Pg C yr–1 as the primary linkage between oceanic and terrestrial carbon cycles. Yet rivers are not simple, conservative OM integrators. Patchy local land uses (wetlands, bogs, agriculture) release OM that can disproportionately alter river...
Impact of fog on California waterfowl flight activity: Historical and modern insights into effects post-Clean Air Act
Fiona McDuie, Cory T. Overton, Austen A. Lorenz, J. Patrick Donnelly, Desmond A. Mackell, Elliott Matchett, Mark J. Petrie, Michael L. Casazza
2026, Environmental Science and Pollution Research (33) 6095-6104
Since establishment of the Clean Air Act in the early 1970s, occurrence of the dense ‘Tule Fog’, historically prevalent throughout winter across California’s Central Valley, has substantially reduced. At the same time, waterfowl body masses have generally increased. Flight is metabolically expensive, and fog visually and navigationally impairs birds in...
Evaluating ichthyoplankton sampling as an effective method for early detection of novel aquatic invasive species in large bays of western Lake Erie
Jessica L. Bowser, Haley N VanScoyoc, Robin L. DeBruyne, Andrew S. Briggs
2026, Management of Biological Invasions (17) 307-323
Early detection and monitoring are critically important for effective management of invasive species in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Specifically, Lake Erie is at high-risk for aquatic invasive species introductions due to many factors such as shoreline development, warm water temperatures, and transoceanic shipping traffic. Rare species captured are often used...
Widespread occurrence of Magnéli phases in wildland-urban interface fire ashes
Mohammed Baalousha, Morgane Desmau, Roberto A. Colina-Ruiz, Antonio Lanzirotti, Sheryl A. Singerling, Michelle A. Stern, Charles N. Alpers
2026, Environmental Science and Technology. (60) 10982-10990
The increasing activity of wildland–urban interface (WUI) fires has raised concerns regarding the potential environmental and human health impacts of residual ash remaining after burning. In this study, we investigated the concentration and speciation of titanium in WUI fire ash. Total titanium concentrations in WUI fire ash ranged from 0.53...
Erosion and transport of sediments in watersheds of southwest Puerto Rico determined from strontium isotopes and mixing models
Aaron O. Reyes, Renee K. Takesue, Curt D. Storlazzi
2026, Applied Geochemistry (203)
Sediment outflow from streams to coastal regions can adversely affect water quality and the health of ecosystems including Puerto Rico's southwestern carbonate platform with shallow marine communities. Knowledge of sediment provenance and erosional areas would aid effective restoration to reduce excessive sedimentation. Strontium (Sr) isotopic ratios (87Sr/86Sr)...
Data-collection methods for total dissolved gases monitoring, Youghiogheny River at Dam Outlet Tunnel near Confluence, Pennsylvania
Allan J. Ruddy, Emily E. Woodward, Gerolamo C. Casile
2026, Open-File Report 2026-1068
Supersaturation of total dissolved gases (TDG) can potentially occur in the tailrace water at the Youghiogheny River at dam outlet tunnel near Confluence, Pennsylvania (U.S. Geological Survey [USGS] streamgaging and monitoring station 03077100). The USGS, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, established methods to collect and report...
The state of the giant sequoias: Losses, risks, and opportunities
Kristen L. Shive, Brianna Baker, David Nicolas Bertil Soderberg, Linnea J. Hardlund, Marc D. Meyer, P. Bryant Nagelson, Sarah M. Bisbing, Adrian Das, Nathan L. Stephenson
2026, Fire Ecology (22)
BackgroundGiant sequoias, an iconic tree found only in a narrow band along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada of California, are facing unprecedented threats. Despite being adapted to fire and resistant to both drought and insect attack, the species has exhibited signs of vulnerability to these stressors...
DNA retention in sea lamprey digestive tracts: Insights from controlled feeding experiments
Conor O'Kane, Nicholas S. Johnson, Kim T. Scribner, Jeannette Kanefsky, Weiming Li, Tyler Bruning, John D. Robinson
2026, Environmental DNA (8)
The sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), a non-native species in the Laurentian Great Lakes, has significantly impacted native fish communities and commercial fisheries, requiring population suppression efforts. While traditional control methods such as lampricides and barriers have reduced sea lamprey population abundance, questions remain regarding sea lamprey dietary composition given the...
Seasonal environmental conditions and river morphology shape summer phytoplankton communities
Kathi Jo Jankowski, James H. Larson, John T. Manier
2026, Freshwater Biology (71)
1. Phytoplankton form the base of large river food webs but there are limited studies on the nature and drivers of communities over longer time scales. Further, climate change is projected to favor taxa associated with harmful algal blooms, but our knowledge of the timing, locations, and drivers of cyanobacteria...
Relative activity of three bat species Impacted by white-nose syndrome on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Megan L. Moran, Amber S. Litterer, Jesse L. De La Cruz, Sabrina M. Deeley, W. Mark Ford
2026, Northeastern Naturalist (33) 104-127
White-nose syndrome, a disease caused by the fungal-pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans, has caused drastic reductions in populations of several North American hibernating species of bats including Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown Bat), Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared Bat), and Perimyotis subflavus (Tricolored Bat). Recent data indicate that populations of Little Brown Bats may be stabilizing and/or increasing...
Advances in volcano monitoring driven by the first decade of Sentinel-1 observations
Juliet Biggs, Nantheera Anantrasirichai, Kyle R. Anderson, Valerie Cayol, Edna W. Dualeh, Quentin Dumont, Susanna K. Ebmeier, Jean Luc Froger, Matthew Gaddes, Federico Galleto, Pablo J. Gonzales, Ian Hamling, Andrew Hooper, Milan Lazecky, Camila Novoa Lizama, Matthew E. Pritchard
2026, Remote Sensing of Environment (339)
Sentinel-1 has transformed how satellite radar data (SAR and InSAR) are used in volcanology. The systematic, long-term archive and open-access policy means that volcano observatories and research organisations have invested in integrating Sentinel-1 datasets into their monitoring systems. We identify 233 high priority volcanoes and estimate that Sentinel-1 data has...
Seasonal and annual survival of acoustically tagged juvenile Gulf sturgeon in the Apalachicola River, Florida, USA
Russell T. Wilson, Adam J. Kaeser, Stephen W. Parker, Brian J. Irwin, Martin J. Hamel, Adam G. Fox
2026, Endangered Species Research (59)
Gulf sturgeon Acipenser desotoi are anadromous fish that have undergone major population declines throughout their range. Habitat alteration and previous overharvest in commercial fisheries led to the species being listed as ‘threatened’ under the US Endangered Species Act in 1991. An accurate understanding of population dynamics, including survival, is...
Potential causes of shedding aggregations in prairie rattlesnakes
Emily Martin, Courtney J. Conway
2026, Ecology and Evolution (16)
Aggregation is common across taxa and typically confers clear benefits to group members (e.g., allo-parenting, group defense, thermoregulation, access to resources). But aggregation can also be costly. The mechanisms that underpin aggregation—and the cues that elicit it—inform our understanding of how animals resolve tradeoffs among selection pressures. Snakes sometimes form...
Ungulate migrations of the Western United States, volume 6
Matthew J. Kauffman, Blake Lowrey, Jennifer L. McKee, Chloe J. Beaupre, Jeffrey Beck, Jon P. Beckmann, Scott Bergen, Joel Berger, Regan Berkley, Nathan Borg, Peyton Carl, Michelle Cowardin, Sarah Dewey, Katie M. Dugger, Amy Ehrhart, Jessica Fort, Eric Freeman, Ian Freeman, Emily R. Gelzer, David German, Jacob Gray, Evan Greenspan, Zach Gregory, Emily Hagler, Makeda Hanson, Valerie D. Hinojoza-Rood, Pat Hnilicka, Nick Jaffe, Andrew F. Jakes, Aran Johnson, Jaron T. Kolek, Art Lawson, Zach Lockyer, Daryl Lutz, Cody McKee, Jane McKeever, Jerod A. Merkle, Matthew A. Mumma, Dennis Newman, Erika Peckham, Jill E. Randall, Tempe Regan, Adele K. Reinking, Robert Ritson, William J. Rudd, Brianna M. Russo, Hall Sawyer, Cody Schroeder, Brandon Scurlock, Jeff Short, Bret Stansberry, Erik Steiner, Alethea Steingisser, Tom Stephenson, Eric VanNatta, Cody F. Wallace, Brad Weinmeister, Don Whittaker, Tatjana Woody, Sean Yancey
2026, Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5123
This report, volume 6 in the “Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States” report series, showcases the migrations of 23 ungulate herds in the Western United States. The report series is produced by the Corridor Mapping Team (CMT). Led by the U.S. Geological Survey, the CMT is a collaboration among...
Valuing socio-economic and ecological attributes of forested watershed restoration to reduce wildfire risk in the southwestern U.S.
Mohammad Mashiur Rahman, James R. Meldrum, Julie M. Mueller, Christopher Huber
2026, Forest Policy and Economics (186)
Forest restoration in a watershed can provide numerous ecological improvements and social benefits, including reducing the risk of extreme wildfire. Understanding the values of the accrued benefits can be used to evaluate the use of funds to support restoration. The Rio Grande watershed is a vast watershed...
Seasons and seasonality in lakes: Synthesis amid global change
Abigail S. Lewis, David C. Richardson, Dexter W. Howard, Cayelan C. Carey, Benjamin M. Kraemer, Yael Amitai, Sheel Bansal, Elvira Eyto, Hans-Peter Grossart, Kathryn K. Hoffman, Rachel A. Hovel, Lesley B. Knoll, Isabella Oleksy, Arianto Santoso, Martin Schmid, Robert Schwefel, Dietmar Straile, Xinyu Sun, Gesa A. Weyhenmeyer, Whitney M. Woelmer, Sabine Wollrab, Petr Znachor
2026, Limnology and Oceanography Letters (11)
Seasonality in environmental conditions plays a fundamental role in shaping lake ecosystems. However, patterns of seasonality vary worldwide, and these patterns are shifting over time amid global change. Thus, it is increasingly important to evaluate how seasons and seasonality are represented in lake ecosystem research. Here, we used a literature...
Controlling invasive carp ichthyoplankton dispersion using a streamwise-oriented bubble screen: A proof-of-concept validation in a laboratory flume
Vindhyawasini Prasad, Henry F. Doyle, Cory Suski, P. Ryan Jackson, Amy E. George, Jesse Robert Fischer, Benjamin H. Stahlschmidt, Anne Marie Herndon, Rafael O. Tinoco
2026, Journal of Great Lakes Research
Recent evidence of invasive grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) reproducing in tributaries to the Laurentian Great Lakes has highlighted the need for control efforts targeting multiple life stages. Initial attempts to control dispersal of downstream-drifting invasive carp ichthyoplankton (i.e., eggs and larvae) using an oblique bubble screen (OBS) revealed that nearly...
The Python Energy Balance model for Snow and Ice (PEBSI): Application and tradeoff analysis on Gulkana Glacier, Alaska
Claire V. Wilson, David R. Rounce, Louis Sass, Albin Wells, Emily H. Baker, Mark Flanner, S. Mackenzie Skiles
2026, Journal of Glaciology (72)
Glacier energy-balance models offer mechanistic insights into glacier mass balance under a changing climate, yet their considerable data requirements hinder large-scale applications. Here we present the open-source Python Energy Balance model for Snow and Ice (PEBSI), which includes physically based albedo evolution using the Snow, Ice and Aerosol Radiative (SNICAR)...
Rare earth element potential in coal and coal ash in the U.S. Gulf Coast
Bridget R. Scanlon, Robert C. Reedy, Brent A. Elliott, James C. Hower, J. Richard Kyle, Marek Locmelis, Nolan Theaker, Peter D. Warwick
2026, International Journal of Coal Science & Technology (13)
United States heavy reliance on imports of critical minerals (CMs), including rare earth elements (REEs), underscores the importance of development of domestic sources. The study objective was to quantify CM and REE concentrations in coal and coal ash in the US Gulf Coast region. CM and REE...
