The unexpected discovery of blind snakes (Serpentes: Typhlopidae) in Micronesia: Two new species of Ramphotyphlops from the Caroline Islands
Addison H. Wynn, Robert P. Reynolds, Donald W. Buden, Marjorie Falanruw, Brian Lynch
2012, Zootaxa (3172) 39-54
Two new blind snakes in the genus Ramphotyphlops are described from Ulithi (R. hatmaliyeb sp. nov.) and Ant Atoll (R. adocetus sp. nov.) in the Caroline Islands, the first blind snake species known from Micronesia east of Palau (excluding Ramphotyphlops braminus). Both species are unusual in being known only from...
Surficial geologic map of the Norton-Manomet-Westport-Sconticut Neck 23-quadrangle area in southeast Massachusetts
Byron D. Stone, Janet Radway Stone, Mary L. DiGiacomo-Cohen, Kevin A. Kincare
2012, Open-File Report 2006-1260-F
The surficial geologic map shows the distribution of nonlithified earth materials at land surface in an area of 23 7.5-minute quadrangles (919 mi2 total) in southeastern Massachusetts. Across Massachusetts, these materials range from a few feet to more than 500 ft in thickness. They overlie bedrock, which crops out in...
Organic compounds assessed in Neuse River water used for public supply near Smithfield, North Carolina, 2002-2005
Michelle C. Moorman
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3007
Organic compounds studied in a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessment of water samples from the Neuse River and the public supply system for the Town of Smithfield, North Carolina, generally are manmade and include pesticides, gasoline hydrocarbons, solvents, personal-care and domestic-use products, disinfection by-products, and manufacturing additives. Of the 277...
Connectivity of tropical marine ecosystems--An overview of interdisciplinary research to understand biodiversity and trophic relationships in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
Jennifer P. McClain-Counts, Amanda W.J. Demopoulos
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3016
The Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico contain marine reserves and protected areas that encompass a variety of tropical ecosystems, including coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds. Reserves and protected areas are established for a variety of reasons, such as preserving nursery habitats and biodiversity, or reducing anthropogenic effects associated with...
AquaPathogen X--A template database for tracking field isolates of aquatic pathogens
Evi Emmenegger, Gael Kurath
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3015
AquaPathogen X is a template database for recording information on individual isolates of aquatic pathogens and is available for download from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC) website (http://wfrc.usgs.gov). This template database can accommodate the nucleotide sequence data generated in molecular epidemiological studies along with the...
Western Fisheries Research Center--Forage fish studies in Puget Sound
Theresa L. Liedtke
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3023
Researchers at the Western Fisheries Research Center are working with other U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Centers to better understand the interconnected roles of forage fishes throughout the ecosystem of Puget Sound, Washington. Support for these studies primarily is from the USGS Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound (CHIPS) program, which supports...
Assessment of potential unconventional Carboniferous-Permian gas resources of the Liaohe Basin eastern uplift, Liaoning Province, China, 2011
Richard M. Pollastro, Christopher J. Potter, Christopher J. Schenk, Ronald R. Charpentier, Troy A. Cook, Timothy R. Klett, Mark A. Kirschbaum
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3018
The U.S. Geological Survey estimated a mean of 448 billion cubic feet of potential technically recoverable unconventional natural gas in Carboniferous and Permian coal-bearing strata in the eastern uplift of the Liaohe Basin, Liaoning Province, China....
Corpus Christi, Nueces, and Aransas Bays: Chapter C in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010
Lawrence R. Handley, Kathryn A. Spear, Eleonor Taylor, Cindy A. Thatcher
2012, Report, Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010
Corpus Christi Bay and Nueces Bay comprise the middle estuarine portion of Texas’ Coastal Bend region (Figure 1; Burgan and Engle, 2006). Aransas Bay is part of the upper estuarine portion of the region. These bays make up part of the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program, one of the...
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the southern Siberian craton (Baykit High, Nepa--Botuoba High, Angara--Lena Terrace, and Cis--Patom Foredeep Provinces), Russia, 2011
T. R. Klett, Christopher J. Schenk, Craig J. Wandrey, Ronald R. Charpentier, Michael E. Brownfield, Janet K. Pitman, Richard M. Pollastro, Troy A. Cook, Marilyn E. Tennyson
2012, Fact Sheet 2011-3155
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated volumes of undiscovered, technically recoverable, conventional petroleum resources for the southern Siberian craton provinces of Russia. The mean volumes were estimated at 3.0 billion barrels of crude oil, 63.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 1.2 billion barrels of...
Incorporating incorporating economic models into seasonal pool conservation planning
Robert C. Freeman, Kathleen P. Bell, Aram J.K. Calhoun, Cyndy Loftin
2012, Wetlands (32) 509-520
Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Maine have adopted regulatory zones around seasonal (vernal) pools to conserve terrestrial habitat for pool-breeding amphibians. Most amphibians require access to distinct seasonal habitats in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems because of their complex life histories. These habitat requirements make them particularly vulnerable to land...
Summary of chemical data from onsite and laboratory analyses of groundwater samples from the surficial aquifer, Las Vegas, Nevada, April and August 1993 and September 1994
Michael M. Reddy, Charmaine D. Gunther
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1029
This report presents a summary of data collected during April and August 1993 and September 1994. These results are to be used as a wet-site analog to southern Nevada soils located at the Amargosa Desert Research Site near Beatty, Nevada. The samples were collected and analyzed in conjunction with the...
Regression model development and computational procedures to support estimation of real-time concentrations and loads of selected constituents in two tributaries to Lake Houston near Houston, Texas, 2005-9
Michael T. Lee, William H. Asquith, Timothy D. Oden
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5006
In December 2005, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the City of Houston, Texas, began collecting discrete water-quality samples for nutrients, total organic carbon, bacteria (Escherichia coli and total coliform), atrazine, and suspended sediment at two USGS streamflow-gaging stations that represent watersheds contributing to Lake Houston (08068500 Spring...
Assessment of the geoavailability of trace elements from minerals in mine wastes: analytical techniques and assessment of selected copper minerals
Rhonda Driscoll, Phillip L. Hageman, William Benzel, Sharon F. Diehl, David T. Adams, Suzette Morman, LaDonna M. Choate
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5211
In this study, four randomly selected copper-bearing minerals were examined—azurite, malachite, bornite, and chalcopyrite. The objectives were to examine and enumerate the crystalline and chemical properties of each of the minerals, to determine which, if any, of the Cu-bearing minerals might adversely affect systems biota, and to provide a multi-procedure...
Assessment of potential oil and gas resources in source rocks of the Alaska North Slope, 2012
David W. Houseknecht, William A. Rouse, Christopher P. Garrity, Katherine J. Whidden, Julie A. Dumoulin, Christopher J. Schenk, Ronald R. Charpentier, Troy A. Cook, Stephanie B. Gaswirth, Mark A. Kirschbaum, Richard M. Pollastro
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3013
The U.S. Geological Survey estimated potential, technically recoverable oil and gas resources for source rocks of the Alaska North Slope. Estimates (95-percent to 5-percent probability) range from zero to 2 billion barrels of oil and from zero to nearly 80 trillion cubic feet of gas....
Groundwater quality and occurrence and distribution of selected constituents in the Aquia and Upper Patapsco aquifers, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, St. Mary's County, Maryland, July 2008
Cheryl A. Dieter, Kimberly W. Campo, Anna C. Baker
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5011
The Naval Air Station Patuxent River in southern Maryland has continued to expand in the first decade of the 21st century, contributing to rapid population growth in the surrounding area. The increase in population has caused State and County water managers and others to be concerned about the impact of...
The National Land Cover Database
Collin G. Homer, Joyce A. Fry, Christopher A. Barnes
2012, Fact Sheet 2012-3020
The National Land Cover Database (NLCD) serves as the definitive Landsat-based, 30-meter resolution, land cover database for the Nation. NLCD provides spatial reference and descriptive data for characteristics of the land surface such as thematic class (for example, urban, agriculture, and forest), percent impervious surface, and percent tree canopy cover....
Transplantation of storm-generated coral fragments to enhance Caribbean coral reefs: A successful method but not a solution
Virginia H. Garrison, Greg A. Ward
2012, Revista de Biología Tropical: International Journal of Tropical Biology and Conservation (60) 59-70
In response to dramatic losses of reef-building corals and ongoing lack of recovery, a small-scale coral transplant project was initiated in the Caribbean (U.S. Virgin Islands) in 1999 and was followed for 12 years. The primary objectives were to (1) identify a source of coral colonies for transplantation that would...
Digital surfaces and hydrogeologic data for the Mesozoic through early Tertiary rocks in the Southeastern Coastal Plain in parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida
Debra M. Cannon, Jason C. Bellino, Lester J. Williams
2012, Data Series 662
A digital dataset of hydrogeologic data for Mesozoic through early Tertiary rocks in the Southeastern Coastal Plain was developed using data from five U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reports published between 1951 and 1996. These reports contain maps and data depicting the extent and elevation of the Southeast Coastal Plain stratigraphic...
Biodegradation of chloroethene compounds in groundwater at Operable Unit 1, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Keyport, Washington, 1999-2010
R.S. Dinicola, R.L. Huffman
2012, Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5013
The U.S. Geological Survey evaluated the biodegradation of chloroethene compounds in groundwater beneath the former landfill at Operable Unit 1 (OU 1) of the U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC), Division Keyport. The predominant contaminants in groundwater are the chloroethene compounds trichloroethene, cis-1,2-dichloroethene, and vinyl chloride. The remedy selected for...
Mercury species and other selected constituent concentrations in water, sediment, and biota of Sinclair Inlet, Kitsap County, Washington, 2007-10
R.L. Huffman, R. J. Wagner, J. Toft, J. Cordell, J.F. DeWild, R.S. Dinicola, G. R. Aiken, D. P. Krabbenhoft, M. Marvin-DiPasquale, A.R. Stewart, P.W. Moran, A.J. Paulson
2012, Data Series 658
This report presents data collected for two U.S. Geological Survey field sampling projects related to mercury (Hg) in Sinclair Inlet: (1) the Watersheds Sources Project that evaluated the sources of mercury to Sinclair Inlet during December 2007 to March 2010, and (2) the Methylation and Bioaccumulation Project, a comprehensive examination...
Flood-inundation maps for the Suncook River in Epsom, Pembroke, Allenstown, and Chichester, New Hampshire
Robert H. Flynn, Craig M. Johnston, Laura Hays
2012, Scientific Investigations Map 3196
Digital flood-inundation maps for a 16.5-mile reach of the Suncook River in Epsom, Pembroke, Allenstown, and Chichester, N.H., from the confluence with the Merrimack River to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Suncook River streamgage 01089500 at Depot Road in North Chichester, N.H., were created by the USGS in cooperation with the...
Zoonotic viruses associated with illegally imported wildlife products
Kristine M. Smith, Simon J. Anthony, William M. Switzer, Jonathan H. Epstein, Tracie Seimon, Hongwei Jia, Maria D. Sanchez, Thanh Thao Huynh, G. Gale Galland, Sheryl E. Shapiro, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Denise McAloose, Margot Stuchin, George Amato, Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis, W. Ian Lipkin, William B. Karesh, Peter Daszak, Nina Marano
2012, PLoS ONE (7)
The global trade in wildlife has historically contributed to the emergence and spread of infectious diseases. The United States is the world's largest importer of wildlife and wildlife products, yet minimal pathogen surveillance has precluded assessment of the health risks posed by this practice. This report details the findings of...
Do interactions of land use and climate affect productivity of waterbirds and prairie-pothole wetlands?
Michael J. Anteau
2012, Wetlands (32) 1-9
Availability of aquatic invertebrates on migration and breeding areas influences recruitment of ducks and shorebirds. In wetlands of Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), aquatic invertebrate production primarily is driven by interannual fluctuations of water levels in response to wet-dry cycles in climate. However, this understanding comes from studying basins that are...
Concentrations of mercury and other metals in black bass (Micropterus spp.) from Whiskeytown Lake, Shasta County, California, 2005
Jason T. May, Roger L. Hothem, Marissa L. Bauer, Larry R. Brown
2012, Open-File Report 2011-1297
This report presents the results of a reconnaissance study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to determine mercury (Hg) and other selected metal concentrations in Black bass (Micropterus spp.) from Whiskeytown Lake, Shasta County, California. Total mercury concentrations were determined by cold-vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy (CVAAS) in fillets and...
Effects of prescribed burning on marsh-elevation change and the risk of wetland loss
Karen L. McKee, James B. Grace
2012, Open-File Report 2012-1031
Marsh-elevation change is the net effect of biophysical processes controlling inputs versus losses of soil volume. In many marshes, accumulation of organic matter is an important contributor to soil volume and vertical land building. In this study, we examined how prescribed burning, a common marsh-management practice, may affect elevation dynamics...
