How can present and future satellite missions support scientific studies that address ocean acidification?
Joseph Salisbury, Douglas Vandemark, Bror Jonsson, William Balch, Sumit Chakraborty, Steven Lohrenz, Bertrand Chapron, Burke Hales, Antonio Mannino, Jeremy T. Mathis, Nicolas Reul, Sergio Signorini, Rik Wanninkhof, Kimberly K. Yates
2016, Oceanography (2) 108-121
Space-based observations offer unique capabilities for studying spatial and temporal dynamics of the upper ocean inorganic carbon cycle and, in turn, supporting research tied to ocean acidification (OA). Satellite sensors measuring sea surface temperature, color, salinity, wind, waves, currents, and sea level enable a fuller understanding of a range of...
Pockmarks in Passamaquoddy Bay, New Brunswick, Canada
Laura L. Brothers, Christine Legere, J.E. Hughes Clark, J.T. Kelley, Walter Barnhardt, Brian Andrews, D.F. Belknap
2016, Geological Society, London, Memoirs (46) 111-112
Pockmarks are seafloor depressions associated with fluid escape (Judd & Hovland 2007). They proliferate in the muddy seafloors of coastal Gulf of Maine and Bay of Fundy, where they are associated with shallow natural gas likely of biogenic origin (Ussler et al. 2003; Rogers et al. 2006;...
Influences of summer water temperatures on the movement, distribution, and resources use of fluvial Westslope Cutthroat Trout in the South Fork Clearwater River basin
Marika E. Dobos, Matthew P. Corsi, Daniel J. Schill, Joseph M. DuPont, Michael C. Quist
2016, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (36) 549-567
Although many Westslope Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi populations in Idaho are robust and stable, population densities in some systems remain below management objectives. In many of those systems, such as in the South Fork Clearwater River (SFCR) system, environmental conditions (e.g., summer temperatures) are hypothesized to limit populations of Westslope Cutthroat...
Evidence for common ancestry among viruses isolated from wild birds in Beringia and highly pathogenic intercontinental reassortant H5N1 and H5N2 influenza A viruses
Andrew M. Ramey, Andrew B. Reeves, Joshua L. Teslaa, Sean W. Nashold, Tyrone F. Donnelly, Justin Bahl, Jeffrey S. Hall
2016, Infection, Genetics and Evolution (40) 176-185
Highly pathogenic clade 2.3.4.4 H5N8, H5N2, and H5N1 influenza A viruses were first detected in wild, captive, and domestic birds in North America in November–December 2014. In this study, we used wild waterbird samples collected in Alaska prior to the initial detection of clade 2.3.4.4 H5 influenza A viruses in...
Disease prevalence and snail predation associated with swell-generated damage on the threatened coral, Acropora palmata (Lamarck)
Allan J. Bright, Caroline S. Rogers, Marilyn E. Brandt, Erinn Muller, Tyler B. Smith
2016, Frontiers in Marine Science (3)
Disturbances such as tropical storms cause coral mortality and reduce coral cover as a direct result of physical damage. Storms can be one of the most important disturbances in coral reef ecosystems, and it is crucial to understand their long-term impacts on coral populations. The primary objective of this study...
Wastewater disposal from unconventional oil and gas development degrades stream quality at a West Virginia injection facility
Denise M. Akob, Adam C. Mumford, William H. Orem, Mark A. Engle, Julia Klinges, Douglas B. Kent, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli
2016, Environmental Science & Technology (50) 5517-5525
The development of unconventional oil and gas (UOG) resources has rapidly increased in recent years; however, the environmental impacts and risks are poorly understood. A single well can generate millions of liters of wastewater, representing a mixture of formation brine and injected hydraulic fracturing fluids. One of the most common...
Endocrine disrupting activities of surface water associated with a West Virginia oil and gas industry wastewater disposal site
Christopher D. Kassotis, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Denise M. Akob, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Adam C. Mumford, William H. Orem, Susan C. Nagel
2016, Science of the Total Environment (557-558) 901-910
Currently, >95% of end disposal of hydraulic fracturing wastewater from unconventional oil and gas operations in the US occurs via injection wells. Key data gaps exist in understanding the potential impact of underground injection on surface water quality and environmental health. The goal of this study was to assess endocrine...
Modern (1992–2011) and projected (2012–99) peak snowpack and May–July runoff for the Fort Peck Lake and Lake Sakakawea watersheds in the Upper Missouri River Basin
John F. Stamm, Dennis Todey, Barbara Mayes Bousted, Shawn Rossi, Parker A. Norton, Janet M. Carter
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5135
Mountain snowpack is an important contributor to runoff in the Upper Missouri River Basin; for example, high amounts of winter and spring precipitation in the mountains and plains in 2010–11 were associated with the peak runoff of record in 2011 in the Upper Missouri River Basin. To project trends in...
Fecal indicator organism modeling and microbial source tracking in environmental waters: Chapter 3.4.6
Meredith Nevers, Muruleedhara Byappanahalli, Mantha S. Phanikumar, Richard L. Whitman
2016, Book chapter, Manual of Environmental Microbiology
Mathematical models have been widely applied to surface waters to estimate rates of settling, resuspension, flow, dispersion, and advection in order to calculate movement of particles that influence water quality. Of particular interest are the movement, survival, and persistence of microbial pathogens or their surrogates, which may contaminate recreational water,...
Fish assemblage structure and habitat associations in a large western river system
C. D. Smith, Michael C. Quist, R. S. Hardy
2016, River Research and Applications (32) 622-638
Longitudinal gradients of fish assemblage and habitat structure were investigated in the Kootenai River of northern Idaho. A total of 43 500-m river reaches was sampled repeatedly with several techniques (boat-mounted electrofishing, hoop nets and benthic trawls) in the summers of 2012 and 2013. Differences in habitat and fish assemblage structure...
Natural disturbance shapes benthic intertidal macroinvertebrate communities of high latitude river deltas
Roy T. Churchwell, Steve J. Kendall, Amy L. Blanchard, Kenneth H. Dunton, Abby N. Powell
2016, Estuaries and Coasts (39) 798-814
Unlike lower latitude coastlines, the estuarine nearshore zones of the Alaskan Beaufort Sea are icebound and frozen up to 9 months annually. This annual freezing event represents a dramatic physical disturbance to fauna living within intertidal sediments. The main objectives of this study were to describe the benthic communities of Beaufort...
Water-quality data and Escherichia coli predictions for selected karst catchments of the upper Duck River watershed in central Tennessee, 2007–10
Jennifer C. Murphy, James Farmer, Alice Layton
2016, Data Series 1003
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Tennessee Duck River Development Agency, monitored water quality at several locations in the upper Duck River watershed between October 2007 and September 2010. Discrete water samples collected at 24 sites in the watershed were analyzed for water quality, and Escherichia coli (E....
Refined depositional history and dating of the Tongaporutuan reference section, north Taranaki, New Zealand: new volcanic ash U-Pb zircon ages, biostratigraphy and sedimentation rates
K.L. Maier, Martin P. Crundwell, Matthew A. Coble, Peter R. Kingsley-Smith, Stephan A. Graham
2016, New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics (59) 313-329
This study presents new radiometric ages from volcanic ash beds within a c. 1900 m thick, progradational, deep-water clastic slope succession of late Miocene age exposed along the north Taranaki coast of the North Island, New Zealand. The ash beds yield U–Pb zircon ages ranging from 10.63 ± 0.65 Ma...
Comparison of geochemical data obtained using four brine sampling methods at the SECARB Phase III Anthropogenic Test CO2 injection site, Citronelle Oil Field, Alabama
Christopher H. Conaway, James J. Thordsen, Michael A. Manning, Paul J. Cook, Robert C. Trautz, Burt Thomas, Yousif K. Kharaka
2016, International Journal of Coal Geology (162) 85-95
The chemical composition of formation water and associated gases from the lower Cretaceous Paluxy Formation was determined using four different sampling methods at a characterization well in the Citronelle Oil Field, Alabama, as part of the Southeast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (SECARB) Phase III Anthropogenic Test, which is an integrated...
Anthropogenic disturbance and environmental associations with fish assemblage structure in two nonwadeable rivers
T. P. Parks, Michael C. Quist, C.L. Pierce
2016, River Research and Applications (32) 66-84
Nonwadeable rivers are unique ecosystems that support high levels of aquatic biodiversity, yet they have been greatly altered by human activities. Although riverine fish assemblages have been studied in the past, we still have an incomplete understanding of how fish assemblages respond to both natural and anthropogenic influences in large...
Water resources of Washington Parish, Louisiana
Vincent E. White, Lawrence B. Prakken
2016, Fact Sheet 2015-3083
Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Washington Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-resource management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the availability,...
California State Waters Map Series — Monterey Canyon and vicinity, California
Peter Dartnell, Katherine L. Maier, Mercedes D. Erdey, Bryan E. Dieter, Nadine E. Golden, Samuel Y. Johnson, Stephen R. Hartwell, Guy R. Cochrane, Andrew C. Ritchie, David P. Finlayson, Rikk G. Kvitek, Ray W. Sliter, H. Gary Greene, Clifton W. Davenport, Charles A. Endris, Lisa M. Krigsman
Peter Dartnell, Susan A. Cochran, editor(s)
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1072
IntroductionIn 2007, the California Ocean Protection Council initiated the California Seafloor Mapping Program (CSMP), designed to create a comprehensive seafloor map of high-resolution bathymetry, marine benthic habitats, and geology within the 3-nautical-mile limit of California’s State Waters. The CSMP approach is to create highly detailed seafloor maps through collection, integration,...
Bathymetric survey and digital elevation model of Little Holland Tract, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California
Alexander G. Snyder, Jessica R. Lacy, Andrew W. Stevens, Emily M. Carlson
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1093
The U.S. Geological Survey conducted a bathymetric survey in Little Holland Tract, a flooded agricultural tract, in the northern Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (the “Delta”) during the summer of 2015. The new bathymetric data were combined with existing data to generate a digital elevation model (DEM) at 1-meter resolution. Little Holland...
Salmon redd identification using environmental DNA (eDNA)
David S. Pilliod, Matthew B. Laramie
2016, Open-File Report 2016-1091
IntroductionThe purpose of this project was to develop a technique to use environmental DNA (eDNA) to distinguish between redds made by Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and redds made by Coho salmon (O. kisutch) and to distinguish utilized redds from test/abandoned redds or scours that have the appearance of redds. The...
User’s guide for the Delaware River Basin Streamflow Estimator Tool (DRB-SET)
Marla H. Stuckey, James E. Ulrich
2016, Open-File Report 2015-1192
IntroductionThe Delaware River Basin Streamflow Estimator Tool (DRB-SET) is a tool for the simulation of streamflow at a daily time step for an ungaged stream location in the Delaware River Basin. DRB-SET was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and funded through WaterSMART as part of the National Water...
Estimation of daily mean streamflow for ungaged stream locations in the Delaware River Basin, water years 1960–2010
Marla H. Stuckey
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5157
The ability to characterize baseline streamflow conditions, compare them with current conditions, and assess effects of human activities on streamflow is fundamental to water-management programs addressing water allocation, human-health issues, recreation needs, and establishment of ecological flow criteria. The U.S. Geological Survey, through the National Water Census, has developed the...
Conservation of native Pacific trout diversity in western North America
Brooke E. Penaluna, Alicia Abadia-Cardoso, Jason B. Dunham, Francisco J Garcia de Leon, Robert E. Gresswell, Arturo Ruiz Luna, Eric B. Taylor, Bradley B. Shepard, Robert K. Al-Chokhachy, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Kevin R. Bestgen, Kevin H. Rogers, Marco A Escalante, Ernest R. Keeley, Gabriel Temple, Jack E. Williams, Kathleen Matthews, Ron Pierce, Richard L. Mayden, Ryan Kovach, John Carlos Garza, Kurt D. Fausch
2016, Fisheries (41) 286-300
Pacific trout Oncorhynchus spp. in western North America are strongly valued in ecological, socioeconomic, and cultural views, and have been the subject of substantial research and conservation efforts. Despite this, the understanding of their evolutionary histories, overall diversity, and challenges to their conservation is incomplete. We review the state of...
Analysis of environmental factors influencing salinity patterns, oyster growth, and mortality in lower Breton Sound Estuary, Louisiana using 20 years of data
Megan K. LaPeyre, James Geaghan, Gary A. Decossas, Jerome F. La Peyre
2016, Journal of Coastal Research (32) 519-530
Freshwater inflow characteristics define estuarine functioning by delivering nutrients, sediments, and freshwater, which affect biological resources and ultimately system production. Using 20 years of water quality, weather, and oyster growth and mortality data from Breton Sound Estuary (BSE), Louisiana, we examined the relationship of riverine, weather, and tidal influence on...
Post-release survival and movement of Western Grebes (Aechmophorus occidentalis) implanted with intracoelomic satellite transmitters
Kyra L. Mills, Joseph K. Gaydos, Christine V. Fiorello, Emily Whitmer, Susan De La Cruz, Daniel M. Mulcahy, L. Ignacio Vilchis, Michael H. Ziccardi
2016, Waterbirds (39) 175-186
The main goal of this study was to gain knowledge on post-release survival and movement of Western Grebes (Aechmophorus occidentalis) using a modified technique for implanting satellite transmitters. This technique had improved post-surgical survival in an earlier study. Nine Western Grebes, implanted with intracoelomic (within the body cavity) satellite transmitters...
Vulnerabilities of national parks in the American Midwest to climate and land use changes
Esther D. Stroh, Matthew A. Struckhoff, David Shaver, Krista A. Karstensen
2016, Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5057
Many national parks in the American Midwest are surrounded by agricultural or urban areas or are in highly fragmented or rapidly changing landscapes. An environmental stressor is a physical, chemical, or biological condition that affects the functioning or productivity of species or ecosystems. Climate change is just one of many...