Future aquatic invaders of the Northeast U.S.: How climate change, human vectors, and natural history could bring southern and western species north
Catherine S. Jarnevich, Peder Engelstad, Shelby K. LeClare, Richard D. Inman, Ian A. Pfingsten, Wesley M. Daniel
2026, Report
As environmental conditions change, land managers are increasingly concerned about the potential for new aquatic invasive species to move into their jurisdictions. Because managers may have limited resources, detecting invasive species early is important as prevention is more effective and less costly than ongoing mitigation of established populations. Tools built...
Trust-building as a keystone activity in beaver-related restoration practice
Brian D. Erickson, Megan Siobhan Jones
2026, Environmental Management (76)
North American beavers (Castor canadensis) are increasingly being used to achieve restoration goals, prompting practitioners to engage with private landowners in efforts to promote beaver coexistence. Through 23 semi-structured interviews with restoration practitioners in Oregon, USA, we explored how practitioners from government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), service...
Communicating darkness: Visitor preferences for dark sky interpretation
Zachary A. Russell, J. Adam Beeco, Zachary D. Miller, Emily J. Wilkins, Anna B. Miller, Chase C. Lamborn, Jordan W. Smith
2026, Journal of Interpretation Research (31) 27-47
Utah parks are attracting an increasing number of visitors due to the quality dark sky viewing opportunities. Despite increasing engagement in nighttime recreation, limited research exists on visitor interest in interpretation for dark skies in state and national parks. Nighttime visitors at nine Utah state and national park units certified...
American kestrel population trends and vital rates at the continental scale
Paige E. Howell, Abigail Jean Lawson, Davis Kristin P., Guthrie S. Zimmerman, Orin J. Robinson, Matthew A. Boggie, Mitchell J. Eaton, Fitsum Abadi, Jessi L. Brown, Julie A. Heath, John A. Smallwood, Karen Steenhof, Ted Swem, Brian W. Rolek, Christopher J.W. McClure, Jean-Francois Therrien, Karl E. Miller, Brian A. Milsap
2026, Ecosphere (17)
The American kestrel (Falco sparverius, hereafter referred to as kestrel) has declined across much of its North American range since at least the mid-1960s. Kestrel population dynamics have been explored through a multitude of local studies and two broad reviews of available data. Across large geographic extents, however, the demographic...
Genetic structure in a previously extirpated population of gray wolves following reintroduction and natural recolonization
Heather R. Clendenin, David Edward Ausband, Jennifer R. Adams, Paul A. Hohenlohe, Lisette P. Waits
2026, Conservation Genetics (27)
Genetic structuring in wildlife populations is driven by barriers that restrict gene flow as well as the history of population demography. Mechanisms driving genetic structuring can be nuanced in group-living species, such as gray wolves (Canis lupus). Behavioral factors, such as social affiliation and resistance, natal habitat...
Wildfire smoke reduces the vocal activity of imperiled grassland birds in New York State
Trifosa I. Simamora, Timothy J. Boycott, Conner M. Wood, Steven Mark Grodsky
2026, Biological Conservation (316)
Smoke from new fire regimes driven by climate change may affect biodiversity in new regions of the world. Wildfires that occurred in eastern Canada in 2023 burned nearly 7.8 million hectares of forest, sending smoke throughout the northeastern United States. We leveraged passive acoustic monitoring to investigate...
Diverse cyanopeptides follow distinct temporal succession patterns in freshwater harmful algal blooms
Lauren N. Hart, Reagan Errera, Casey Godwin, Keith Loftin, Zachary R. Laughrey, Leon R. Katona, Emma C. Johnson, Rose M. Cory, E. Anders Kiledal, Paul Den Uyl, Jenan J. Kharbush, David H. Sherman, Gregory J. Dick
2026, The ISME Journal (20)
Toxic cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) threaten freshwater resources globally and are intensifying with increasing eutrophication. Bloom toxicity is strongly influenced by intraspecific variation in the biosynthetic repertoires of toxic cyanobacteria, yet few studies examine the diversity of cyanobacterial cyanopeptides beyond hepatotoxic microcystins. To understand the dynamics and drivers of cyanopeptide...
Depth-resolved carbon dioxide and methane concentrations in 522 lakes, ponds, and reservoirs worldwide
Joseph S. Rabaey, Abigail S. Lewis, Katrin Attermeyer, Patrick Aurich, Sheel Bansal, Maciej Bartosiewicz, Brittni L. Bertolet, Ingeborg Bussmann, Sarah B. Cadieux, Elisa Calamita, Camilla Capelli, Cayelan C. Carey, Carmen Cillero, Francois Clayer, Sofia L. D'Ambrosio, Thomas A. Davidson, Bridget Deemer, Blaize A. Denfeld, Werner Eckert, Chiara Esposito, Phillip Ford, Adrianna Gorsky, Natalie A. Griffiths, Hans-Peter F. Grossart, David P. Hamilton, Meredith A. Holgerson, Brian J. Huser, Tomoya Iwata, Joachim Jansen, Stuart E. Jones, Sari Juutinen, Pirkko Kortelainen, Matthias Koschorreck, Theis Kragh, Alo Laas, Tuula Larmola, Saskia Läubli, Isabelle Laurion, Moritz F. Lehmann, Liu Liu, Pertti J. Martikainen, Anna Matoušů, Stephen A. McCord, Jorge J. Montes-Pérez, Daniele Nizzoli, César Ordóñez, Mike Peacock, Rachel M. Pilla, Vilmantas Prėskienis, Junbing Pu, Tenna Riis, Taija Saarela, Arianto B. Santoso, Carsten Schubert, Armando Sepulveda-Jauregui, Bradford S. Sherman, Jonas S. Sø, Katherine J. Stenehjem, Kristin E.D. Strock, Kenji Tsuchiya, Katrin Wendt-Potthoff, Gesa A. Weyhenmeyer, Petr Znachor, Jakob Zopfi
2026, Scientific Data (13)
Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs (hereafter: “lakes”) are important sources of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). Emissions of CO2 and CH4 from lakes are regulated in part by in-lake processes, including the production and storage of gases in the lower parts of the water column (bottom waters). However, while...
Generating geochemical and mineralogy distributions of soil in the conterminous United States using Bayesian hierarchical spatial models
Kristin J. Bondo, Tiffany M. Wolf, W. David Walter
2026, MethodsX (16)
Characterizing geochemical and mineralogical soil distributions across large spatial extents is essential for understanding mineral resources, ecosystem processes, and environmental risks. Rasters of soil geochemical distributions for the conterminous United States, however, are limited. We present a Bayesian modeling workflow and tool for generating predictive geochemical and...
Seasonal drivers of density in a subarctic population of northern red-backed voles
Sarah Swanson, Melanie J. Flamme, Joshua H. Schmidt, Shawn M. Crimmins, Carl A. Roland, Knut Kielland
2026, Ecology and Evolution (16)
Northern red-backed voles (Clethrionomys rutilus) are an important species in the boreal forest ecosystem, both as herbivores and as a key food source for many mammalian and avian predators. They exhibit dramatic inter- and intra-annual population fluctuations, for which causes are not entirely known. We monitored northern...
Artificial intelligence strategy for the U.S. Geological Survey
Janice M. Gordon, Alison P. Appling, Alfredo Aretxabaleta, John F. Bechtell, Thomas E. Burley, Janet M. Carter, Peter C. Esselman, Jason C. Fisher, Graham W. Lederer, James M. Mitchell, Neal J. Pastick, Jake Weltzin, Tim Woods
2026, Circular 1562
Artificial intelligence (AI) can offer opportunities to enhance the science, science delivery, and business operations of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Although USGS staff have proactively adopted AI into our workflows for many years, a comprehensive USGS strategy for AI has not previously been developed. The strategy described here is...
Assessing natural recharge in Indian Wells Valley, California: A Basin Characterization Model case study
Dina Saleh, Lorraine E. Flint, Michelle A. Stern
2026, Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5114
The communities in Indian Wells Valley (IWV), in the northern Mojave Desert in California, rely on groundwater for domestic and agricultural use. Mountain front recharge from the surrounding Sierra Nevada is the main source of natural recharge to the valley. Increased urbanization, agricultural development, and groundwater pumping during recent decades...
Mixed support for the temperature-size rule in wild freshwater fishes
George C. Brooks, Paul N. Frater, Olaf P. Jensen, Gretchen J.A. Hansen, Craig Paukert, Michael Verhoeven, Lyndsie Wszola, Luoliang Xu, Zachary S. Feiner
2026, Ecology Letters (29)
The temperature-size rule states that species living in warmer temperatures will grow faster and mature earlier at smaller sizes. While several studies have documented patterns in average body size consistent with the temperature-size rule in wild populations, a comprehensive test is lacking. Here, we use age and length data of...
A comparison of non-contact methods for measuring turbidity in the Colorado River
Natalie K. Day, Tyler V. King, Adam R. Mosbrucker
2026, Remote Sensing (18)
Monitoring suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) is essential to better understand how sediment transport could adversely affect water availability for human communities and ecosystems. Aquatic remote sensing methods are increasingly utilized to estimate SSC and turbidity in rivers; however, an evaluation of their quantitative performance is limited. This study evaluates the performance...
Treatability study to evaluate bioremediation of trichloroethene at Site K, former Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant, Arden Hills, Minnesota, 2020–22
Michelle M. Lorah, Emily H. Majcher, Adam C. Mumford, Ellie P. Foss, Trevor P. Needham, Andrew W. Psoras, Colin T. Livdahl, Jared J. Trost, Andrew M. Berg, Bridgette F. Polite, Denise M. Akob, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli
2026, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5113
Executive Summary Chlorinated solvents, including trichloroethene (TCE) and other chlorinated volatile organic compounds (cVOCs), are widespread contaminants that can be treated by bioremediation approaches that enhance anaerobic reductive dechlorination. Reductive dechlorination can be enhanced either through the addition of an electron donor (biostimulation) or the addition of a known dechlorinating culture...
Channel change and sediment transport in the Puyallup River watershed through 2022
Scott W. Anderson
2026, Preprint
The Puyallup River drains a 990 square mile watershed in western Washington, with headwaters on the glacier-covered flanks of Mount Rainier. Major tributaries include the White, Carbon, and Mowich Rivers. In the levee-confined reaches of the lower watershed, loss of flood conveyance due to sand and gravel deposition has been...
Decreased water transparency of nearshore Laurentian Great Lakes habitats is driven by increased dissolved organic carbon.
Nicole Lynn Berry, David B. Bunnell, Thomas J. Fisher, Erin P. Overholt, Elizabeth M. Mette, Todd Howell, Craig E. Williamson
2026, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (83) 1-9
Little is understood of lake browning (due to increased dissolved organic carbon; DOC) in large lakes such as the Laurentian Great Lakes. Lake browning can alter whole lake ecosystems, including decreasing exposure to damaging ultraviolet radiation (UV-B) which is strongly and selectively attenuated by DOC more so...
Action in uncertainty: Data-driven decisions that acknowledge emotional responses and transcendental connections
Nicole K. Ward, Kelly G. Guilbeau, Amanda L. Sesser, Abigail J. Lynch
2026, ESA Bulletin (107)
The increasing uncertainty with global change often stifles action and results in calls for more data before moving beyond status quo environmental decisions (Mahapatra & Ratha 2017; Ripple et al. 2017; Montefalcone et al. 2025). Advancing science and collecting more data is crucial; however, science alone (i.e., “western” or “positivist”...
Rising atmospheric CO2 reduces nitrogen availability in boreal forests
Kelley R. Bassett, Stefan F. Hupperts, Sandra Jämtgård, Lars Östlund, Jonas Fridman, Steven S. Perakis, Michael J. Gundale
2026, Nature 629-635
Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) pollution has been emphasized as a cause of eutrophication globally. However, several recent datasets have suggested widespread oligotrophication may be occurring in some ecosystems, which is suggested to be a response to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (eCO2). Plant δ15N chronologies have served as primary evidence for oligotrophication,...
A targeted approach for mapping groundwater discharge to surface water and fish thermal refuge in four Lake Ontario tributaries
Joshua C. Woda, Neil C. Terry, David J Kelley, Jason S. Finkelstein, Christopher L. Gazoorian, James E. McKenna Jr.
2026, Hydrologic Processes (40)
The duration, magnitude, and frequency of heatwaves are predicted to increase in the coming decades, a combination that can reduce the survival of many fish species. Across the world, there is broad interest in identifying thermal refuge for heat-intolerant fish species and exploring opportunities to enhance or protect these areas....
Preliminary bedrock geologic map of the Port Henry quadrangle, Essex County, New York, and Addison County, Vermont
Peter M. Valley, Mercer Parker, Gregory J. Walsh, Randall C. Orndorff, Matt S. Walton Jr., E. Allen Crider, Jr.
2026, Open-File Report 2026-1062
Introduction The bedrock geology of the 7.5-minute Port Henry quadrangle consists of deformed and metamorphosed Mesoproterozoic gneisses of the Adirondack Highlands unconformably overlain by weakly deformed lower Paleozoic sedimentary rocks of the Champlain Valley. The Mesoproterozoic rocks occur on the eastern edge of the Adirondack Highlands and represent an extension of...
Detecting snow avalanche activity using infrasound: Hooker Valley, New Zealand
Leighton Watson, Aubrey Miller, Jacob F. Anderson, Liam Toney, Alberto Ardid
2026, New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics (69)
Snow avalanches pose considerable hazards to people and infrastructure in alpine environments. Traditional avalanche monitoring relies on meteorological data and visual observations, which can be limited in scope and timeliness. Infrasound offers a promising complementary monitoring tool by detecting the low-frequency sound waves generated by avalanches. Here, we present infrasound...
Genomics reveals extensive population structure and undescribed phylogenetic relationships in the Cascade torrent salamander (Rhyacotriton cascadae)
Christopher D Cousins, Deanna H Olson, Lindsay S Millward, Michael J. Adams, Christopher Pearl, Jennifer Rowe, Tiffany S Garcia
2026, Journal of Biogeography (53)
AimAims of the study are to examine patterns of range-wide genetic differentiation and population structure in a headwater obligate salamander living in a geologically rich region, to identify genetically distinct populations and areas of gene flow between them.LocationOregon and Washington in the Pacific Northwest,...
Characterizing operational signatures of reservoirs with the SWOT satellite by comparing natural lake and reservoir dynamics
Ryan Matthew Riggs, Jesse E. Dickinson, Craig B. Brinkerhoff, Md. Safat Sikder, Jida Wang, Huilin Gao, George H. Allen
2026, Environmental Research Letters (21)
Due to a lack of management operations data, hydrological models may represent reservoirs as natural lakes, leading to poor discharge predictions in regulated basins. To parse seasonal operational signatures, we compare the dynamics of natural lake and reservoir systems across North America using Surface Water and Ocean...
Environment, taxonomy, and socioeconomics predict non-imperilment in freshwater fishes
Christina Amy Murphy, J. Andres Olivos, Ivan Arismendi, Emili García-Berthou, Sherri L. Johnson, Jason Dunham
2026, Nature Communications (17)
Freshwater fishes are among the most threatened taxa, yet conservation assessments remain incomplete for many species. Freshwater fishes provide essential ecosystem services such as food security, recreational opportunities, and cultural significance. Despite heavy alterations to freshwater ecosystems, the reasons for species’ sensitivity and resistance to imperilment are...
