Resource selection and wintering phenology of White-winged Scoters in southern New England: Implications for offshore wind energy development
Dustin E. Meattey, Scott R. McWilliams, Peter W.C. Paton, Christine Lepage, Scott G. Gilliland, Lucas Savoy, Glenn H. Olsen, Jason E. Osenkowski
2019, Condor (121)
Southern New England provides key wintering habitat for White-winged Scoters (Melanitta fusca). This area has also pioneered the development of offshore wind energy in North America and the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has established nine Wind Energy Area (WEA) lease blocks along the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf...
On the eruption age and provenance of the Old Crow tephra
Seth D. Burgess, Matthew Coble, Jorge A. Vazquez, Michelle L. Coombs, Kristi L. Wallace
2019, Quaternary Science Reviews (207) 64-79
Tephrochronology is used to correlate and reconstruct geographically disparate sedimentary records of changing environment, climate, and landscape throughout geologic time. Single tephra layers represent isochronous markers across broad regions, thus accurate and precise radiometric constraints on the timing of eruption are critical to their...
Pace and process of active folding and fluvial incision across the Kantishna Hills anticline, central Alaska
Adrian Bender, Richard O. Lease, Peter J. Haeussler, Tammy M. Rittenour, Lee B. Corbett, Paul R. Bierman, Marc W. Caffee
2019, Geophysical Research Letters (46) 3235-3244
Rates of northern Alaska Range thrust system deformation are poorly constrained. Shortening at the system's west end is focused on the Kantishna Hills anticline. Where the McKinley River cuts across the anticline, the landscape records both Late Pleistocene deformation and climatic change. New optically stimulated luminescence and cosmogenic 10Be depth profile...
Oxygen isotopic investigation of silicic magmatism in the Stillwater caldera complex, Nevada: Generation of large-volume, low-δ18O rhyolitic tuffs and assessment of their regional context in the Great Basin of the western United States
Kathryn E. Watts, David A. John, Joseph P. Colgan, Christopher D. Henry, Ilya N. Bindeman, John W. Valley
2019, GSA Bulletin (131) 1133-1156
Successive caldera-forming eruptions from ca. 30 to 25 Ma generated a large nested caldera complex in western Nevada that was subsequently dissected by Basin and Range extension, providing extraordinary cross-sectional views through diverse volcanic and plutonic rocks. A high-resolution oxygen isotopic study was conducted on units that represent all major...
Complex immune responses and molecular reactions to pathogens and disease in a desert reptile (Gopherus agassizii)
K. Kristina Drake, Christina M. Aiello, Lizabeth Bowen, Rebecca L. Lewison, Todd Esque, Kenneth E. Nussear, Shannon C. Waters-Dynes, Peter J. Hudson
2019, Ecology and Evolution (9) 2516-2534
Immune function plays an important role in an animal's defense against infectious disease. In reptiles, immune responses may be complex and counterintuitive, and diagnostic tools used to identify infection, such as induced antibody responses are limited. Recent studies using gene transcription profiling in tortoises have proven useful in identifying immune...
Phylogeography and evolution of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus in China
Liming Xu, Jingzhuang Zhao, Miao Liu, Gael Kurath, Rachel B. Breyta, Guangming Ren, Jiasheng Yin, Hongbai Liu, Tongyan Lu
2019, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution (131) 19-28
Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is a well-known rhabdoviral pathogen of salmonid fish. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of 40 IHNV viruses isolated from thirteen fish farms in nine geographically dispersed Chinese provinces during 2012 to 2017 is presented. Identity of nucleotide and amino acid sequences among all the...
User’s guide for Assessment Tract Aggregation GUI (ATA GUI)—A graphical user interface for the AggtEx.fn R script
Jason L. Shapiro, Robinson Jr.
2019, Techniques and Methods 7-C21
The U.S. Geological Survey three-part method for mineral resource assessments estimates numbers of undiscovered mineral deposits as probability distributions in geologically defined regions termed “permissive tracts.” This report describes a graphical user interface (GUI) script developed in open-source statistical software (R) that aggregates estimated undiscovered deposits of a given type...
Occupancy models for citizen-science data
Res Altwegg, James D. Nichols
2019, Methods in Ecology and Evolution (10) 8-21
Large‐scale citizen‐science projects, such as atlases of species distribution, are an important source of data for macroecological research, for understanding the effects of climate change and other drivers on biodiversity, and for more applied conservation tasks, such as early‐warning systems for biodiversity loss.However, citizen‐science data are challenging to analyse...
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in plasma of the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus)
Kady Palmer, Jacqueline T. Bangma, Jessica L. Reiner, Robert K. Bonde, Jeffrey E. Korte, Ashley S. P. Boggs, John A. Bowden
2019, Marine Pollution Bulletin (140) 610-615
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous, synthetic anthropogenic chemicals known to infiltrate and persist in biological systems as a result of their stability and bioaccumulation potential. This study investigated 15 PFAS, including short-chain carboxylic and sulfonic acids, and their presence in a threatened herbivore, the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus). Seven of the...
Spatially distributed denitrification in a karst springshed
Wesley R. Henson, Matthew J. Cohen, Wendy D. Graham
2019, Hydrologic Processes (33) 1191-1203
Karst spring measurements assess biogeochemical processes occurring within groundwater contributing areas to springs (springsheds) but can only provide aggregated information. To better understand spatially distributed processes that comprise these aggregated measures, we investigated aquifer denitrification evidence in groundwater wells (n = 16) distributed throughout a springshed in the...
Physical mechanisms influencing localized patterns of temperature variability and coral bleaching within a system of reef atolls
Rebecca H. Green, Ryan J. Lowe, Mark L. Buckley, Taryn M. Lopez, James Gilmour
2019, Coral Reefs (38) 759-771
Interactions between oceanic and atmospheric processes within coral reefs can significantly alter local-scale (< km) water temperatures, and consequently drive variations in heat stress and bleaching severity. The Scott Reef atoll system was one of many reefs affected by the 2015–2016 mass coral bleaching event across tropical Australia, and specifically experienced...
Carbon dioxide mineralization feasibility in the United States
Madalyn S. Blondes, Matthew D. Merrill, Steven T. Anderson, Christina A. DeVera
2019, Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5079
Geologic carbon dioxide (CO2) storage is one of many methods for stabilizing the increasing concentration of CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere. The injection of CO2 in deep subsurface sedimentary reservoirs is the most commonly discussed method; however, the potential for CO2 leakage can create long-term stability concerns. This report discusses...
Wasting disease and static environmental variables drive sea star assemblages in the northern Gulf of Alaska
Brenda Konar, Timothy J. Mitchell, K. Iken, Thomas Dean, Daniel Esler, Mandy Lindeberg, Benjamin Pister, Ben P. Weitzman
2019, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology (520) 1-10
Sea stars are ecologically important in rocky intertidal habitats where they can play an apex predator role, completely restructuring communities. The recent sea star die-off throughout the eastern Pacific, known as Sea Star Wasting Disease, has prompted a need to understand spatial and temporal patterns of sea star assemblages and...
Improved automated detection of subpixel-scale inundation – Revised Dynamic Surface Water Extent (DSWE) partial surface water tests
John Jones
2019, Remote Sensing (11) 1-26
In order to produce useful hydrologic and aquatic habitat data from the Landsat system, the U.S. Geological Survey has developed the “Dynamic Surface Water Extent” (DSWE) Landsat Science Product. DSWE will provide long-term, high-temporal resolution data on variations in inundation extent. The model used to generate DSWE is composed of...
Micro-geographic population genetic structure within Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) in Beaufort Sea of Alaska
Robert E. Wilson, George K. Sage, Kate Wedemeyer, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Damian M. Menning, Megan C. Gravley, R. John Nelson, Sandra L. Talbot
2019, ICES Journal of Marine Science (76) 1713-1721
Many marine organisms show significant levels of genetic heterogeneity on local spatial scales despite exhibiting limited genetic structure at large geographic scales which can be produced through a variety of mechanisms. The Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) is a circumpolar species and is a vital species in Arctic food webs. To...
Estimating uncertainty of North American landbird population sizes
Jessica C. Stanton, Peter J. Blancher, Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Arvind O. Panjabi, Wayne E. Thogmartin
2019, Avian Conservation and Ecology (14)
An important metric for many aspects of species conservation planning and risk assessment is an estimate of total population size. For landbirds breeding in North America, Partners in Flight (PIF) generates global, continental, and regional population size estimates. These estimates are an important component of the PIF species assessment process,...
Potential for increased inundation in flood-prone regions of southeast Florida in response to climate and sea-level changes in Broward County, Florida, 2060–69
Jeremy D. Decker, Joseph D. Hughes, Eric D. Swain
2019, Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5125
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Broward County Environmental Planning and Resilience Division, has developed county-scale and local-scale groundwater/surface-water models to study the potential for increased inundation and flooding in eastern Broward County that are due to changes in future climate and sea-level rise. These models were constructed by...
Unravelling the complexity of magma plumbing at Mount St. Helens: A new trace element partitioning scheme for amphibole
Madeleine C. S. Humphreys, George F. Cooper, Jing Zhang, Matthew W. Loewen, Adam J. R. Kent, Colin G. Macpherson, Jon P. Davidson
2019, Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology (174) 1-15
Volcanoes at subduction zones reside above complex magma plumbing systems, where individual magmatic components may originate and interact at a range of pressures. Because whole-rock compositions of subduction zone magmas are the integrated result of processes operating throughout the entire plumbing system, processes such as mixing, homogenisation and magma assembly...
Assemblage structure, vertical distributions and stable‐isotope compositions of anguilliform leptocephali in the Gulf of Mexico
Andrea M. Quattrini, Jennifer McClain Counts, Stephen J. Artabane, Adela Roa-Varon, Tara C. McIver, Michael Rhode, Steve W. Ross
2019, Journal of Fish Biology (94) 621-647
In August 2007, October 2008 and September–October 2010, 241 Tucker trawl and plankton net tows were conducted at the surface to depths of 1377 m at six locations in the northern and eastern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) to document leptocephalus diversity and determine how assemblage structure, larval size, abundance and isotopic...
The effects of topographic surveying technique and data resolution on the detection and interpretation of geomorphic change
Alan Kasprak, Nathaniel D. Bransky, Joel B. Sankey, Joshua Caster, Temulen T. Sankey
2019, Geomorphology (333) 1-15
Change detection of high resolution topographic data is commonly used in river valleys to quantify reach- and site-scale sediment budgets by estimating the erosion/deposition volume, and to interpret the geomorphic processes driving erosion and deposition. Field survey data are typically collected as point clouds that are often converted to gridded raster datasets and the ultimate choice of grid...
The mighty Susquehanna—extreme floods in Eastern North America during the past two millennia
Michael Toomey, Meagan Cantwell, Steven Colman, Thomas M. Cronin, Jeffrey P. Donnelly, Liviu Giosan, Clifford Heil, Robert L. Korty, Marci E. Marot, Debra A. Willard
2019, Geophysical Research Letters (46) 3398-3407
The hazards posed by infrequent major floods to communities along the Susquehanna River and the ecological health of Chesapeake Bay remain largely unconstrained due to the short length of streamgage records. Here we develop a history of high‐flow events on the Susquehanna River during the late Holocene from flood deposits...
Effects of individual misidentification on estimates of survival in long-term mark–resight studies
A. M. Tucker, Conor P. McGowan, R. A. Robinson, J. A. Clark, James E. Lyons, A. Derose-Wilson, R. Du Feu, G. E. Austin, P. W. Atkinson, N. A. Clark
2019, Condor (121)
All ecological measurements are subject to error; the effects of missed detection (false negatives) are well known, but the effects of mistaken detection (false positives) are less understood. Long-term capture–recapture datasets provide valuable ecological insights and baselines for conservation and management, but where such studies rely on noninvasive re-encounters, such...
Impact of prey occupancy and other ecological and anthropogenic factors on Tiger distribution in Thailand’s Western Forest Complex
Somphot Duangchatrasiri, Pornkamol Jornburom, Sitthichai Jinamoy, Anak Pattanvibool, James E. Hines, Todd W. Arnold, John Fieberg, James L D Smith
2019, Ecology and Evolution (9) 2449-2458
Despite conservation efforts, large mammals such as tigers (Panthera tigris) and their main prey, gaur (Bos gaurus), banteng (Bos javanicus), and sambar (Rusa unicolor), are highly threatened and declining across their entire range. The only large viable source population of tigers in mainland Southeast Asia occurs in Thailand's Western Forest...
Tributaries as biodiversity preserves: An ichthyoplankton perspective from the severely impounded Upper Paraná River
Patricia S. da Silva, Leandro E. Miranda, Sergio Makrakis, Lucileine de Assumpção, Joao Henrique Pinheiro Dias, Maristela Cavicchioli Makrakis
2019, Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems (29) 258-269
Conservation of fish assemblages in severely impounded rivers has often focused on providing longitudinal and lateral connectivity along the main stem. Less attention has been given to tributaries, some of which remain unimpounded.This study shows that the biodiversity of ichthyoplankton in tributaries to the largest reservoir in the Paraná...
The potential role of very high-resolution imagery to characterise lake, wetland and stream systems across the Prairie Pothole Region, United States
Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Charles R. Lane
2019, International Journal of Remote Sensing (40) 5768-5798
Aquatic features critical to watershed hydrology range widely in size from narrow, shallow streams to large, deep lakes. In this study we evaluated wetland, lake, and river systems across the Prairie Pothole Region to explore where pan-sharpened high-resolution (PSHR) imagery, relative to Landsat imagery, could provide additional...
