Rupture process of the Mw7.0 December 5, 2024 Offshore Cape Mendocino earthquake
Frederick Pollitz, Katherine Anna Guns, Clara Yoon
2025, Geophysical Research Letters (52)
The Mw7.0 December 5, 2024 Offshore Cape Mendocino earthquake ruptured a km long portion of the east-west trending Mendocino fault zone (MFZ). In order to clarify the rupture process, we assemble three-component seismograms from regional seismic stations, horizontal coseismic displacement vectors derived from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) time series, and...
Mapping global coral vulnerability to stony coral tissue loss disease: Implications for biosecurity and conservation
Kevin D. Lafferty, Giovanni Strona
2025, Frontiers in Marine Science (12)
Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) has devastated Caribbean coral reefs since 2014, but its potential for global impact remains uncertain. We developed predictive models to assess the worldwide vulnerability of coral reefs to SCTLD under different origin and spread hypotheses. Using random forest regression models incorporating coral taxonomy and...
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of the northern Arabian Peninsula, 2024
Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, Phuong A. Le, Andrea D. Cicero, Ronald M. Drake II, Sarah E. Gelman, Jane S. Hearon, Benjamin G. Johnson, Jenny H. Lagesse, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Kira K. Timm
2025, Fact Sheet 2025-3035
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean conventional resources of 5.1 billion barrels of oil and 19.5 trillion cubic feet of gas in the northern Arabian Peninsula....
Environmental characteristics of select managed ponds in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta—Implications for native fish conservation and research
Frederick V. Feyrer, Shawn Acuña, Jordan M. Buxton, Ethan R. Enos, Michelle L. Hladik, James Orlando, Matthew J. Young
2025, Open-File Report 2025-1040
The use of wetlands to support native fish research and conservation efforts in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (Delta) of California is a growing priority. The purpose of our study was to examine the physiochemical and biological characteristics of select managed ponds in the Delta to determine if they would be...
Development of regression equations to estimate flow durations, low-flow frequencies, and mean flows at ungaged stream sites in Connecticut using data through water year 2022
Elizabeth A. Ahearn, Gardner C. Bent
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5027
To aid Federal and State regulatory agencies in the effective management of water resources, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Connecticut Department of Transportation, updated flow statistics for 118 streamgages and developed 47 regression equations to estimate selected flow...
Bright spots for advancing ecological understanding and conservation decision-making
Holly Susan Embke, Zachary S. Feiner, Gretchen Hansen, Daniel A. Isermann, Olaf P. Jensen, Christopher I. Rounds, Quinn Smith, M. Jake Vander Zanden
2025, Conservation Biology (39)
A lot can be learned by studying bright spots—defined as unexpected positive outcomes. In fields like public health, education, and oncology, identifying factors behind bright spots reveals previously unknown drivers of success that can be replicated elsewhere. This concept is being applied in conservation but is hampered by variations in...
Public support for puma reintroduction in the eastern United States
L. Mark Elbroch, Jazmin Murphy, Shelby Carlson, John A. Vucetich, Richard Eugene Waggaman Berl, Lexi Galiardi, Shelby Perry, Tom Butler, Neil H. Carter, Joseph W. Hinton, Axel Moehrenschlager, Emily M. Carrollo, Rana Bayrakcismith, Jeremy T. Bruskotter
2025, Conservation Science and Practice (7)
Pumas (Puma concolor) are among the species identified as having the potential to enhance ecosystem function. Previous research highlights sufficient ecological habitat to support pumas in the eastern United States; however, their reintroduction requires social and institutional support as well. To this end, we conducted research to assess attitudes about...
The 3D National Topography Model Call for Action—Part 2: The Next Generation 3D Elevation Program
Vicki Lukas, Larry Sugarbaker, Cindy A. Thatcher, Allyson L. Jason, Jason M. Stoker
2025, Circular 1553
The three-dimensional (3D) National Topography Model initiative to integrate elevation and hydrography data includes the next generation of hydrography data from the 3D Hydrography Program and the next generation of elevation data from the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP). The first-ever collection of light detection and ranging (lidar) data for the...
Ecological acclimation: A framework to integrate fast and slow responses to climate change
Michael Stemkovski, Joey Bernhardt, Benjamin Wong Blonder, John B. Bradford, Kyra Clark-Wolf, Laura E. Dee, Margaret Evans, Virginia Iglesias, Loretta Johnson, Abigail J. Lynch, Sparkle Malone, Brooke Osborne, Melissa Pastore, Michael Paterson, Malin Pinsky, Christine R. Rollinson, Oliver Selmoni, Jason Venkiteswarnan, Anthony P. Walker, Nicole K. Ward, John B. Williams, Claire Zarakas, Peter B. Adler
2025, Functional Ecology (39) 1923-1939
Ecological responses to climate change occur across vastly different time-scales, from minutes for physiological plasticity to decades or centuries for community turnover and evolutionary adaptation. Accurately predicting the range of ecosystem trajectories will require models that incorporate both fast processes that may keep pace with climate change and slower...
Pathology, tissue distribution, and phylogenomic characterization of largemouth bass virus isolated from a wild smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu)
Christine J.E. Haake, Thomas B. Waltzek, Chrissy D. Eckstrand, Nora Hickey, Joetta Lynn Reno, Rebecca M. Wolking, Preeyanan Sriwanayos, Jan Lovy, Elizabeth A. Renner, Kyle R. Taylor, Ryan Oliveira
2025, Viruses (17)
We performed a diagnostic disease investigation on a wild smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) with skin ulcers that was collected from Lake Oahe, South Dakota, following reports from anglers of multiple fish with similar lesions. Gross and histologic lesions of ulcerative dermatitis, myositis, and lymphocytolysis within the spleen and kidneys...
Sustaining Namāēw (Lake Sturgeon): Partner-led climate adaptation for Indigenous fisheries in the Laurentian Great Lakes
Holly Susan Embke, Robert Croll, Hannah Panci, Aaron D. Shultz, Sara Smith, Nick Boygo, Marvin DeFoe, Jennifer Gauthier, Gary Michaud, Michael Waasegiizhig Price, Donald Reiter, Jason Schlender, Frank Zomer
2025, Fisheries
Namāēw (Menominee; Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens) have long supported Indigenous culture and food sovereignty but have declined by over 80% in the Laurentian Great Lakes, exacerbating their sensitivity to climate change. Following interest from Indigenous leaders, we initiated a partnership-driven effort to (1) assess climate effects and (2) develop potential adaptation...
Risks and rewards of pre-emergent herbicide (indaziflam) to defend core sagebrush-steppe ecosystems under suboptimal precipitation
Brynne Lazarus, Matthew Germino
2025, Rangeland Ecology and Mangement (102) 153-159
Protection of intact habitat from the spread of invasive plants is a global priority, especially where invaders alter wildfire occurrence. Invasion of perennial sagebrush-steppe ecosystems by cheatgrass and other fire-promoting exotic annual grasses (EAGs) is one of the most notorious examples of this problem. Protection and expansion of the remaining...
Daily fluctuating flows affect riparian plant species distributions from local to regional scales
Bradley J. Butterfield, Emily C. Palmquist
2025, Applied Vegetation Science (28)
AimsThe number of hydropower dams has grown globally over recent decades, with significant impacts on downstream riparian plant communities. Many of these dams generate daily fluctuating flows known as hydropeaking to meet sub-daily variation in energy demands. Hydropeaking can significantly impact riparian plant communities, with obligate riparian species tending to...
Evaluating deterrent locations and sequence in the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers and the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway to minimize invasive carp occupancy and abundance
Michael E. Colvin, Caleb A. Aldridge, Neal Jackson, Max Post van der Burg
2025, Open-File Report 2025-1039
Invasive carps, specifically silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), bighead carp (H. nobilis), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), and black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus), have proliferated in the Mississippi River Basin owing to escapes from aquaculture facilities and intentional releases. In the Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA) of 2020 Sec. 509, Congress directed...
Genetic structure of an expanding population of Humpback Chub in Grand Canyon
Maria C. Dzul, Robert Massatti, Charles Yackulic, Emily Omana-Smith, Kirk Young
2025, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (45) 929-940
ObjectiveHumpback Chub (HBC) Gila cypha in Grand Canyon declined in abundance and distribution over the latter part of the 20th century but have substantially increased in abundance and distribution over the past two decades. Although previous genetic work suggested that HBC in Grand Canyon belong to one genetic...
Inferring Brown-Capped Rosy-Finch demography and breeding distribution trends from long-term wintering data in New Mexico
Whitney A. Watson, Corrie C. Borgman, Steven Cox, Abigail Jean Lawson
2025, Report
The three North American Rosy-Finch species (Brown-capped [Leucosticte australis], Black [L. atrata], and Gray-crowned [L. tephrocotis]) are among the most climate-threatened species in the United States. New Mexico is an important location for investigating the effects of climate change because it is the southernmost location in which Brown-capped Rosy-Finches breed...
Beach nourishment response and recent morphological evolution of Minnesota Point, Lake Superior
Collin Joseph Roland, Joel T. Groten, J. William Lund, Jenny L. Hanson
2025, Journal of Great Lakes Research (51)
Beach nourishments are a popular nature-based alternative to armoring for shoreline erosion mitigation, but nourishments have been criticized due to their environmental impacts and uncertain sustainability. Monitoring is often nonexistent or insufficient to constrain nourishment longevity and inform the renourishment interval required to maintain shoreline protection. This study uses a...
Evaluating large wood additions as a scalable method of urban stream restoration
Peter Grap, Stephen F. Matter, Adam Lehmann, Dylan Ward, Michael Thomas Booth
2025, River Research and Applications (41) 2032-2051
Urbanization is associated with increased erosion and habitat homogenization in stream ecosystems. This habitat degradation often has biological consequences, such as decreased species richness. Conventional stream restoration practices are costly, and projects are limited to small areas with easy access. A scalable, low-cost method of stream restoration is needed to...
Blowing in the wind: Anemochory in blackbrush habitat of South Texas
Beth Middleton, Emily J. Lain
2025, Plant Ecology (226) 1057-1064
Wind dispersal has the potential to carry seeds long-distances and could inform the management and restoration of natural vegetation along the U.S.-Mexico Border. Plant species with the potential to disperse seeds in arid landscapes fragmented by border barrier infrastructure include foundational native, invasive, and federally endangered plant species. Wind dispersal...
Female and male grizzly bears differ in their responses to low-intensity recreation in a protected area
Elise Loggers, Andrea R. Litt, Mark Haroldson, Kerry A. Gunther, Frank T. van Manen
2025, Journal of Wildlife Management (89)
Strategies animals use to navigate human-dominated landscapes frequently mimic anti-predator responses employed by prey species. Understanding how large carnivores respond to outdoor recreation is important for conservation, particularly in protected areas with preservation mandates. Visitation to Yellowstone National Park doubled from 1980 to 2015, increasing the need to examine potential...
Ecotoxicological effects of crude oil to early life stage Danio rerio: A molecular, morphological and behavioral approach focused on swim bladder development
Célio F. Mariz, Maria Karolaine de Melo Alves, Jason Tyler Magnuson, Italo Braga de Castro, Felix Augusto Silva de Andrade, Eliete Zanardi-Lamardo, Igor Dias Medeiros, Paulo S. Carvalho
2025, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (44) 3363-3374
Proper development and inflation of the swim bladder is essential for swimming and foraging behavior in fish. To characterize the effects of the Brazilian oil spill that occurred between 2019 and 2020 to early life stage fish, the expression of genes involved in swim bladder development were targeted, with biochemical...
The effects of forest harvesting on total and methylmercury concentrations in surface waters depend on harvest practices and physical site characteristics
Karin Eklof, Heleen A. de Wit, Chris S. Eckley, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Susan L. Eggert, Robert W. Mackereth, Ulf Skyllberg, Liisa Ukonmaanaho, Matti Verta, Craig J Allan, Erik J.S. Emilson, Karen A. Kidd, Carl P.J. Mitchell, John Munthe, Tapani Sallantaus, Joel Segersten, Andrea Garcia Bravo, Randall Kolka, Colin P.R. McCarter, Petri Porvari, Eva Ring, Stephen Sebestyen, Ulf Sikstrom, Therese Zetterberg
2025, Environmental Science and Technology (59) 15944-15955
Forest harvesting can lead to mercury (Hg) mobilization from soils to aquatic habitats and promote the transformation of inorganic Hg to highly neurotoxic and bioaccumulative methyl-Hg (MeHg). Multiple past studies reveal broad variation of stream water MeHg and total Hg (THg) concentrations responses to forest harvesting, which has confounded messaging...
Factors affecting the distribution of water-bearing fractures in the bedrock aquifers of West Virginia
Mark D. Kozar, Mitchell A. McAdoo, Samuel H. Austin, Carson A. Wright
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5044
Bedrock aquifers cover 23,601 square miles within the State of West Virginia and comprise 97.4 percent of the surficial area within the State; the remaining 2.6 percent (621 square miles) consists of alluvial sand-and-gravel and glacial outwash aquifers bordering the State’s major rivers. While West Virginia’s alluvial aquifers have been...
A flexible conservation and connectivity tool to inform stream conservation prioritization
Sarah G. Winikoff, Craig Paukert, Nicholas Sievert, Jane S. Rogosch
2025, Fisheries
Healthy stream networks rely on diverse fish assemblages and the mobility of fish between habitats to maintain ecosystem structure and function. Anthropogenic structures that impede fish movement (e.g., roads, dams) disrupt life cycles of migratory fishes and isolate fish populations making them more sensitive to environmental stressors. Growing interest in...
Occurrence and tissue distribution of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in fishes from waterbodies with point and non-point sources in Massachusetts, USA
Heather L. Walsh, Vicki S. Blazer, Emma Lord, Stephen T. Hurley, Denis R. LeBlanc
2025, Aquatic Toxicology (287)
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants with known bioaccumulative and toxic effects in aquatic ecosystems. This study assessed site-specific differences in PFAS contamination in fish from Ashumet Pond, Sudbury River, and Great Herring Pond (reference site) in Massachusetts. Fish from Ashumet Pond exhibited the highest PFAS concentrations,...
