Wake Atoll vessel movement biosecurity program efficacy
Stacie A. Hathaway, James C. Molden, Robert Peck, Kristen R. Rex, Cheryl S. Brehme, Theo Black, Robert N. Fisher
2025, Open-File Report 2025-1026
Executive SummaryThe purpose of this Wake Atoll Vessel Movement Biosecurity Program Efficacy document is to provide the United States Air Force (USAF) with an unbiased review of the current (2015; hereafter referred to as the 2015 Biosecurity Plan) biosecurity plan for the military base Wake Island Airfield (WIA) on Wake...
Revealing organofluorine contamination in effluents and surface waters with complementary analytical approaches: Fluorine-19 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (19F-NMR) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)
K.A. Faber, W.C.K Pomerantz, James L. Gray, Laura E. Hubbard, Dana W. Kolpin, W.A. Arnold
2025, Environmental Science & Technology (59) 14695-14706
Fluorinated organic contaminants, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and fluorinated pesticides and pharmaceuticals (FPPs), pose a persistent threat to environmental health. Widely used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods fail to capture large fractions of total organofluorine in environmental samples, confounding the assessment of fluorinated contamination. Fluorine-19 nuclear magnetic...
U.S. Geological Survey Groundwater Climate Response Network, 2024
Jason M. Fine, Rodney R. Caldwell
2025, General Information Product 254
As of October 2024, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) operated 588 sites across the United States and its territories as part of the Groundwater Climate Response Network (CRN). The CRN is comprised of wells selected to monitor the effects of climate variability, such as droughts, on groundwater levels nationwide. The...
Molecular evolution of TRPC4 regulatory sequences supports a role in mammalian thermoregulatory adaptation
Robert S. Cornman
2025, PeerJ (13)
BackgroundProteins encoded by the canonical transient receptor potential (Trpc) gene family form transmembrane channels involved in diverse signal-transduction pathways. Trpc4 has been shown necessary for the induction of nonshivering thermogenesis (NST) in mice, a key component of which is thermogenic brown adipose tissue (BAT). In bats, Trpc4 exhibited diversifying selection within exons encoding...
The structural and functional impacts of invasive Psidium cattleianum in forests on the Island of Hawai’i
Tara Seely, Lucas Fortini, Yutong Liang, John J. Battles
2025, Ecosystems (28)
During the past century, the proliferation of invasive species has contributed to loss of biodiversity and ecosystem degradation. In forests, invasive tree species can alter ecosystem function, but the underlying mechanisms of these changes are not fully understood. We use the ongoing invasion of P. cattleianum on the Island of Hawai’i to...
Chlorophyll trends are negative for lakes but positive for estuarine–coastal waters
James E. Cloern, Alan Jassby
2025, PNAS (122)
Nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) pollution is an environmental problem of global concern because overenrichment of water bodies increases phytoplankton biomass and ecosystem metabolism, depletes oxygen in bottom waters, and increases the frequency and intensity of harmful algal blooms. These responses to nutrient pollution have motivated policies to reduce anthropogenic nutrient...
Soil moisture partitioning between under canopy and interspace environments in shrublands of the northern Chihuahuan Desert
Juan Pinos, Keegan Hammond, Michael C. Duniway, John P. Anderson, Niall P. Hanan, Matthew D. Petrie
2025, Ecosystems (28)
Soil moisture is a key link between hydrologic and ecologic processes in desert shrublands. Understanding how soil moisture is spatially distributed in desert shrublands provides valuable insights into how shrubs use and impact limiting water resources, and how shrublands may respond to future meteorological and climate change. Our goals were...
Comparison of Microcystin-LR degradation by UV222 and UV254
Zanna J. Leciejewski, Zachary R. Laughrey, Amanda L. Stickney, Keith A. Loftin, Natalie M. Hull
2025, Environmental Science and Technology (59) 14660-14671
Microcystin-LR (MC-LR), a toxin produced during some cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs), can harm ecosystems and require consideration in water treatment. Ultraviolet (UV)-C treatment has the potential to degrade cyanotoxins with less harmful byproducts than other treatments. This study compares MC-LR degradation in three different water types using UV-C light...
Land application of drill waste: A scope analysis
Matthew S. Varonka, Melissa A. Lombard, Todd M. Preston, Timothy T. Bartos, Jason R. Masoner, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli
2025, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association (75) 656-669
Drilling fluid waste land application, a process where drilling wastes are spread and tilled into the land surface, has become common in some petroleum-producing states, however, the potential benefits and risks of this practice are not well studied. Drilling fluids can be water- or oil-based and can have high concentrations...
Comparing year-class strength indices from longitudinal analysis of catch-at-age data with those from catch-curve regression: Application to Lake Huron lake trout
Ji X. He, Charles P. Madenjian
2025, Fishes (10)
Fish year-class strength (YCS) has been estimated via longitudinal analysis of catch-at-age data and via catch-curve regression, but no study has compared the two approaches. The objective of this study was to compare YCS estimates derived from both approaches applied to catch-at-age data for the lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush)...
Evidence for fluid pressurization of fault zones and persistent sensitivity to injection rate beneath the Raton Basin
Mohammadreza Jamalreyhani, Ruijia Wang, Brandon Schmandt, Andres Felipe Peña Castro, Margaret Elizabeth Glasgow
2025, Geophysical Research Letters (52)
Subsurface wastewater injection has increased the seismicity rate within the Raton Basin over more than two decades, with the basin-wide injection rate peaked between 2009-2015. To understand the evolution of injection-induced earthquakes, we systematically analyzed 2016-2024 broadband recordings with a machine-learning-based phase picker and constructed a catalog with 95,993 earthquakes...
Disease-driven collapse of the native Kauaʻi avifauna and the rise of introduced bird species
Noah J. Hunt, Lisa H. Crampton, Tyler A Winter, Jack D Alexander, Roy Glib, Richard J. Camp
2025, Biodiversity and Conservation
Hawaii hosts one of Earth’s most unique and threatened avifaunas. Upslope migration of mosquito-vectored avian malaria on Kauaʻi (maximum elevation 1,598 m) has likely caused its rapid loss of avifaunal diversity; only 8 of 13 historic forest bird species remain. We update the status and trends of Kauaʻi forest bird populations...
Precipitation pulse dynamics are not ubiquitous: A global meta-analysis of plant and ecosystem carbon- and water-related pulse responses
Emma Reich, Jessica Guo, Drew Peltier, Emily C. Palmquist, Kimberly Samuels-Crow, Rohan Boone, Kiona Ogle
2025, Global Change Biology (31)
Ecosystem responses to precipitation pulses (“pulse responses”) exert a large control over global carbon, water, and energy cycles. However, it is unclear how the timing and magnitude of pulse responses will vary across ecosystems as precipitation regimes shift under accelerating climate change. To address this issue, this study evaluates how...
Bacterial community structure across a sand dune chronosequence at the Indiana Dunes National Park
Muruleedhara Byappanahalli, Noel B. Pavlovic, Cindy H Nakatsu
2025, Journal of Great Lakes Research (51)
The microbial role in dune succession along the Great Lakes freshwater sand dunes remains poorly understood. A chronosequence study was conducted to understand the relationships among soil bacterial communities, soil chemistry, and prescribed burning at the Indiana Dunes National Park. Soil bacterial communities and chemistry, as well as groundlayer vegetation...
Relating surface water dynamics in wetlands and lakes to spatial variability in hydrologic signatures
Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Peter Nieuwlandt, Heather E. Golden, Charles R. Lane, Jay Christensen, William Keenan, Wayana Dolan
2025, Wetland Ecology & Management (33)
The retention of surface water in wetlands and lakes can modify the timing, duration, and magnitude of river discharge. However, efforts to characterize the influence of surface water on discharge regimes have been generally limited to small, wetland-dense watersheds. We developed random forest models to explain spatial variability in six...
Identifying presence or absence of grizzly and polar bear cubs from the movements of adult females with machine learning
Erik Andersen, Justin Clapp, Milan Vinks, Todd C. Atwood, Daniel D. Bjornlie, Cecily M. Costello, David Gustine, Mark A. Haroldson, Lori L. Roberts, Karyn D. Rode, Frank T. van Manen, Ryan H. Wilson
2025, Movement Ecology (13)
BackgroundInformation on reproductive success is crucial to understanding population dynamics but can be difficult to obtain, particularly for species that birth while denning. For grizzly (Ursus arctos) and polar bears (U. maritimus), den visits are impractical because of safety and logistical considerations. Reproduction is typically documented through direct...
Adapting visitor use management under a changing climate across the U.S. National Park System
Emily J. Wilkins, Sarah Lynn Rappaport Keener, Wylie Carr, Samantha G. Winder, Julianne Reas, Daniela B. Daniele, Spencer A. Wood
2025, Journal of Environmental Management (391)
Research shows that climate change is already affecting both resources and visitors in U.S. National Parks. We sought to better understand if and how park staff across the National Park Service are adapting to climatic changes that affect visitor use, as well as barriers and challenges to adaptation and information...
Environmental drivers of productivity explain population patterns of an Arctic-nesting goose across a half-century
Antti Piironen, Jeffrey M. Knetter, Kyle A. Spragens, Joshua Dooley, Vijay P. Patil, Eric T. Reed, Megan V. Ross, Daniel Gibson, Adam C. Behney, Mark J. Petrie, Todd Sanders, Mitch D. Weegman
2025, Ecological Applications (35)
Joint estimation of demographic rates and population size has become an essential tool in ecology because it enables evaluating mechanisms for population change and testing hypotheses about drivers of demography in a single modeling framework. This approach provides a comprehensive perspective on population dynamics and how animal populations will respond...
The systematics of stable hydrogen (δ2H) and oxygen (δ18O) isotopes and tritium (3H) in the hydrothermal system of the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field, USA
Shaul Hurwitz, R. Blaine McCleskey, Bryant Jurgens, Jacob B. Lowenstern, Laura E. Clor, Andrew Hunt
2025, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (26)
To improve our understanding of hydrothermal activity on the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field, we collected and analyzed a large data set of δ2H, δ18O, and the 3H concentrations of circum-neutral and alkaline waters. We find that (a) hot springs are fed by recharge throughout the volcanic plateau, likely focused through fractured,...
Assessment of water chemistry of the Coconino aquifer in northeastern Arizona
Casey J.R. Jones
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5038
The Coconino aquifer was investigated as a potential groundwater resource for the Hopi Tribe and Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona. Basic groundwater chemistry, including major ions, total dissolved solids, and selected trace metal concentrations, are presented and analyzed to characterize the Coconino aquifer. The geochemical compositions of groundwater are associated...
Automated generation of an urban synthetic elevation checkpoint network across the North Carolina coastline, USA
Alexander C. Seymour, Christine J. Kranenburg, Kara S. Doran
2025, Science of Remote Sensing (12)
Lidar and structure from motion-derived digital elevation and surface models have widespread application. Consideration of a topographic model's vertical root mean squared error (RMSEz) and systematic directional bias is important for many of these applications, particularly landscape change detection and measurement. Due to logistic, resource, and time constraints, wide area...
Future of coral bleaching research
Andrea G. Grottoli, Ann M. Hulver, R. Vega Thurber, R. J. Toonen, E. R. Schmeltzer, Ilsa B. Kuffner, K. L. Barott, Iliana B. Baums, K. Castillo, Leila Chapron, M. A. Coffroth, D. J. Combosch, A. M.S. Correa, Eric D. Crandall, Megan Donahue, Jose M. Eirin-Lopez, Thomas Felis, C. Ferrier-Pages, Hugo B Harrison, Scott F. Heron, Danwei Huang, Adriana Humanes, Carly D. Kenkel, Thomas Krueger, Joshua Madin, Mikhail V Matz, Lisa C. McManus, Monica Medina, Erinn M. Muller, J. Padilla-Gamino, Hollie M. Putnam, Y Sawall, Tom Shlesinger, Michael J. Sweet, Christian Voolstra, V. M. Weis, Christian Wild, H. C. Wu
2025, BioScience (75) 585-598
Coral bleaching is the largest global threat to coral reef ecosystem persistence this century. Advancing our understanding of coral bleaching and developing solutions to protect corals and the reefs they support are critical. In the present article, we, the US National Science Foundation–funded Coral Bleaching Research Coordination Network, outline future...
Ten more years of the golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) on Maui, Hawaiian Islands
Thane K Pratt, Christopher C Warren, Erika K Kekiwi, Kerri Fay, Richard J. Camp
2025, Pacific Science (78) 355-371
Since the introduction of the Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) to Haleakalā volcano, Maui, three decades ago, subsequent reports have hinted at an expansion of this nascent population. We draw from a variety of data sources to learn about this pheasant's present status on Maui. First, forest bird surveys conducted every...
Integrating contaminant source indicators, water quality measures, and ecotoxicity to characterize contaminant mixtures and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) variability in an urban watershed
J.R. Behrens, A.S. Joyce, P.L. Ferguson, Dana W. Kolpin, N. Jayasundara, N. Barbo, E.S. Bernhardt
2025, Environmental Science & Technology (59) 13958-13969
Thousands of chemical contaminants threaten watersheds but are time and cost prohibitive to monitor. Identifying their sources, transport, and ecological risk is limited in heterogeneous urban watersheds. We present an integrative watershed approach using source-specific indicator compounds, common water quality measures, and ecotoxicity assays to examine the distribution of contaminant...
Organic matter availability and the production of methane-derived dissolved organic carbon at methane seeps
Ellen Jennifer Lalk, John Pohlman, Laura Lapham
2025, Global Biogeochemical Cycles (39)
Methane seeps located along continental margins and slopes export sedimentary methane and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) into the ocean. The flux of these reduced carbon molecules from the seafloor into the ocean impacts ocean chemistry and supports deep-sea life. While significant effort has been made to understand how the anaerobic...
