Use of continuous water-quality time-series data to compute total phosphorus concentrations and loads for the Missouri River at St. Joseph and Hermann, Missouri, 2007–22
Kendra M. Markland
2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5097
In support of Missouri’s Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy, which was created to reduce the nutrient contamination of Missouri’s waterways from point and nonpoint sources, total phosphorus concentrations and loads were computed for the Missouri River at St. Joseph, Missouri, streamgage (U.S. Geological Survey station 06818000) and the Missouri River at...
Field geology under the sea with a remotely operated vehicle: Mona Rift, Puerto Rico
Uri S. ten Brink, Or M. Bialik, Jason Chaytor, Claudia Flores, Marcie Purkey Phillips
2024, Geosphere (20) 1575-1597
We implemented concepts of field geology at great ocean depths by constructing virtual outcrops from a string of overlapping video frames collected by remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). This lower-cost alternative to drilling boreholes allows stratigraphic extension into the offshore and regional interpretation of marine seismic profiles. The imagery was collected...
Penguin colony georegistration using camera pose estimation and phototourism
Haoyu Wu, Clare Flynn, Carole Hall, Christian Joseph Che-Castaldo, Dimitris Samaras, Mathew Schwaller, Heather J. Lynch
2024, PLoS ONE (19)
Satellite-based remote sensing and uncrewed aerial imagery play increasingly important roles in the mapping of wildlife populations and wildlife habitat, but the availability of imagery has been limited in remote areas. At the same time, ecotourism is a rapidly growing industry and can yield a vast catalog of photographs that...
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources in the Norphlet Formation, U.S. Gulf Coast region, 2023
John W. Counts, William H. Craddock, Jared T. Gooley, Marc L. Buursink, Tracey J. Mercier, Cheryl A. Woodall, Christopher J. Schenk
2024, Fact Sheet 2024-3034
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 16 million barrels of oil and 348 billion cubic feet of gas in conventional reservoirs of the Norphlet Formation in the U.S. Gulf Coast region....
Spatial distribution patterns of invasive silver carp can inform removal efforts in an oxbow lake of the Mississippi River
Jordan C. Besson, Leandro E. Miranda, Michael E. Colvin, Corey Garland Dunn, Dennis K. Riecke
2024, Management of Biological Invasions (15) 505-518
Oxbow lakes are highly productive waterbodies that host multiple life stages of many freshwater aquatic species. These lakes also provide foraging and rearing habitat to the invasive silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) enabling populations to grow in biomass and abundance that can add propagule pressure to connected waterways and oxbows within...
Examining inter-regional and intra-seasonal differences in wintering waterfowl landscape associations among Pacific and Atlantic flyways
Matthew J. Hardy, Christopher K. Williams, Brian S. Ladman, Maurice E. Pitesky, Cory T. Overton, Michael L. Casazza, Elliott Matchett, Diann Prosser, Jeffrey J. Buler
2024, Preprint
The Central Valley of California (CVC) and Mid-Atlantic (MA) in the U.S. are both critical sites for nationwide food security (California Poultry Federation 2016, Prosser et al. 2017), and many waterfowl species annually, especially during the winter, providing feeding and roosting locations for a variety of species. Mapping waterfowl distributions,...
Identifying and filling critical knowledge gaps can optimize financial viability of blue carbon projects in tidal wetlands
Tim J.B. Carruthers, S. Beaux Jones, Megan K. Terrell, Jonathan F. Scheibly, Brendan J. Player, Valerie A. Black, Justin R. Ehrenwerth, Patrick D. Biber, Rod M. Connolly, Steve Crooks, Jason P. Curole, Kelly M. Darnell, Alyssa M. Dausman, Allison L. DeJong, Shawn M. Doyle, Christopher R. Esposito, Daniel A. Friess, James W. Fourqurean, Ioannis Y. Georgiou, Gabriel D. Grimsditch, Songjie He, Eva R. Hillmann, Guerry O. Holm Jr., Jennifer Howard, Hoonshin Jung, Stacy D. Jupiter, Erin P. Kiskaddon, Ken Krauss, Paul S. Lavery, Bingqing Liu, Catherine E. Lovelock, Sarah K. Mack, Peter I. Macreadie, Karen J. McGlathery, J. Patrick Megonigal, Brian J. Roberts, Scott Settelmyer, Lorie W. Staver, Hilary J. Stevens, Ariana Eileen Sutton-Grier, Jorge A. Villa, John R. White, Michelle Waycott
2024, Frontiers in Environmental Science (12)
One of the world’s largest “blue carbon” ecosystems, Louisiana’s tidal wetlands on the US Gulf of Mexico coast, is rapidly being lost. Louisiana’s strong legal, regulatory, and monitoring framework, developed for one of the world’s largest tidal wetland systems, provides an opportunity for a programmatic approach to blue carbon accreditation...
Predictive modeling reveals elevated conductivity relative to background levels in freshwater tributaries within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA
Rosemary M. Fanelli, Joel Moore, Charles C. Stillwell, Andrew J. Sekellick, Richard Walker
2024, ES&T Water (4) 4978-4989
Elevated conductivity (i.e., specific conductance or SC) causes osmotic stress in freshwater aquatic organisms and may increase the toxicity of some contaminants. Indices of benthic macroinvertebrate integrity have declined in urban areas across the Chesapeake Bay watershed (CBW), and more information is needed about whether these...
Mitigating climate change by abating coal mine methane: A critical review of status and opportunities
C. Ozgen Karacan, Robert A. Field, Maria Olczak, Malgorzata Kasprzak, Felicia Ruiz, Stefan Schwietzke
2024, International Journal of Coal Geology (295)
Methane has a short atmospheric lifetime compared to carbon dioxide (CO2), ∼decade versus ∼centuries, but it has a much higher global warming potential (GWP), highlighting how reducing methane emissions can slow the rate of climate change. When considering the contribution of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to current global...
A systematic review of laboratory investigations into the pathogenesis of avian influenza viruses in wild avifauna of North America
Matthew Brandon Gonnerman, Christina Leyson, Jeffery D. Sullivan, Mary J. Pantin-Jackwood, Erica Spackman, Jennifer M. Mullinax, Diann Prosser
2024, Proceeding of the Royal Society B (291)
The lack of consolidated information regarding the response of wild bird species to infection with avian influenza virus (AIV) is a challenge to both conservation managers and researchers alike, with related sectors also impacted, such as public health and commercial poultry. Using two independent searches, we reviewed...
Intraspecific trait variability in wild populations predicts neither variability nor performance in a common garden
Ella M. Samuel, Rachel M. Mitchell, Daniel E. Winkler, Zoe M. Davidson, Shannon Joy Lencioni, Robert Massatti
2024, Restoration Ecology
Dryland restoration requires plant materials capable of performing well despite difficult growing conditions. Selecting plant materials with higher intraspecific trait variability (ITV) may support successful outcomes by enhancing the performance of those materials in restoration settings. However, maintaining ITV from wild populations is not well understood and requires further investigation...
Inventorying ponds through novel size-adaptive object mapping using Sentinel-1/2 time series
Denghong Liu, Xioalin Zhu, Meredith Holgerson, Sheel Bansal, Xiangtao Xu
2024, Remote Sensing of Environment (315)
Ponds are an important source of greenhouse gases (GHGs) to the atmosphere, yet evaluating their role in global biogeochemical cycling is currently hampered by limitations in quantifying their global distribution. Existing satellite-derived estimates of lake distributions have difficulty identifying small lakes (5–10 ha) and ponds (<5 ha) due to limitations in satellite...
Developments in African industrial minerals for renewable energy
Thomas Yager
2024, Fact Sheet 2024-3029
Introduction Africa is emerging as a leading source for minerals used in the manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles and in other renewable energy applications. New graphite, lithium, and rare-earth mines have or could be opened in African countries from 2017 through 2026.Estimates of production capacities for graphite, lithium, and rare-earth...
Effects of noise from oil and gas development on raptors and songbirds—A science synthesis to inform National Environmental Policy Act analyses
Logan M. Maxwell, Tait K. Rutherford, Nathan J. Kleist, Elisabeth C. Teige, Richard J. Lehrter, Megan A. Gilbert, David J.A. Wood, Aaron N. Johnston, John C. Tull, Travis S. Haby, Sarah K. Carter
2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5087
The U.S. Geological Survey is working with Federal land management agencies to develop a series of science syntheses to support environmental effects analyses that agencies conduct to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This report synthesizes science information about the potential effects of noise from oil and gas...
Zircon constraints on the eruptive sequence and magma evolution of rhyolites at South Sister volcano, Oregon
Annika E. Dechert, Nathan Lee Andersen, Josef Dufek, Christine E. Jilly-Rehak
2024, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (25)
We present 230Th-238U crystallization ages and trace element compositions for zircons spanning the late Pleistocene to Holocene rhyolite eruptive record at South Sister volcano in the central Oregon Cascade Range. Most zircon ages are between 100 and 20 ka, with very few in secular equilibrium (>350 ka). The weighted mean of zircon ages...
Adaptable plasmonic membrane sensors for fast and reliable detection of trace low micrometer microplastics in lake water
Ziyan Wu, Sarah E. Janssen, Michael T. Tate, Hoaran Wei, Mohan Qin
2024, Environmental Science and Technology (58) 20172-20180
In freshwater environments, low-micrometer microplastics (LMMPs) have captured significant attention due to their prevalence and toxicity. Yet, rapid detection of LMMPs (1–10 μm) at the single-particle level within complex freshwater matrices remains a hurdle. We developed an adaptable plasmonic membrane sensor for fast detection of individual LMMPs in eutrophic lake...
Dynamics, monitoring and forecasting of tephra in the atmosphere
Federica Pardini, Sara Barsotti, Contanza Bonadonna, Mattia de’ Michieli Vitturi, Arnau Folch, Larry G. Mastin, Soledad Osores, Andrew T. Prata
2024, Reviews of Geophysics (62)
Explosive volcanic eruptions inject hot mixtures of solid particles (tephra) and gasses into the atmosphere. Entraining ambient air, these mixtures can form plumes rising tens of kilometers until they spread laterally, forming umbrella clouds. While the largest clasts tend to settle in proximity to the volcano, the smallest fragments, commonly...
Evaluating the impact of uncertainty in ground motion forecasts for post-earthquake impact modeling applications
Davis T. Engler, Kishor S. Jaiswal, Mahadevan Ganesh
2024, Earthquake Spectra Journal (41) 524-546
The US Geological Survey’s (USGS) ShakeMap system provides a rapid characterization of strong ground shaking in areas directly affected by an earthquake. This study focuses on studying the aggregate effects of macroseismic shaking estimates from ShakeMap, expressed in terms of modified Mercalli intensity (MMI), when accounting for the uncertainty in...
Population structure of Desmophyllum pertusum found along the United States eastern continental margin
Alexis Marie Weinnig, Aaron Aunins, Veronica J. Salamone, Andrea M. Quattrini, Martha S. Nizinski, Cheryl Morrison
2024, BMC Research Notes (17)
ObjectiveThe connectivity and genetic structuring of populations throughout a region influence a species’ resilience and probability of recovery from anthropogenic impacts. By gaining a comprehensive understanding of population connectivity, more effective management can be prioritized. To assess the connectivity and population genetic structure of a common cold-water coral...
The influence of grazing on the spatiotemporal activity patterns of a primary sage-grouse nest predator
Nolan A. Helmstetter, Courtney J. Conway, Shane Roberts, Paul D. Makela, Lisette P. Waits
2024, Rangeland Ecology and Management (98) 316-323
Perturbations in ecological processes can occur when wildlife alter their spatiotemporal activity patterns to avoid human activities that they perceive as a risk. Such perturbations can have cascading effects throughout wildlife communities. For greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter sage-grouse), nest predation plays an important role in population dynamics. Domestic cattle...
The projected exposure and response of a natural barrier island system to climate-driven coastal hazards
Jennifer Anne Thomas, Patrick L. Barnard, Sean Vitousek, Li H. Erikson, Kai Alexander Parker, Kees Nederhoff, Kevin M. Befus, Manoochehr Shirzaei
2024, Scientific Reports (14)
Accelerating sea level rise (SLR) and changing storm patterns will increasingly expose barrier islands to coastal hazards, including flooding, erosion, and rising groundwater tables. We assess the exposure of Cape Lookout National Seashore, a barrier island system in North Carolina (USA), to projected SLR and storm hazards over the twenty-first...
Multi-decadal trophic shifts in Lake Erie yellow perch Perca flavescens
Joseph Schmitt, Ann Marie Gorman, Carey Knight, Mark Richard Dufour, James Roberts, Travis Hartman
2024, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (81) 1560-1580
In Lake Erie, yellow perch Perca flavescens support vast commercial and recreational fisheries, yet populations have recently declined. Using N = 5889 yellow perch stomachs collected from 1997 to 2021, we explored trends in the feeding ecology and trophic level of yellow perch with generalized additive models. Models revealed a significant decrease in yellow perch...
Predator-specific mortality of sage-grouse nests based on predator DNA on eggshells
Nolan A. Helmstetter, Courtney J. Conway, Shane Roberts, Jennifer R. Adams, Paul D. Makela, Lisette P. Waits
2024, Ecology and Evolution (14)
Greater sage-grouse (hereafter sage-grouse; Centrocercus urophasianus) populations have declined across their range. Increased nest predation as a result of anthropogenic land use is one mechanism proposed to explain these declines. However, sage-grouse contend with a diverse suite of nest predators that vary in functional traits (e.g., search tactics or hunting mode)...
Tissue distribution and temporal and spatial assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in the mid-Atlantic United States
Vicki S. Blazer, Heather L. Walsh, Cheyenne R. Smith, Stephanie E. Gordon, Brandon J. Keplinger, Timothy Wertz
2024, Environmental Science and Pollution Research (p.) 59302-59319
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have become an environmental issue worldwide. A first step to assessing potential adverse effects on fish populations is to determine if concentrations of concern are present in a region and if so, in which watersheds. Hence, plasma from adult smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu collected at 10 sites...
Cooperative conservation actions improve sage-grouse population performance within the Bi-State Distinct Population Segment
Peter S. Coates, Brian G. Prochazka, Sarah C. Webster, Cali L. Weise, Cameron L. Aldridge, Michael S. O’Donnell, Lief A. Wiechman, Kevin E. Doherty, John C. Tull
2024, Rangeland Ecology & Management (97) 135-145
Developing a robust monitoring framework that integrates efficacy assessments of cooperative conservation and restoration actions in relation to population viability is critical for successful long-term recovery of target ecosystems and species. However, often it is difficult to quantify conservation action efficacy because of the complex, dynamic nature of ecosystem processes...
