Five-year evaluation of habitat remediation in Thunder Bay, Lake Huron: Comparison of constructed reef characteristics that attract spawning lake trout
J. Ellen Marsden, Thomas R. Binder, James Johnson, Ji He, Natalie Dingledine, Janice Adams, Nicholas S. Johnson, Tyler J. Buchinger, Charles C. Krueger
2016, Fisheries Research (183) 275-286
Degradation of aquatic habitats has motivated construction and research on the use of artificial reefs to enhance production of fish populations. However, reefs are often poorly planned, reef design characteristics are not evaluated, and reef assessments are short-term. We constructed 29 reefs in Thunder Bay, Lake Huron, in 2010 and...
The logic of comparative life history studies for estimating key parameters, with a focus on natural mortality rate
John M Hoenig, Amy Y.-H. Then, Elizabeth A. Babcock, Norman G. Hall, David A. Hewitt, Sybrand A. Hesp
2016, ICES Journal of Marine Science (73) 2453-2467
There are a number of key parameters in population dynamics that are difficult to estimate, such as natural mortality rate, intrinsic rate of population growth, and stock-recruitment relationships. Often, these parameters of a stock are, or can be, estimated indirectly on the basis of comparative life history studies. That is,...
Hurricane Sandy washover deposits on southern Long Beach Island, New Jersey
James M. Bishop, Bruce M. Richmond, Nicholas J. Zaremba, Brent D. Lunghino, Haunani H. Kane
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1090
Sedimentologic and topographic data from Hurricane Sandy washover deposits were collected from southern Long Beach Island, New Jersey, in order to document changes to the barrier-island beaches, dunes, and coastal wetlands caused by Hurricane Sandy and subsequent storm events. These data will provide a baseline dataset for use in future...
Lake transparency: a window into decadal variations in dissolved organic carbon concentrations in Lakes of Acadia National Park, Maine
Collin S. Roesler, Charles W. Culbertson
2016, Book chapter, Aquatic nutrient biogeochemistry and microbial ecology: A dual perspective
A forty year time series of Secchi depth observations from approximately 25 lakes in Acadia National Park, Maine, USA, evidences large variations in transparency between lakes but relatively little seasonal cycle within lakes. However, there are coherent patterns over the time series, suggesting large scale processes are responsible. It has...
Near-field receiving water monitoring of trace metals and a benthic community near the Palo Alto Regional Water Quality Control Plant in south San Francisco Bay, California; 2015
Daniel J. Cain, Janet K. Thompson, Jeffrey Crauder, Francis Parchaso, A. Robin Stewart, Matthew A. Turner, Michelle I. Hornberger, Samuel N. Luoma
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1118
Trace-metal concentrations in sediment and in the clam Macoma petalum (formerly reported as Macoma balthica), clam reproductive activity, and benthic macroinvertebrate community structure were investigated in a mudflat 1 kilometer south of the discharge of the Palo Alto Regional Water Quality Control Plant (PARWQCP) in South San Francisco Bay,...
The structure and composition of Holocene coral reefs in the Middle Florida Keys
Lauren T. Toth, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Ilsa B. Kuffner
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1074
The Florida Keys reef tract (FKRT) is the largest coral-reef ecosystem in the continental United States. The modern FKRT extends for 362 kilometers along the coast of South Florida from Dry Tortugas National Park in the southwest, through the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS), to Fowey Rocks reef in...
Evaluation of a floating fish guidance structure at a hydrodynamically complex river junction in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California, USA
Jason G. Romine, Russell W. Perry, Adam C. Pope, Paul Stumpner, Theresa L. Liedtke, Kevin K. Kumagai, Ryan L. Reeves
2016, Marine and Freshwater Research (68) 878-888
Survival of out-migrating juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River delta, California, USA, varies by migration route. Survival of salmonids that enter the interior and southern Delta can be as low as half that of salmonids that remain in the main-stem Sacramento River. Reducing entrainment into the...
Characterization of mean transit time at large springs in the Upper Colorado River Basin, USA: A tool for assessing groundwater discharge vulnerability
John E. Solder, Bernard J. Stolp, Victor M. Heilweil, David D. Susong
2016, Hydrogeology Journal (24) 2017-2033
Environmental tracers (noble gases, tritium, industrial gases, stable isotopes, and radio-carbon) and hydrogeology were interpreted to determine groundwater transit-time distribution and calculate mean transit time (MTT) with lumped parameter modeling at 19 large springs distributed throughout the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB), USA. The predictive value of the MTT to...
Setting priorities for private land conservation in fire-prone landscapes: Are fire risk reduction and biodiversity conservation competing or compatible objectives?
Alexandra D. Syphard, Van Butsic, Avi Bar-Massada, Jon E. Keeley, Jeff A. Tracey, Robert N. Fisher
2016, Ecology and Society (21)
Although wildfire plays an important role in maintaining biodiversity in many ecosystems, fire management to protect human assets is often carried out by different agencies than those tasked for conserving biodiversity. In fact, fire risk reduction and biodiversity conservation are often viewed as competing objectives. Here we explored the role...
An international borderland of concern: Conservation of biodiversity in the Lower Rio Grande Valley
David M. Leslie Jr.
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5078
The Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of southern Texas is located on the United States-Mexico borderland and represents a 240-kilometer (150-mile) linear stretch that ends at the Gulf of Mexico. The LRGV represents a unique transition between temperate and tropical conditions and, as such, sustains an exceptionally high diversity of...
Invasive species: Ocean ecosystem case studies for earth systems and environmental sciences
Pamela J. Schofield, Mary E. Brown
2016, Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences
Marine species are increasingly transferred from areas where they are native to areas where they are not. Some nonnative species become invasive, causing undesirable impacts to environment, economy and/or human health. Nonnative marine species can be introduced through a variety of vectors, including shipping, trade, inland corridors (such as canals),...
Water-quality trends and constituent-transport analysis for selected sampling sites in the Milltown Reservoir/Clark Fork River Superfund Site in the upper Clark Fork Basin, Montana, water years 1996–2015
Steven K. Sando, Aldo V. Vecchia
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5100
During the extended history of mining in the upper Clark Fork Basin in Montana, large amounts of waste materials enriched with metallic contaminants (cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc) and the metalloid trace element arsenic were generated from mining operations near Butte and milling and smelting operations near Anaconda. Extensive deposition...
Study of thermochemical sulfate reduction mechanism using compound specific sulfur isotope analysis
Alexander Meshoulam, Geoffrey S. Ellis, Ward Said Ahmad, Andrei Deev, Alex L. Sessions, Yongchun Tang, Jess F. Adkins, Jinzhong Liu, William P. Gilhooly III, Zeev Aizenshtat, Alon Amrani
2016, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (188) 73-92
The sulfur isotopic fractionation associated with the formation of organic sulfur compounds (OSCs) during thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR) was studied using gold-tube pyrolysis experiments to simulate TSR. The reactants used included n-hexadecane (n-C16) as a model organic compound with sulfate, sulfite, or elemental sulfur as the sulfur source. At the...
Spatial and temporal variability in estuary habitat use by American alligators
Ikuko Fujisaki, Kristen M. Hart, Michael S. Cherkiss, Frank J. Mazzotti, Jeffrey S. Beauchamp, Brian M. Jeffery, Laura A. Brandt
2016, Estuaries and Coasts (39) 1561-1569
Estuarine habitat occupied by Alligator mississippiensis, a primarily freshwater species, is spatially and temporally heterogeneous largely due to a salinity gradient that fluctuates. Using long-term night light survey data, we examined seasonal patterns in alligators’ habitat use by size classes in midstream and downstream estuary zones of Shark River,...
First direct confirmation of grass carp spawning in a Great Lakes tributary
Holly S. Embke, Patrick M. Kocovsky, Cathy A. Richter, Jeremy J. Pritt, Christine M. Mayer, Song Qian
2016, Journal of Great Lakes Research (42) 899-903
Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), an invasive species of Asian carp, has been stocked for many decades in the United States for vegetation control. Adult individuals have been found in all of the Great Lakes except Lake Superior, but no self-sustaining populations have yet been identified in Great Lakes tributaries. In...
Internal loading of phosphorus in western Lake Erie
Gerald Matisoff, Eliza M. Kaltenberg, Rebecca L. Steely, Stephanie K. Hummel, Jinyu Seo, Kenneth J. Gibbons, Thomas B. Bridgeman, Youngwoo Seo, Mohsen Behbahani, William F. James, Laura Johnson, Phuong Doan, Maria Dittrich, Mary Anne Evans, Justin D. Chaffin
2016, Journal of Great Lakes Research (42) 775-788
This study applied eight techniques to obtain estimates of the diffusive flux of phosphorus (P) from bottom sediments throughout the western basin of Lake Erie. The flux was quantified from both aerobic and anaerobic incubations of whole cores; by monitoring the water encapsulated in bottom chambers; from pore water concentration...
Hierarchical animal movement models for population-level inference
Mevin Hooten, Frances E. Buderman, Brian M. Brost, Ephraim M. Hanks, Jacob S. Ivans
2016, Environmetrics (27) 322-333
New methods for modeling animal movement based on telemetry data are developed regularly. With advances in telemetry capabilities, animal movement models are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Despite a need for population-level inference, animal movement models are still predominantly developed for individual-level inference. Most efforts to upscale the inference to...
Island characteristics within wetlands influence waterbird nest success and abundance
C. Alex Hartman, Joshua T. Ackerman, Mark P. Herzog
2016, Journal of Wildlife Management (80) 1177-1188
Coastal waterbird populations are threatened by habitat loss and degradation from urban and agricultural development and forecasted sea level rise associated with climate change. Remaining wetlands often must be managed to ensure that waterbird habitat needs, and other ecosystem functions, are met. For many waterbirds, the availability of island nesting...
Effects of haying on breeding birds in CRP grasslands
Lawrence D. Igl, Douglas H. Johnson
2016, Journal of Wildlife Management (80) 1189-1204
The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a voluntary program that is available to agricultural producers to help protect environmentally sensitive or highly erodible land. Management disturbances of CRP grasslands generally are not allowed unless authorized to provide relief to livestock producers during severe drought or a similar natural disaster (i.e.,...
Life history diversity in Klamath River steelhead
Brian W. Hodge, Peggy Wilzbach, Walter G. Duffy, Rebecca M. Quinones, James A. Hobbs
2016, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (145) 227-238
Oncorhynchus mykiss exhibits a vast array of life histories, which increases its likelihood of persistence by spreading risk of extirpation among different pathways. The Klamath River basin (California–Oregon) provides a particularly interesting backdrop for the study of life history diversity in O. mykiss, in part because the river is slated for a...
Evaluating habitat associations of a fish assemblage at multiple spatial scales in a minimally disturbed stream using low‐cost remote sensing
Brandon D. Cheek, Timothy B. Grabowski, Preston T. Bean, Jillian R. Groeschel, Stephan J. Magnelia
2016, Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems (26) 20-34
Habitat heterogeneity at multiple scales is a major factor affecting fish assemblage structure. However, assessments that examine these relationships at multiple scales concurrently are lacking. The lack of assessments at these scales is a critical gap in understanding as conservation and restoration efforts typically work at these levels.A combination...
Mining-related sediment and soil contamination in a large Superfund site: Characterization, habitat implications, and remediation
Kyle E. Juracek, K. D. Drake
2016, Environmental Management (58) 721-740
Historical mining activity (1850–1970) in the now inactive Tri-State Mining District provided an ongoing source of lead and zinc to the environment including the US Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site located in Cherokee County, southeast Kansas, USA. The resultant contamination adversely affected biota and caused human health problems and risks....
Time-varying land subsidence detected by radar altimetry: California, Taiwan and north China
Cheinway Hwang, Yuande Yang, Ricky Kao, Jiancheng Han, C.K. Shum, Devin L. Galloway, Michelle Sneed, Wei-Chia Hung, Yung-Sheng Cheng, Fei Li
2016, Scientific Reports (6) 1-12
Contemporary applications of radar altimetry include sea-level rise, ocean circulation, marine gravity, and ice sheet elevation change. Unlike InSAR and GNSS, which are widely used to map surface deformation, altimetry is neither reliant on highly temporally-correlated ground features nor as limited by the available spatial coverage, and can provide long-term...
Fifty-seventh supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds
R. Terry Chesser, Kevin J Burns, Carla Cicero, Jon L. Dunn, Andrew W. Kratter, Irby J. Lovette, Pamela C. Rasmussen, J.V. Remsen Jr., James D. Rising, Douglas F. Stotz, Kevin Winker
2016, The Auk (133) 544-560
This is the 16th supplement since publication of the 7th edition of the Check-list of North American Birds (American Ornithologists' Union [AOU] 1998). It summarizes decisions made between April 15, 2015, and April 15, 2016, by the AOU's Committee on Classification and Nomenclature—North and Middle America. The Committee has continued...
Estimating carbon sequestration in the piedmont ecoregion of the United States from 1971 to 2010
Jinxun Liu, Benjamin M. Sleeter, Zhiliang Zhu, Linda S. Heath, Zhengxi Tan, Tamara Wilson, Jason T. Sherba, Decheng Zhou
2016, Carbon Balance and Management (11) 1-13
Background: Human activities have diverse and profound impacts on ecosystem carbon cycles. The Piedmont ecoregion in the eastern United States has undergone significant land use and land cover change in the past few decades. The purpose of this study was to use newly available land use and land cover change...
