Life history variation among four lake trout morphs at Isle Royale, Lake Superior
Michael J. Hansen, Nancy A. Nate, Andrew M. Muir, Charles R. Bronte, Mara S. Zimmerman, Charles C. Krueger
2016, Journal of Great Lakes Research (42) 421-432
Life history traits were compared among four morphs of lake trout at Isle Royale, Lake Superior. Of 738 lake trout caught at Isle Royale, 701 were assigned to a morph (119 humpers, 160 leans, 85 redfins, and 337 siscowets) using a combination of statistical analysis of head and body shape...
A plan for study of hexavalent chromium, CR(VI) in groundwater near a mapped plume, Hinkley, California, 2016
John A. Izbicki, Krishangi D. Groover
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1004
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) Hinkley compressor station, in the Mojave Desert 80 miles northeast of Los Angeles, is used to compress natural gas as it is transported through a pipeline from Texas to California. Between 1952 and 1964, cooling water used at the compressor station was treated...
Mercury concentrations in eggs of red-winged blackbirds and tree swallows breeding in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
Robin W. Tyser, Kristofer R. Rolfhus, James G. Wiener, Steve K. Windels, Thomas W. Custer, Paul M. Dummer
2016, Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology (71) 16-25
Most investigations of the environmental effects of mercury (Hg) have focused on aquatic food webs that include piscivorous fish or wildlife. However, recent investigations have shown that other species, including passerine songbirds, may also be at risk from exposure to methylmercury (MeHg). We quantified Hg concentrations in eggs of two...
Stratigraphic revision of the Cooper Group and the Chandler and Edisto Formations in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina
Robert E. Weems, Barry Albright, Laurel M. Bybell, David J. Cicimurri, Lucy E. Edwards, W. Burleigh Harris, William C. Lewis, Jason E. Osborne, Albert E. Sanders, Jean Self-Trail
2016, South Carolina Geology (49) 1-24
No abstract available. ...
Differences in energy expenditures and growth dilution explain higher PCB concentrations in male summer flounder
Charles P. Madenjian, Olaf P. Jensen, Richard R. Rediske, James P. O'Keefe, Anthony R. Vastano, Steven A. Pothoven
2016, PLoS ONE (11) 1-20
Comparison of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations between the sexes of mature fish may reveal important behavioral and physiological differences between the sexes. We determined whole-fish PCB concentrations in 23 female summer flounder Paralichthys dentatusand 27 male summer flounder from New Jersey coastal waters. To investigate the potential for differences in diet...
Volatile-organic molecular characterization of shale-oil produced water from the Permian Basin
Naima A. Khan, Mark A. Engle, Barry Dungan, F. Omar Holguin, Pei Xu, Kenneth C. Carroll
2016, Chemosphere (148) 126-136
Growth in unconventional oil and gas has spurred concerns on environmental impact and interest in beneficial uses of produced water (PW), especially in arid regions such as the Permian Basin, the largest U.S. tight-oil producer. To evaluate environmental impact, treatment, and reuse potential, there is a need to characterize the...
Fish assemblage composition and mapped mesohabitat features over a range of streamflows in the Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico, winter 2011-12, summer 2012
Daniel K. Pearson, Christopher L. Braun, J. Bruce Moring
2016, Scientific Investigations Map 3350
This report documents differences in the mapped spatial extents and physical characteristics of in-channel fish habitat evaluated at the mesohabitat scale during winter 2011–12 (moderate streamflow) and summer 2012 (low streamflow) at 15 sites on the Middle Rio Grande in New Mexico starting about 3 kilometers downstream from Cochiti Dam...
Ecological requirements for pallid sturgeon reproduction and recruitment in the Missouri River—Annual report 2013
Aaron J. Delonay, Robert B. Jacobson, Kimberly A. Chojnacki, Patrick J. Braaten, Kevin J. Buhl, Brandon L Eder, Caroline M. Elliott, Susannah O. Erwin, David B. Fuller, Tyler M. Haddix, Hallie L.A. Ladd, Gerald E. Mestl, Diana M. Papoulias, Jason C. Rhoten, Christopher J. Wesolek, Mark L. Wildhaber
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1197
The Comprehensive Sturgeon Research Project is a multiyear, multiagency collaborative research framework developed to provide information to support pallid sturgeon recovery and Missouri River management decisions. The project strategy integrates field and laboratory studies of pallid sturgeon reproductive ecology, early life history, habitat requirements, and physiology. The project scope of...
Development of working hypotheses linking management of the Missouri River to population dynamics of Scaphirhynchus albus (pallid sturgeon)
Robert B. Jacobson, Michael J. Parsley, Mandy L. Annis, Michael E. Colvin, Timothy L. Welker, Daniel A. James
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1236
This report documents a process of filtering of hypotheses that relate Missouri River Scaphirhynchus albus (pallid sturgeon) population dynamics to management actions including flow alterations, channel reconfigurations, and pallid sturgeon population augmentation. The filtering process was a partnership among U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Fish...
Bivalve effects on the food web supporting delta smelt - A long-term study of bivalve recruitment, biomass, and grazing rate patterns with varying freshwater outflow
Jeff S. Crauder, Janet K. Thompson, Francis Parchaso, Rosa I. Anduaga, Sarah A. Pearson, Karen Gehrts, Heather Fuller, Elizabeth Wells
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1005
Executive Summary Phytoplankton is an important and limiting food source in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (the Delta) and San Francisco Bay; the decline of phytoplankton biomass is one possible factor in the pelagic organism decline and specifically in the decline of the protected delta smelt. The bivalves Corbicula fluminea andPotamocorbula amurensis...
Ecological requirements for pallid sturgeon reproduction and recruitment in the Missouri River—A synthesis of science, 2005 to 2012
Aaron J. Delonay, Kimberly A. Chojnacki, Robert B. Jacobson, Janice L. Albers, Patrick J. Braaten, Edward A. Bulliner, Caroline M. Elliott, Susannah O. Erwin, David B Fuller, Justin D. Haas, Hallie L.A. Ladd, Gerald E. Mestl, Diana M. Papoulias, Mark L. Wildhaber
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5145
This report is intended to synthesize the state of the scientific understanding of pallid sturgeon ecological requirements to provide recommendations for future science directions and context for Missouri River restoration and management decisions. Recruitment of pallid sturgeon has been low to non-existent throughout its range. Emerging understanding of the genetic...
Occurrence and trends in the concentrations of fecal-indicator bacteria and the relation to field water-quality parameters in the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers and selected tributaries, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 2001–09
John W. Fulton, Edward H. Koerkle, Jamie L. McCoy, Linda F. Zarr
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5136
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Allegheny County Health Department and Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, collected surface-water samples from the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers and selected tributaries during the period 2001–09 to assess the occurrence and trends in the concentrations of fecal-indicator bacteria during both wet-...
Modeled streamflow metrics on small, ungaged stream reaches in the Upper Colorado River Basin
Lindsay V. Reynolds, Patrick B. Shafroth
2016, Data Series 974
Modeling streamflow is an important approach for understanding landscape-scale drivers of flow and estimating flows where there are no streamgage records. In this study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with Colorado State University, the objectives were to model streamflow metrics on small, ungaged streams in the Upper...
Interacting effects of latitude, mass, age, and sex on winter survival of Surf Scoters (Melanitta perspicillata): Implications for differential migration
Brian D. Uher-Koch, Daniel Esler, Samuel A. Iverson, David H. Ward, Sean Boyd, Molly Kirk, Tyler L. Lewis, Corey S. VanStratt, Katherine M. Brodhead, Jerry W. Hupp, Joel A. Schmutz
2016, Canadian Journal of Zoology (94) 233-241
We quantified variation in winter survival of Surf Scoters (Melanitta perspicillata (L., 1758)) across nearly 30° of latitude on the Pacific coast of North America to evaluate potential effects on winter distributions, including observed differential distributions of age and sex classes. We monitored fates of 297 radio-marked Surf...
Can pore-clogging by ash explain post-fire runoff?
Cathelijne R. Stoof, Anouk I. Gevaert, Christine Baver, Bahareh Hassanpour, Veronica L. Morales, Wei Zhang, Deborah A. Martin, Shree K. Giri, Tammo S. Steenhuis
2016, International Journal of Wildland Fire (25) 294-305
Ash plays an important role in controlling runoff and erosion processes after wildfire and has frequently been hypothesised to clog soil pores and reduce infiltration. Yet evidence for clogging is incomplete, as research has focussed on identifying the presence of ash in soil; the actual flow processes remain unknown. We...
Model analysis of check dam impacts on long-term sediment and water budgets in southeast Arizona, USA
Laura M. Norman, Rewati Niraula
2016, Ecohydrology & Hydrobiology (16) 125-137
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of check dam infrastructure on soil and water conservation at the catchment scale using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). This paired watershed study includes a watershed treated with over 2000 check dams and a Control watershed which has...
Do intracoelomic telemetry transmitters alter the post-release behaviour of migratory fish?
Alexander D.M. Wilson, Todd A. Hayden, Christopher S. Vandergoot, Richard T. Kraus, John M. Dettmers, Steven J. Cooke, Charles C. Krueger
2016, Ecology of Freshwater Fish (26) 292-300
Electronic tags have become a common tool in fish research, enhancing our understanding of how fish interact with their environment and move among different habitats, for estimating mortality and recording internal physiological states. An often-untested assumption of electronic tagging studies is that tagged fish are representative of untagged conspecifics and...
Ecological relevance of current water quality assessment unit designations in impaired rivers
Megan J. Layhee, Adam J. Sepulveda, Andrew Ray, Greg Mladenka, Lynn Van Every
2016, Science of the Total Environment (536) 198-205
Managers often nest sections of water bodies together into assessment units (AUs) to monitor and assess water quality criteria. Ideally, AUs represent an extent of waters with similar ecological, watershed, habitat and land-use conditions and no overlapping characteristics with other waters. In the United States, AUs are typically based on...
Assessment of unconventional tight-gas resources of the Magallanes Basin Province, Chile, 2015
Christopher J. Schenk, Ronald R. Charpentier, Janet K. Pitman, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Michael E. Brownfield, Stephanie B. Gaswirth, Phuong A. Le, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Kristen R. Marra
2016, Fact Sheet 2015-3085
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey assessed a technically recoverable mean resource of 8.3 trillion cubic feet of unconventional tight gas in the Zona Glauconitica of the Magallanes Basin Province, Chile....
Sediment supply versus local hydraulic controls on sediment transport and storage in a river with large sediment loads
David J. Dean, David J. Topping, John C. Schmidt, Ronald E. Griffiths, Thomas A. Sabol
2016, Journal of Geophysical Research F: Earth Surface (121) 82-110
The Rio Grande in the Big Bend region of Texas, USA, and Chihuahua and Coahuila, Mexico, undergoes rapid geomorphic changes as a result of its large sediment supply and variable hydrology; thus, it is a useful natural laboratory to investigate the relative importance of flow strength and sediment supply in...
Multiple mortality events in bats: a global review
Thomas J. O’Shea, Paul M. Cryan, David TH Hayman, Raina K. Plowright, Daniel G. Streicker
2016, Mammal Review (46) 175-190
Despite conservation concerns for many species of bats, factors causing mortality in bats have not been reviewed since 1970. Here, we review and qualitatively describe trends in the occurrence and apparent causes of multiple mortality events (MMEs) in bats around the world. We compiled a database of MMEs,...
Isotopic composition of inorganic mercury and methylmercury downstream of a historical gold mining region
Patrick M. Donovan, Joel D. Blum, Michael B. Singer, Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale, Martin T.K. Tsui
2016, Environmental Science & Technology (50) 1691-1702
We measured total mercury (THg) and monomethyl mercury (MMHg) concentrations and mercury (Hg) isotopic compositions in sediment and aquatic organisms from the Yuba River (California, USA) to identify Hg sources and biogeochemical transformations downstream of a historical gold mining region. Sediment THg concentrations and δ202Hg decreased from the upper Yuba...
Salamander chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans) in the United States—Developing research, monitoring, and management strategies
Evan H. Campbell Grant, Erin L. Muths, Rachel A. Katz, Stefano Canessa, M. J. Adams, Jennifer R. Ballard, Lee Berger, Cheryl J. Briggs, Jeremy T. H. Coleman, Matthew J. Gray, M. Camille Harris, Reid N. Harris, Blake R. Hossack, Kathryn P. Huyvaert, Jonathan E. Kolby, Karen R. Lips, Robert E. Lovich, Hamish I. McCallum, Joseph R. Mendelson III, Priya Nanjappa, Deanna H. Olson, Jenny G. Powers, Katherine L. D. Richgels, Robin E. Russell, Benedikt R. Schmidt, Annemarieke Spitzen-van der Sluijs, Mary Kay Watry, Douglas C. Woodhams, C. LeAnn White
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1233
The recently (2013) identified pathogenic chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), poses a severe threat to the distribution and abundance of salamanders within the United States and Europe. Development of a response strategy for the potential, and likely, invasion of Bsal into the United States is crucial to protect global salamander...
Impacts of Climate Change on Regulated Streamflow, Hydrologic Extremes, Hydropower Production, and Sediment Discharge in the Skagit River Basin
Se-Yeun Lee, Alan F. Hamlet, Eric E. Grossman
2016, Northwest Science (90) 23-43
Previous studies have shown that the impacts of climate change on the hydrologic response of the Skagit River are likely to be substantial under natural (i.e. unregulated) conditions. To assess the combined effects of changing natural flow and dam operations that determine impacts to regulated flow, a new integrated daily-time-step...
Increasing virulence, but not infectivity, associated with serially emergent virus strains of a fish rhabdovirus
Rachel Breyta, Douglas McKenney, Tarin Tesfaye, Kotaro Ono, Gael Kurath
2016, Virus Evolution (2)
Surveillance and genetic typing of field isolates of a fish rhabdovirus, infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), has identified four dominant viral genotypes that were involved in serial viral emergence and displacement events in steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in western North America. To investigate drivers of these landscape-scale events, IHNV isolates...
