Performance evaluation of natural and nature-based features for coastal protection and co-benefits
Matthew Reidenbach, Ming Li, Kenneth Rose, Tori Tomiczek, James Morris, Cindy M Palinkas, Lorie Staver, William Nardin, Matthew J. Gray, Serena Lee, Ariana Eileen Sutton-Grier, Amy Hruska
2026, Annual Review of Marine Science (18) 245-273
Built infrastructure, such as seawalls and levees, has long been used to reduce shoreline erosion and protect coastal properties from flood impacts. In contrast, natural and nature-based features (NNBF), including marshes, mangroves, oyster reefs, coral reefs, and seagrasses, offer not only coastal protection but also a range of valuable ecosystem...
Complex carbonate ore mineralogy in the Mountain Pass carbonatite rare earth element deposit, USA
Kathryn E. Watts, Allen K. Andersen
2026, American Mineralogist (111) 11-28
Economic concentrations of rare earth element (REE) minerals are uncommon in the Earth’s crust, with most occurring in carbonatites. Unlike most igneous rocks composed of silicate minerals, carbonatites are dominated by carbonate minerals, some of which can incorporate significant light REEs (LREEs; La, Ce, Pr, Nd). Technological applications of REEs...
Submarine canyon sediment transport and accumulation during sea level highstand: Interactive seasonal regimes in the head of Astoria Canyon, WA
E. Lahr, A. Ogston, Jenna C. Hill, H. Glover, Kurt J. Rosenberger
2026, Marine Geology (484)
The majority of submarine canyons on Earth today do not directly intersect littoral or fluvial sediment sources, yet these systems are rarely studied. The shelf-incised head of Astoria Canyon receives sediment from the nearby Columbia River and is subject to energetic forcing from shelf and slope processes, making it an ideal site to evaluate...
Iguanas rafted more than 8,000 km from North America to Fiji
Simon G. Scarpetta, Robert D. Fisher, Benjamin R. Karin, Jone B. Niukula, Ammon Corl, Todd R. Jackman, Jimmy A. McGuire
2026, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (122)
Founder-event speciation can occur when one or more organisms colonize a distant, unoccupied area via long-distance dispersal, leading to the evolution of a new species lineage. Species radiations established by long-distance, and especially transoceanic, dispersal can cause substantial shifts in regional biodiversity. Here, we investigate the occurrence and timing of...
Capturing the uncertainty of seismicity observations in earthquake rate estimates: Implications for probabilistic seismic hazard analysis and the USGS National Seismic Hazard Model
Andrew J. Michael, Andrea L. Llenos
2025, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America
The rate of earthquakes in a region is a fundamental input to Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis. We present a Monte Carlo method for computing that rate from seismicity catalogs while including a range of data and analysis uncertainties. This method is applied to regions for which the b value is assumed to...
Evaluating hydrologic data products for scientific and management applications related to potential future streamflow conditions in the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers
Molly Van Appledorn, Lucie Sawyer, John Delaney, Chanel Mueller, Leigh Youngblood, Jane Harrell, Brian Breaker, Chris Frans
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5101
The hydrology of the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers is a fundamental driver of ecosystem patterns and processes across a large portion of the United States. Quantitative hydrologic data for the main stems of these rivers underlie numerous scientific investigations, statistical models, and decision-making processes for local, State, and Federal...
MTAB 113, December 2025
Kyra Harvey, Jennifer L. McKay
2025, Newsletter
This Memo to All Banders (MTAB 113) was released in December 2025. Subjects in this this memo are 1. The Chief’s Chirp – End-of-Year Message and BBL’s Year in Numbers; 2. Alerts –Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and Screw-worms; 3. News – GameBirds Data Release and Banders Without Borders Updates;...
Are behavioural ecotoxicity endpoints relevant at the population level? Evidence-based insights for environmental protection
Michael G. Bertram, Marlene Ågerstrand, Jack A. Brand, Bryan W. Brooks, ZhiChao Dang, Alex T. Ford, Henner Hollert, Matthew K. LeFauve, Jack L. Manera, Jake M. Martin, Marcus Michelangeli, Maria Moiron, Eleanor R. Moore, Holly J. Puglis, Andrew Sih, Jeffery A. Steevens, Eli S.J. Thoré, Bob B.M. Wong, Lauren Zink, Tomas Bodin
2025, Environmental Science and Technology (60) 86-95
A substantial body of evidence exists demonstrating that exposure to environmental contaminants can alter animal behavior. Moreover, methodological and technological advancements, as well as increasing standardization, mean that behavioral ecotoxicity studies are more rigorous and reliable than ever before. Despite this, behavioral data are still seldom used in the risk...
Assessment of treated wastewater infiltration in Bright Angel Wash and the potential for contaminants of emerging concern influencing spring water quality along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Nicholas V. Paretti, Kimberly R. Beisner, Sarah J.R. Shepherd
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5095
In April 2021, a synoptic study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and National Park Service (NPS) identified wastewater-related contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in springs along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. These springs are located north of Bright Angel Wash, an ephemeral channel that receives treated...
Evaluating uncertainties with sample-collection method and source selection in sediment fingerprinting: an example from a Great Lakes tributary
Tanja N. Williamson, James D. Blount, Heidi Mae Broerman, Faith Fitzpatrick, Isaac James Mevis, Dayle J. Hoefling, Shannon Murphy Pace, Matthew J. Komiskey, Rebecca Kreiling
2025, Journal of Soils and Sediments (25) 4140-4163
PurposeIdentifying suspended-sediment (SS) sources, seasonal variability, and phosphorus (P) transported with SS is critical information for basin managers, although there may be concerns about comparability between flow-integrated SS samples used for sediment fingerprinting and discrete samples used for concentrations and loads in basins where SS is mostly silt + clay...
Big River bluegill: Combining vital rates and long-term monitoring to understand population dynamics in large rivers
Kristen L. Bouska, Levi E. Solomon, Andrew D. Bartels, Melvin C. Bowler, Steven A. DeLain, Eric J. Gittinger, Travis Kueter, Kristopher A. Maxson, Eric N. Ratcliff, John L. West, James T. Lamer, Hae H. Kim, Quinton Edward Phelps
2025, River Research and Applications
Long-term monitoring indicates bluegill catch rates are relatively stable in some reaches of the Upper Mississippi River and highly variable in others, whereas in the Illinois River, catch rates have decreased. A lack of age structure information precludes understanding population processes responsible for patterns in catch rates....
Hydrogeologic characterization of the Cahuilla Valley and Terwilliger Valley Groundwater Basins, Riverside County, California
Christina L. Stamos, Allen H. Christensen, Geoffrey Cromwell, Meghan C. Dick, Christopher P. Ely, Elizabeth R. Jachens, Sarah E. Ogle, Mackenzie M. Shepherd
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5073
The relation between the groundwater and the amount of natural recharge to the Cahuilla Valley and Terwilliger Valley groundwater basins is not well understood. During the 20th century, the reliance on groundwater near Anza, California, used for agricultural, domestic, and municipal reasons has increased, and there is the potential for...
Geologic map of the Guinevere Planitia quadrangle (V–30), Venus
David A. Crown, Ellen R. Stofan, Leslie F. Bleamaster III
James A. Skinner, editor(s)
2025, Scientific Investigations Map 3539
This 1:5,000,000-scale geologic map of the Guinevere Planitia quadrangle divides the region into 15 geologic material units, defined using Magellan synthetic aperture radar (12.6-centimeter-wavelength radar system; 75 meters per pixel) datasets and including upland terrain units (2.4 percent of the surface area), plains materials units (59 percent), flow materials associated...
A probabilistic assessment methodology for the evaluation of geologic energy storage capacity—Natural gas storage in depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs
Marc L. Buursink, Ashton M. Wiens, Matthew M. Jones, Brian A. Varela, Philip A. Freeman, Sean T. Brennan, Matthew D. Merrill, Peter D. Warwick
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5108
The need for energy storage, particularly underground, where capacity and duration may far exceed battery storage technologies, is especially relevant given the increasing demands for reliable power alongside the development of intermittent renewable electricity sources. Geologic energy storage facilities already exist, and expanded use would enable storing gases such as...
Regional characterization of coal resources in the U.S. Gulf Coast
Peter D. Warwick, Robert C. Reedy, Bridget R. Scanlon
2025, Preprint
There is increasing interest in extracting critical minerals (CM), including rare earth elements (REE), from coals in the United States to address the overreliance on imported REE. The U.S. Gulf Coast and the Williston basins are the two major lignite-bearing basins within the country. Recent REE and CM studies of...
Integrating theory and empirical patterns: Fish body size distributions, life history traits, and environmental flows in streams
Taylor Woods, Daniel J. McGarvey, Matthew J. Cashman, Michael R. Meador, Daren M. Carlisle, Ken Eng, Darin A. Kopp, Kelly O. Maloney
2025, Science Advances (11)
Individual size distributions (ISDs) are prominent in ecological research and may support resource managers with ecosystem-scale objectives. We use a database of individual size measurements for US stream fishes to test for direct and indirect effects of traits, flow regimes, and land use on the interspecific ISD exponent. Path analysis...
Landscape associations and population genetics of a generalist carnivore at a range limit
Bailey A. Kleeberg, Robert Charles Lonsinger, Jennifer R. Adams, Lisette P. Waits, W. Sue Fairbanks
2025, PLoS ONE (20)
American black bear (Ursus americanus) sightings have increased in the Oklahoma Panhandle, an area outside of the species’ historical range, prompting an assessment of bears in the region. We used camera traps and an occupancy modeling framework to identify factors influencing bear detection and space-use patterns. We used noninvasive genetic...
Shallow geologic framework of the Mississippi Sound and the potential for sediment resources
James Flocks, Arnell Forde
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5100
The Mississippi Sound, an estuarine environment located between the mainland and barrier islands bordering the northern Gulf of America (formerly the Gulf of Mexico), serves as a vital ecosystem for the States of Mississippi and Alabama. Spanning approximately 100 kilometers from east to west and covering 1,400 square kilometers, the...
Environmental characterization of Blue Mesa Reservoir and potential causes of and management strategies for harmful algal blooms, 1970 through 2023, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Colorado
Katherine Walton-Day, Natalie K. Day, M. Alisa Mast, Rachel G. Gidley, Evan J. Gohring, Tyler V. King, Warren C. Day, Nicole D. Gibney, Nancy J. Bauch
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5109
Blue Mesa Reservoir, in the Curecanti National Recreation Area, is the largest storage reservoir in Colorado and consists of three distinct basins: Iola (the shallowest), Cebolla, and Sapinero. After algal toxins were first documented in Iola basin in 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey began a study in cooperation with the...
Assessing streams in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to guide conservation and restoration activities
Kelly O. Maloney, Rosemary M. Fanelli, Matthew J. Cashman, Lindsey J. Boyle, Stephanie E. Gordon, Benjamin P. Gressler, Michelle P. Katoski, Alexander H. Kiser, Marina J. Metes, Gregory E. Noe, Andrew J. Sekellick, Allison Sussman, John A. Young
2025, Fact Sheet 2025-3056
Freshwater streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are home to numerous aquatic organisms (like fish, amphibians, mussels, and insects) and provide drinking water and recreational opportunities to people living in or visiting the watershed. Land-use changes, such as urban development and increased activities in certain agricultural sectors, have degraded water...
Sediment accumulation rates and volume in Pahranagat Wash above Arrow Canyon Dam in northern Moapa Valley, Nevada
Jon W. Wilson, Boris Poff, Christopher C. Fuller
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5106
An evaluation of sediment deposition rates and volume of impounded sediments in Pahranagat Wash behind Arrow Canyon dam in southeastern Nevada was done between 2016 and 2022. Data were collected and interpreted to address concerns by the Moapa Band of Paiutes and local historical preservation groups regarding the burial of...
Responding to ecological transformation in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah—Employee perspectives from pilot interviews from the Cross-Park Resist-Assist-Direct Project
Amanda E. Cravens, Zachary B. Hough Solomon, Julia B. Goolsby, Heather M. Yocum, Stefan Tangen, Wylie Carr
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5103
Executive SummaryClimate change is causing a range of changes that can affect the natural, cultural, and built resources of the Nation’s protected areas and affect opportunities to visit and recreate in these spaces. Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns also affect species and habitats, leading to ecological transformation. This report...
Mitigation of human cognitive bias in volcanic eruption forecasting
Heather M. Wright, J. D. Pesicek, Stephen A. Spiller
2025, Journal of Applied Volcanology (14)
Modern operational eruption forecasting methods rely heavily on human judgment in the face of uncertainty and are thus susceptible to myriad cognitive biases and errors by the scientist-forecasters. Recent developments in the behavioral sciences have elucidated cognitive biases across a wide spectrum of human behaviors and found ways to mitigate...
Efficacy of oblique bubble screen deterrents on redirecting live eggs and larvae of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) at different developmental stages
Vindhyawasini Prasad, Juan Martin Andrade Ramos, Cory Suski, P. Ryan Jackson, Amy E. George, Duane C. Chapman, Jesse Robert Fischer, Benjamin H. Stahlschmidt, Rafael O. Tinoco
2025, Water Resources Research (61)
Invasive carp have severely damaged aquatic ecosystems in the USA, particularly in the Mississippi River Basin. Behavioral deterrents have been developed in the last few decades to control population expansion into new ecosystems. However, none of these deterrents are capable of controlling early-life stage carp, which have limited or no...
Assessment of dragonfly and damselfly (Odonata) occupancy and habitat suitability at −12 Mile Slough, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona
Anya Metcalfe, Morgan Ford, Lawrence E. Stevens, Theodore Kennedy
2025, Open-File Report 2025-1042
Management practices that enhance habitat complexity in dam tailwaters often aim to increase biodiversity and improve ecosystem health. However, in other instances, management practices may simplify habitat features to help minimize the establishment of invasive species. These tradeoffs are complex, particularly in the face of drought and warming water temperatures....
