Time, climate, and soil settings set the course for reclamation outcomes following dryland energy development
Randi C. Lupardus, Aarin Sengsirirak, Keven Griffen, Anna C. Knight, Brandon E McNellis, John B. Bradford, Seth M. Munson, Sasha C. Reed, Miguel L. Villarreal, Michael C. Duniway
2023, Land Degradation and Development (34) 5438-5453
Soil attributes, climate, and time since reclamation have important implications for oil and gas reclamation success on drylands. It is uncertain if reclaimed well pads, on highly degraded drylands, can successfully regain ecological function or meet indicator benchmarks for reclamation. Here, our goals were...
Efficacy of machine learning image classification for automated occupancy-based monitoring
Robert Charles Lonsinger, Marlin M. Dart, Randy T. Larsen, Robert N. Knight
2023, Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation (10) 56-71
Remote cameras have become a widespread data-collection tool for terrestrial mammals, but classifying images can be labor intensive and limit the usefulness of cameras for broad-scale population monitoring. Machine learning algorithms for automated image classification can expedite data processing, but image misclassifications may influence inferences. Here, we used camera data...
Unrecorded tundra fires of the Arctic Slope, Alaska USA
Eric A. Miller, Benjamin M. Jones, Carson Baughman, Randi R. Jandt, Jennifer L. Jenkins, David A. Yokel
2023, Fire (6)
Few fires are known to have burned the tundra of the Arctic Slope north of the Brooks Range in Alaska, USA. A total of 90 fires between 1969 and 2022 are known. Because fire has been rare, old burns can be detected by the traces of thermokarst and distinct...
Hydrodynamics structure plankton communities and interactions in a freshwater tidal estuary
Adrianne P Smits, Luke C. Loken, Erwin E Van Nieuwenhuyse, Matthew J. Young, Paul Stumpner, Leah Kammel, Jon R. Burau, Randy A Dahlgren, Tiffany Brown, April Hennessey, Steven Sadro
2023, Ecological Monographs (93)
Drivers of phytoplankton and zooplankton dynamics vary spatially and temporally in estuaries due to variation in hydrodynamic exchange and residence time, complicating efforts to understand controls on food web productivity. We conducted approximately monthly (2012–2019; n = 74) longitudinal sampling at 10 fixed stations along a freshwater...
Pressurized upflow reactor system for the bioconversion of coal to methane: Investigation of the coal/sand interface effect
Margaux Mesle, Logan H. Hodgskiss, Elliott Barnhart, Laura Dobeck, Joachim Eldring, Randy Hiebert, Alfred B. Cunningham, Robin Gerlach, Adrienne Phillips, Matthew W. Fields
2023, Cleaner Chemical Engineering (5)
Microbial generation of coal bed methane (CBM) represents a significant source of natural gas on Earth. While biostimulation has been demonstrated in batch cultures, environmental parameters such as overburden pressure and formation water flow need to be tested at the laboratory scale to understand in situ potential....
Comparison of traditional and geometric morphometrics using Lake Huron ciscoes of the Coregonus artedi complex
Benjamin E Martin, Brian O’Malley, Randy E Eshenroder, Yu-Chun Kao, Chris Olds, Timothy P. O’Brien, Chris L. Davis
2023, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (152) 296-309
Here we determine how traditional morphometrics (TM) compares with geometric morphometrics (GM) in discriminating among morphologies of four forms of ciscoes of the Coregonus artedi complex collected from Lake Huron. One of the forms comprised two groups of the same deepwater cisco separated by capture depth, whereas the...
Structured decision making to prioritize regional bird monitoring needs
Auriel M. V. Fournier, R. Randy Wilson, Jeffrey S. Gleason, Evan M. Adams, Janell M. Brush, Robert J. Cooper, Stephen J. DeMaso, Melanie J. L. Driscoll, Peter C. Frederick, Patrick G.R. Jodice, Mary Ann Ottinger, David B. Reeves, Michael A. Seymour, Stephanie M. Sharuga, John M. Tirpak, William G. Vermillion, Theodore J. Zenzal Jr., James E. Lyons, Mark S. Woodrey
2023, INFORMS Journal on Applied Analytics (53) 207-217
Conservation planning for large ecosystems has multiple benefits but is often challenging to implement because of the multiple jurisdictions, species, and habitats involved. In addition, decision making at large spatial scales can be hampered because many approaches do not explicitly incorporate potentially competing values and concerns of stakeholders. After the Deepwater...
Comprehensive inventory of habitat assessment and evaluation datasets to support Deepwater Horizon mesophotic and deep benthic communities
Rachel Bassett, Jennifer Herting, Janessy Frometa, Stephanie M. Sharuga, Jacob Howell, Laughlin Siceloff, Jill R. Bourque, Megan Cromwell, Kirstie Francis, Randy Clark, Amanda Demopoulos, Andy David, Kristopher Benson, Stacey L. Harter
2023, DWH MDBC Data Report DR-23-01
This report is part of the NOAA Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities (MDBC) Series of publications that share the results of work conducted by the Deepwater Horizon MDBC restoration projects. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill was an unprecedented event. Approximately 3.2 million barrels of oil were released into the...
Borealization of nearshore fishes on an interior Arctic shelf over multiple decades
Vanessa R. von Biela, Sarah M. Laske, Ashley E. Stanek, Randy J Brown, Kenneth H. Dunton
2023, Global Change Biology (29) 1822-1838
Borealization is a type of community reorganization where Arctic specialists are replaced by species with more boreal distributions in response to climatic warming. The process of borealization is often exemplified by the northward range expansions and subsequent proliferation of boreal species on the Pacific and Atlantic...
Distributions of Cisco (Coregonus artedi) in the upper Great Lakes in the mid-twentieth century, when populations were in decline
Yu-Chun Kao, Renee Elizabeth Renauer, David Bunnell, Owen Gorman, Randy L. Eshenroder
2022, PLoS ONE (17)
The restoration of the once abundant Cisco (Coregonus artedi) is a management interest across the Laurentian Great Lakes. To inform the restoration, we (1) described historical distributions of Cisco and (2) explored whether non-indigenous Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) and Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) played a role in the decline of Cisco...
Variation in carbon and nitrogen concentrations among peatland categories at the global scale
Shaun A. Watmough, Spencer Gilbert-Parkes, Nathan Basiliko, Louis J. Lamit, Erik A. Lilleskov, Roxanne Andersen, Jhon del Aguila-Pasquel, Rebekka E. Artz, Brian W. Benscoter, Werner Borken, Luca Bragazza, Stefani M. Brandt, Suzanna L. Brauer, Michael A. Carson, Xin Chen, Rodney A. Chimner, Bev R. Clarkson, Alexander R. Cobb, Andrea S. Enriquez, Jenny Farmer, Samantha P. Grover, Charles F. Harvey, Lorna I. Harris, Christina Hazard, Alison M. Hoyt, John Hribljan, Jyrki Jauhiainen, Sari Juutinen, Evan S. Kane, Klaus-Holger Knorr, Randy Kolka, Mari Kononen, Anna M. Laine, Tuula Larmola, Patrick A. Levasseur, Carmody K. McCalley, Jim McLaughlin, Tim R. Moore, Nadia Mykytczuk, Anna E. Normand, Virginia Rich, Bryce Robinson, Danielle L. Rupp, Jasmine Rutherford, Christopher W. Schadt, Dave S. Smith, Graeme Spiers, Leho Tedersoo, Pham Q. Thu, Carl C. Trettin, Eeva-Stiina Tuittila, Merritt Turetsky, Zuzana Urbanova, Ruth K. Varner, Mark Waldrop, Meng Wang, Zheng Wang, Matt Warren, Magdalena M. Wiedermann, Shanay T. Williams, Joseph B. Yavitt, Zhi-Guo Yu, Geoff Zahn
2022, PLoS ONE (17)
Peatlands account for 15 to 30% of the world’s soil carbon (C) stock and are important controls over global nitrogen (N) cycles. However, C and N concentrations are known to vary among peatlands contributing to the uncertainty of global C inventories, but there are few global studies that relate peatland...
Tough places and safe spaces: Can refuges save salmon from a warming climate?
Marcia N. Snyder, Nathan H. Schumaker, Jason B. Dunham, Joseph L. Ebersole, Mathew L Keefer, Jonathan Halama, Randy L Comeleo, Peter Leinenbach, Allen Brookes, Ben Cope, Jennifer Wu, John Palmer
2022, Ecosphere (13)
The importance of thermal refuges in a rapidly warming world is particularly evident for migratory species, where individuals encounter a wide range of conditions throughout their lives. In this study, we used a spatially explicit, individual-based simulation model to evaluate the buffering potential of cold-water thermal...
Whole-ecosystem experiment illustrates short timescale hydrodynamic, light, and nutrient control of primary production in a terminal slough
Luke C. Loken, Steven Sadro, Leah Lenoch, Paul Stumpner, Randy A Dahlgren, Jon R. Burau, Erwin E Van Nieuwenhuyse
2022, Estuaries and Coasts (45) 2428-2449
Estuaries are among the most productive of aquatic ecosystems. Yet the collective understanding of patterns and drivers of primary production in estuaries is incomplete, in part due to complex hydrodynamics and multiple controlling factors that vary at a range of temporal and spatial scales. A whole-ecosystem experiment was conducted in...
Temporal and spatial relationships of Yellowfin Tuna to deepwater petroleum platforms in the northern Gulf of Mexico
Melissa E. Price, Michael T. Randall, Kenneth J. Sulak, Randy E. Edwards, Margaret Lamont
2022, Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science (14)
In 2006–2007, 110 Yellowfin Tuna Thunnus albacares were tagged with acoustic transmitters near deepwater oil platforms and one drillship in the northern Gulf of Mexico off the Mississippi River delta to determine the extent to which platforms act as fish aggregating devices (FADs). Vemco acoustic receivers were installed on six deepwater platforms...
Using in situ/ex situ research collaborations to support polar bear conservation
Randi Meyerson, Todd C. Atwood
Eric Miller, Nadine Lamberski, Paul Calle, editor(s)
2022, Book chapter, Fowler's zoo and wild animal medicine current therapy
A warming Arctic threatens the long-term persistence of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the wild. Historically, little collaboration existed between the in situ and ex situ polar bear scientific communities. However, for the past decade, zoo professionals, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) have partnered to leverage resources and expertise...
A biological condition gradient for coral reefs in the US Caribbean Territories: Part I. Coral narrative rules
Deborah L. Santavy, Susan K. Jackson, Benjamin Jessup, Jeroen Gerritsen, Caroline Rogers, William S. Fisher, Ernesto Weil, Alina Szmant, David Cuevas-Miranda, Brian K. Walker, Christopher F G Jeffrey, Patricia Bradley, David Ballantine, Loretta Roberson, Hector Ruiz-Torres, Brandi Todd, Tyler B. Smith, Randy Clark, Ernesto L. Diaz, Jorge Bauza-Ortega, Christina Horstmann, Sandy Raimondo
2022, Ecological Indicators (138)
As coral reef condition and sustainability continue to decline worldwide, losses of critical habitat and their ecosystem services have generated an urgency to understand and communicate reef response to management actions, environmental contamination, and natural disasters. Increasingly, coral reef protection and restoration programs emphasize the need for robust assessment tools...
Errors in aerial survey count data: Identifying pitfalls and solutions
Kayla L. Davis, Emily D Silverman, Allison Sussman, R. Randy Wilson, Elise F. Zipkin
2022, Ecology and Evolution (12)
Accurate estimates of animal abundance are essential for guiding effective management, and poor survey data can produce misleading inferences. Aerial surveys are an efficient survey platform, capable of collecting wildlife data across large spatial extents in short timeframes. However, these surveys can yield unreliable data if not carefully executed. Despite...
In situ enhancement and isotopic labeling of biogenic coalbed methane
Elliott Barnhart, Leslie F. Ruppert, Randy Heibert, Heidi J. Smith, Hannah Schweitzer, Arthur Clark, Edwin Weeks, William H. Orem, Matthew S. Varonka, George A. Platt, Jenna L. Shelton, Katherine J Davis, Robert Hyatt, Jennifer C. McIntosh, Kilian Ashley, Shuhei Ono, Anna M. Martini, Keith Hackley, Robin Gerlach, Lee Spangler, Adrienne Phillips, Mark Barry, Alfred B. Cunningham, Matthew W. Fields
2022, Environmental Science and Technology (56) 3225-3233
Subsurface microbial (biogenic) methane production is an important part of the global carbon cycle that has resulted in natural gas accumulations in many coal beds worldwide. Laboratory studies suggest that complex carbon-containing nutrients (e.g., yeast or algae extract) can stimulate methane production, yet the effectiveness of these nutrients within coal...
Baseline gene expression levels in Falkland-Malvinas Island penguins: Towards a new monitoring paradigm
Lizabeth Bowen, Shannon C. Waters-Dynes, Jeffrey L Stott, Ann Duncan, Randi Meyerson, Sarah Woodhouse
2022, Life (12)
Health diagnostics of wildlife have historically relied on the evaluation of select serum biomarkers and the identification of a contaminant or pathogen burden within specific tissues as an indicator of a level of insult. However, these approaches fail to measure the physiological reaction of the individual to...
Spreading like wildfire: The rising threat of extraordinary landscape fires - A rapid response assessment
Alexandra Popescu, Allison Paulson, Amy C. Christianson, Andrew S. Sullivan, A. Tulloch, Bibiana Bilbao, Camilla Mathison, Catherine Robinson, David Ganz, David Nangoma, David Saah, Dolors Armenteras, Don A. Driscoll, Don L. Hankins, Douglas I. Kelley, E. R. Langer, Elaine Baker, Fabienne Reisen, Francois-Nicholas Robinne, Gamma Galudra, Glynis Humphrey, Hugh Safford, Ian G. Baird, Imma Oliveras, Jeremy Littell, Johan Kieft, J. Chew, Kirsten Maclean, Lea Wittenberg, Liana O. Anderson, Lindsey Gillson, Matt Plucinski, Max A. Moritz, Megan Brown, Miguel Castillo Soto, M. Flannigan, Oliver Costello, Patricia S. Silva, Paulo Fernandes, Peter Moore, Randi Jandt, Raphaele Blanchi, Renata Libonati, Sally Archibald, Sarah Dunlop, Sarah McCaffrey, Susan Page, Tania Marisol Gonzalez Delgado, Tiina Kurvits, Tol Sokchea, Val Charlton
Andrew S. Sullivan, Elaine Baker, Tiina Kurvits, editor(s)
2022, Book
Free-burning landscape fire is an important natural phenomenon critical to the healthy functioning of many ecosystems. It is an important land management tool, culturally, economically, and ecologically. Therefore, not all vegetation fires are unwanted. This Rapid Response Assessment (RRA) focuses on the apparent increase in the occurrence, extent, duration, and...
A biological condition gradient for Caribbean coral reefs: Part II. Numeric rules using sessile benthic organisms
Deborah L Santavy, Susan K Jackson, Benjamin Jessup, Christina Horstmann, Caroline Rogers, Ernesto Weil, Alina Szmant, David Cuevas Miranda, Brian K Walker, Christopher F.G. Jeffrey, David Ballantine, William S. Fisher, Randy Clark, Hector Ruiz Torres, Brandi Todd, Sandy Raimondo
2022, Ecological Indicators (135)
The Biological Condition Gradient (BCG) is a conceptual model used to describe incremental changes in biological condition along a gradient of increasing anthropogenic stress. As coral reefs collapse globally, scientists and managers are focused on how to sustain the crucial structure...
Multi-year, spatially extensive, watershed-scale synoptic stream chemistry and water quality conditions for six permafrost-underlain Arctic watersheds
Arial Shogren, Jay P. Zarnetske, Benjamin Abbott, Samuel P. Bratsman, Brian C. Brown, Michael P. Carey, Randy Fulweiber, Heather Greaves, Emma Haines, Frances Iannucci, Joshua C. Koch, Alex Medvedeff, Jonathan A. O’Donnell, Leika Patch, Brett Poulin, Tanner J. Williamson, William B. Bowden
2022, Earth System Science Data (14) 95-116
Repeated sampling of spatially distributed river chemistry can be used to assess the location, scale, and persistence of carbon and nutrient contributions to watershed exports. Here, we provide a comprehensive set of water chemistry measurements and ecohydrological metrics describing the biogeochemical conditions of permafrost-affected Arctic watersheds. These data were collected...
Workshops report for mesophotic and deep benthic community fish, mobile invertebrates, sessile invertebrates and infauna
Rachel Bassett, Stacey L. Harter, Randy Clark, Ian Zink, Katherine Hornick, Jennifer Hartman, Hanna Bliska, Melissa Carle, Tracey Sutton, Amanda Demopoulos, Andy David, Kristopher Benson, Jill Bourque, Martha S. Nizinski, Nancy G. Prouty, Stephanie M. Sharuga, Alicia Caporaso, Jennifer Le, Jennifer Herting, Cheryl Morrison, Matthew Poti
2022, DWH MDBC Summary Report SR-22-01
Two workshops with subject matter experts in the appropriate fields, were held in November and December 2021 to elicit guidance and feedback from the broader mesophotic and deep benthic scientific community. These workshops focused on best practices/approaches and identifying data gaps relative to habitat assessment and evaluation goals of the...
Migration strategies supporting salmonids in Arctic Rivers: A case study of Arctic Cisco and Dolly Varden
Michael P. Carey, Vanessa R. von Biela, Randy J Brown, Christian E. Zimmerman
2021, Animal Migrations (8) 132-143
Amphidromous fish such as Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) and Arctic Cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) have distinct life histories that facilitate their success in Arctic environments. Both species spawn in freshwater and make annual migrations between marine, brackish, or freshwater environments. Dolly Varden rear for one or more years in freshwater before...
Synthesis of data and studies relating to Delta Smelt biology in the San Francisco Estuary, emphasizing water year 2017
Shawn Acuna, Randy Baxter, Aaron J. Bever, Larry R. Brown, Christina Burdi, Gonzalo Castillo, Louise Conrad, Steven Culberson, Lauren Damon, Jared Frantzich, Lenny Grimaldo, Bruce Hammock, April Hennessy, James A. Hobbs, Shruti Khanna, Peggy W. Lehman, Michael L. MacWilliams, Brian Mahardja, Andrew A. Schultz, Steven B. Slater, Ted Sommer, Swee Teh, Janet Thompson
2021, Interagency Ecological Program Technical Report 95
In the San Francisco Estuary (SFE), the effects of freshwater flow on the aquatic ecosystem have been studied extensively over the years and remains a contentious management issue. It is especially contentious with regards to the Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), a species endemic to the SFE that has been listed...
