Hydrologic mechanisms for 2022 Yellowstone River flood and comparisons to recent historic floods
Jeremy Giovando, Wyatt Reis, Wei Zhang, Nancy A. Barth
2025, Hydrological Processes (39)
In June 2022, a historic flood event occurred in the headwaters of the Yellowstone River Basin. The flood resulted in millions of dollars in damages and substantial interruptions to Yellowstone National Park. The 2022 flood event was substantially higher in magnitude than other high-peak flow events over the last 30 years....
Evidence of red fox (Vulpes vulpes) depredating a Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammospiza caudacuta) nest
Bridget Re, Sarah M. Karpanty, Elizabeth Ann Hunter
2025, The Wilson Journal of Ornithology (137) 647-654
Saltmarsh Sparrows (Ammospiza caudacuta), a tidal-marsh specialist, face severe population declines due to habitat loss, sea-level rise, and predation. While previous research suggests that predation pressure increases at the southern extent of the species’ breeding range, data on local predator communities remain limited. To address this, we...
Overwinter survival of an estuarine resident fish (Fundulus heteroclitus) in North Carolina salt marsh creeks
P. J. Rudershausen, Matthew J. O'Donnell
2025, Journal of Fish of Biology (107) 188-200
The mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus is a trophically important fish inhabiting Atlantic coastal salt marshes, with few in situ estimates of overwinter survival throughout the species range. We estimated overwinter apparent survival rates of F. heteroclitus at the approximate mid-latitudinal species range [coastal North Carolina (USA)] in four tidal creeks that experience variable winter water...
Exposure of wild mammals inhabiting Alaska to influenza A(H5N1) virus
Andrew M. Ramey, Kimberlee B. Beckmen, David T. Saafeld, Kerry Nicholson, Buck A. Mangipane, Laura Celeste Scott, David E. Stallknecht, Rebecca L. Poulson
2025, Emerging Infectious Diseases (31) 804-808
Serum samples from wild mammals inhabiting Alaska, USA, showed that 4 species, including Ursus arctos bears and Vulpes vulpes foxes, were exposed to influenza A(H5N1) viruses. Results indicated some mammals in Alaska survived H5N1 virus infection. Surveillance efforts may be improved by incorporating information on susceptibility and detectable immune responses among wild mammals....
Temporal and spatial equivalence in demographic responses of emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) to environmental change
Bilgecan Şen, Christian Joseph Che-Castaldo, Michelle A. LaRue, Kristen M. Krumhardt, Laura Landrum, Marika M. Holland, Heather J. Lynch, Karine Delord, Christophe Barbraud, Stéphanie Jenouvrier
2025, Journal of Animal Ecology (94) 932-942
1. Population ecology and biogeography applications often necessitate the transfer of models across spatial and/or temporal dimensions to make predictions outside the bounds of the data used for model fitting. However, ecological data are often spatiotemporally unbalanced such that the spatial or the temporal dimension tends to contain more data...
MTAB 111, March 2025
Kyra Harvey, Jennifer L. McKay
2025, Newsletter
This Memo to All Banders (MTAB 111) was released in March 2025. Subjects in this this memo are 1. The Chief’s Chirp; 2. Alerts – Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza; 3. Staff updates – celebrating Karen Jone’s remarkable career and retirement, meeting reports and a field trip; 4. News – BandIt...
Movements and habitat use of Silver Carp in the Arkansas and White rivers
Andrew L. Althoff, Jamie L. Kindschuh, Steve E. Lochmann, Derek K. Owens, Jonathan J. Spurgeon, Jeffery N. Stevens
2025, Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management (15) 493-509
Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix is an invasive species found throughout the Mississippi River basin. Efforts have been made to control Silver Carp populations through removal programs and movement barrier implementation. Up to date information on diel, seasonal, and annual movements and habitat use by Silver Carp will benefit these efforts. Studies of...
Potential effects of sea level rise and high tide flooding on Laterallus jamaicensis jamaicensis (eastern black rail) coastal breeding areas
Catherine A. Nikiel, Marta P. Lyons
2025, Open-File Report 2021-1104-F
Laterallus jamaicensis jamaicensis (eastern black rails; Gmelin, 1789) are facing increasing risk from flooding in coastal breeding habitats because of rising sea levels combined with standard high tide flooding. In this report, we examine regional differences in relative rates of sea level rise, days in the breeding season above historical...
Evaluating drought risk of the Red River of the North Basin using historical and stochastic streamflow upstream from Emerson, Manitoba
Fleford Santos Redoloza, Robin L. Glas, Rochelle A. Nustad, Karen R. Ryberg
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5002
Drought and its effect on streamflow are important to understand because of the potential to adversely affect water supply, agricultural production, and ecological conditions. The Red River of the North Basin in north-central United States and central Canada is susceptible to dry conditions. During an extended drought, streamflow conditions in...
System characterization report on the Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program (EnMAP)
Minsu Kim, Seonkyung Park, Cody Anderson
2025, Open-File Report 2021-1030-S
This report addresses system characterization of the Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program hyperspectral sensor by the DLR (German Aerospace Center, ground segment project management), GFZ (Deutsches Geoforschungszentrum, science lead) and is part of a series of system characterization reports produced and delivered by the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation...
Delineating ecologically-distinct groups for annual cycle management of a declining shorebird
Elly C. Knight, J. D. Carlisle, Andy J. Boyce, D.C. Bradley, Paula Cimprich, Stephanie Coates, Stephen J. Dinsmore, Cory J. Gregory, Joel G. Jorgensen, Jeffrey F. Kelly, David Newstead, Alina Olalla, Larkin A. Powell, Amy L. Scarpignato, T. Lee Tibbitts, Nils Warnock, Walter Wehtje, Peter P. Marra, Autumn-Lynn Harrison
2025, Journal of Applied Ecology (62) 1152-1165
1. Patterns of migratory connectivity are increasingly used to understand and manage threats throughout the annual cycle of migratory species. Strong migratory connectivity refers to when individuals from different populations remain spatially separated across the annual cycle, which may expose populations to unique sets of threats and conditions that cause...
Assessing decadal-scale coastal change likelihood to define the accuracy and application of scientific information
Elizabeth A. Pendleton, Erika E. Lentz, Rachel E. Henderson, Julia L. Heslin, Marie Kathleen Bartlett, Travis K. Sterne
2025, Journal of Coastal Research (41) 770-785
Defining the accuracy and uncertainties of scientific data products is critical to the usability and trustworthiness of scientific information for environmental management and conservation purposes, such as coastal resource prioritization, design, adaptation, and mitigation. The U.S. Geological Survey has a new decadal-scale coastal change assessment product that synthesizes nearly two...
Dynamic rating method for computing discharge and stage from time-series data
Marian M. Domanski, Robert R. Holmes, Jr., Elizabeth Heal, Travis M. Knight
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5129
Ratings are used for several reasons in water-resources investigations. The simplest rating relates discharge to the stage of a river (the stage-discharge relation). From a pure hydrodynamics perspective, all rivers and streams have some form of hysteresis in the relation between stage and discharge because flow becomes unsteady as a...
Characterization of stream water quality and groundwater levels in the Central Pine Barrens region, Suffolk County, New York, 2017–23
Amanda Nicole May, Irene Fisher, Amy E. Simonson, Banu Bayraktar
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5010
The area locally known as the “Central Pine Barrens” region, located in Suffolk County, New York, contains most of Long Island’s preserved and undeveloped land. This region overlays an aquifer system that provides potable groundwater for residents of Suffolk County. Between 2017 and 2023, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation...
Effects of northern bobwhite habitat management on avian species of conservation concern
Johanna M. H. Ford, Anna Maureen Tucker, Adam K. Janke, Tyler M. Harms, Riggs O. Wilson
2025, Ecological Indicators (172)
The umbrella species concept is often used as a tool to guide management decisions and focus efforts towards one focal species whose habitat needs overlap that of other species. We assessed this concept in the context of an agriculturally dominant landscape using one of the most well-studied avian species in...
World minerals outlook—Cobalt, gallium, helium, lithium, magnesium, palladium, platinum, and titanium through 2029
Elisa Alonso, Amanda Sarah Brioche, Ruth Schulte, Loyd M. Trimmer III, Ji-Eun Kim, Andrew L. Gulley, David Pineault
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5021
Given the rapid expansion in the demand for mineral commodities that underpin worldwide economic growth and technological advancement, information regarding expected country-level mine production and production capacity is becoming increasingly important to industry stakeholders, end users, and policymakers. Production capacity can limit future supply, depending on how rapidly that capacity...
Evidence for size‐based predation risk during Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolt migration.
Matthew A. Mensinger, Alessio Mortelliti, Joseph D. Zydlewski
2025, Journal of Fish Biology
Hatchery supplementation is frequently employed during the conservation and recovery of imperilled salmon populations. At the smolt stage, hatchery rearing practices often produce individuals that are larger than wild conspecifics. Under this ‘bigger is better’ strategy, it is assumed that larger fish are less susceptible to predation during migration. We...
Determining low-flow conditions at select streams to Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor as the first step towards the development of ecological-flow targets
Christine M. Wieben, Jonathan G. Kennen, Thomas P. Suro
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5096
Maintaining streamflow to support human water needs and ecosystem services requires a fundamental understanding of the relations between changes in streamflow processes and ecosystem responses. Changes in the natural patterns in flow, geology, and topography alter the habitats that aquatic organisms rely on for food, shelter, and reproduction. The U.S....
Foundational science in flight—USGS bird programs support conservation, culture, and a thriving U.S. economy
David Ziolkowski, Antonio Celis-Murillo, Jenn Malpass, Keith L. Pardieck, Julien Martin, Lauren Emily Walker
2025, Fact Sheet 2025-3011
Birds are vital to our economy, ecosystems, and cultural heritage. Investing in bird conservation benefits communities, businesses, and working lands while reinforcing our nation’s legacy of stewardship and biodiversity. By valuing birds, we ensure a richer, healthier, and more vibrant future for all Americans. The USGS leads two national bird...
Updating and recalibrating the integrated Santa Rosa Plain Hydrologic Model to assess stream depletion and to simulate future climate and management scenarios in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California
Ayman H. Alzraiee, Andrew Rich, Linda R. Woolfenden, Derek W. Ryter, Enrique Triana, Richard G. Niswonger
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5121
The Santa Rosa Plain Hydrologic Model (SRPHM) was developed and published in 2014 through a collaboration between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Sonoma Water to analyze the hydrologic system in the Santa Rosa Plain watershed, help meet the increasing demand for fresh water, and prepare for future uncertainties in...
Meta-analysis of a megafish: Assessing patterns and predictors of Alligator Gar movement across multiple populations
Hayden C. Roberts, Florian Kappen, Matthew Ross Acre, Daniel J. Daugherty, Nathan G. Smith, Joshuah S. Perkin
2025, Movement Ecology (13)
BackgroundFreshwater megafishes are among some of the most commercially and ecologically important aquatic organisms yet are disproportionately threatened with range and population reduction. Anthropogenic alterations of rivers influencing migrations are among the most significant causes for these declines. However, migratory fishes do not always respond similarly to movement...
6PPD-quinone in water from the San Francisco-San Joaquin Delta, California, 2018-2024
Gabrielle Pecora Black, Matthew D. De Parsia, Matthew Uychutin, Rachael F. Lane, James Orlando, Michelle L. Hladik
2025, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (197)
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) is an expansive river delta supplying a large portion of California’s fresh water for agriculture and residential use, and it is also an area of critical habitat for numerous state and federally listed species of concern. In many locations, urban stormwater flows directly into the...
Assessment of effects of channelization mitigation alternatives of Stoney Brook, Carlton and St. Louis Counties, Minnesota
Charles V. Cigrand
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5004
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (FDLB), studied the effects of channel modification alternatives on lake levels and floodplain inundation in the Stoney Brook watershed in northeast Minnesota. Northern wild rice (Zizania palustris), also referred to as manoomin by the...
Informing adaptive management to reduce ungulate aggregations: A case study involving winter feeding of elk
William Michael Janousek, Eric K. Cole, Sarah R. Dewey, Tabitha A. Graves
2025, Wildlife Society Bulletin (49)
In the United States, wildlife managers are entrusted with preserving culturally and economically important ungulate populations in the face of the ongoing spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service established an adaptive management plan to reduce the reliance of elk (Cervus canadensis) on supplemental winter...
Population trends of native and non-native forest birds on the island of Molokai, Hawaii
Lauren K. Smith, Seth Judge, Ayesha Genz, Lainie Berry, Laura K Berthold, Hanna L. Mounce, Richard J. Camp
2025, The Wilson Journal of Ornithology (137) 51-64
Hawaiʻi’s avifauna has undergone profound changes over the past 1,000 years, with many endemic bird species driven to extinction and non-native introductions reshaping forest ecosystems. On the island of Molokaʻi, habitat degradation and the introduction of mosquito-borne disease, mainly avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum), have caused extinctions and severe declines in native...
