Biological and anthropogenic influences on macrophage aggregates in white perch Morone americana from Chesapeake Bay, USA
Mark A Matsche, Vicki S. Blazer, Erin Pulster, Patricia M. Mazik
2021, Diseases of Aquatic Organisms (143) 79-100
The response of macrophage aggregates in fish to a variety of environmental stressors has been useful as a biomarker of exposure to habitat degradation. Total volume of macrophage aggregates (MAV) was estimated in the liver and spleen of white perch Morone americana from Chesapeake Bay using stereological approaches. Hepatic and splenic MAV...
Syntrophotalea acetylenivorans sp. nov., a diazotrophic, acetylenotrophic anaerobe isolated from intertidal sediments
Shaun Baesman, John M. Sutton, Janna L. Fierst, Denise M. Akob, Ronald S. Oremland
2021, International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology (73)
A Gram-stain-negative, strictly anaerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped bacterium, designated SFB93T, was isolated from the intertidal sediments of South San Francisco Bay, located near Palo Alto, CA, USA. SFB93T was capable of acetylenotrophic and diazotrophic growth, grew at 22–37 °C, pH 6.3–8.5 and in the presence of 10–45 g l−1 NaCl. Phylogenetic analyses...
The role of habitat heterogeneity and canyon processes in structuring sediment macrofaunal communities associated with hard substrate habitats in Norfolk Canyon, USA
Jill R. Bourque, Amanda Demopoulos, Craig M. Robertson, Furu Mienis
2021, Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers (170)
Topographic and hydrodynamic complexity in submarine canyons promotes steep gradients in food availability and geophysical parameters which affect ecological assemblages and beta diversity. While habitat heterogeneity in submarine canyons is known to support diverse and abundant megafaunal communities, due to difficulty...
Linking decomposition rates of soil organic amendments to their chemical composition
Jeffrey R Baldock, Courtney Creamer, Steve Szarvas, Janine McGowan, T. Carter, Mark Farrell
2021, Soil Research (59) 630-643
The stock of organic carbon contained within a soil represents the balance between inputs and losses. Inputs are defined by the ability of vegetation to capture and retain carbon dioxide, effects that management practices have on the proportion of captured carbon that is added to soil and the...
Machine-learning predictions of redox conditions in groundwater in the Mississippi River Valley alluvial and Claiborne aquifers, south-central United States
Katherine J. Knierim, James A. Kingsbury, Connor J. Haugh
2021, Scientific Investigations Map 3468
Machine-learning models developed by the U.S. Geological Survey were used to predict iron concentrations and the probability of dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations exceeding a threshold of 1 milligram per liter (mg/L) in groundwater in aquifers of the Mississippi embayment physiographic region. DO and iron concentrations are driven by and reflect...
Evaluation of streamflow extent and hydraulic characteristics of a restored channel at Soldier Meadows, Black Rock Desert–High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area, Nevada
Christopher M. Morris
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2020-5143
The Soldier Meadows spring complex provides habitat for the desert dace, an endemic and threatened fish. The spring complex has been altered with the construction of irrigation ditches that remove water from natural stream channels. Irrigation ditches generally provide lower quality habitat for the desert dace. Land and wildlife...
Modeling water temperature response to dam operations and water management in Green Peter and Foster Lakes and the South Santiam River, Oregon
Annett B. Sullivan, Stewart A. Rounds
2021, Scientific Investigations Report 2020-5145
Significant FindingsGreen Peter and Foster Dams have altered natural seasonal temperature patterns in the South and Middle Santiam Rivers of the Willamette River Basin in northwestern Oregon. Cold-water releases from Green Peter Dam, upstream of Foster Lake, contribute to the cool-water conditions at Foster Dam. In summer, unseasonably cold...
Climate change implications for the conservation of amphibians in tropical environments.
Jaime A. Collazo, Adam Terando, Krishna Pacifici, Jared Bowden
2021, Report
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources want to develop a plan of actions to protect 12 species of coqui frogs (Eleutherodactylus spp.) that are currently considered at risk of being considered threatened or endangered, requiring additional protections under the Endangered...
Dynamics of the seasonal migration of Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus, Pallas 1814) and implications for the Lake Ontario food web
Chris Pennuto, Knut Mehler, Brian Weidel, Brian F. Lantry, Eric Bruestle
2021, Ecology of Freshwater Fish (30) 151-161
Seasonal migrations of fish populations can have large effects on lake nutrient budgets and food web dynamics, but the addition of a migrating non‐native species may alter these dynamics. The Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus) arrived in Lake Ontario (USA/Canada) about 20 years ago with a documented history of annual offshore–inshore migrations...
Sequestration of microfibers and other microplastics by green algae, Cladophora, in the US Great Lakes
Julie R. Peller, Meredith B. Nevers, Muruleedhara Byappanahalli, Cassie Nelson, Bharath Ganesh Babu, Mary Anne Evans, Eddie Kostelnik, Morgan Keller, Jenna Johnston, Sarah Shidler
2021, Environmental Pollution (276)
Daunting amounts of microplastics are present in surface waters worldwide. A main category of microplastics is synthetic microfibers, which originate from textiles. These microplastics are generated and released in laundering and are discharged by wastewater treatment plants or enter surface waters from other sources. The polymers that constitute many common synthetic...
Climate-mediated changes to linked terrestrial and marine ecosystems across the northeast Pacific coastal temperate rainforest margin
Allison L. Bidlack, Sarah Bisbing, Brian Buma, Heida Diefenderfer, Jason Fellman, William Floyd, Ian Giesbrecht, Amritpal Lally, Ken Lertzman, Steven S. Perakis, David Butman, David D'Amore, Sean W. Fleming, Eran W. Hood, Brianna K. Hunt, Peter Kiffney, Gavin McNicol, Brian Menounos, Suzanne E. Tank
2021, BioScience
Coastal margins are important areas of materials flux that link terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Consequently, climate-mediated changes to coastal terrestrial ecosystems and hydrologic regimes have high potential to influence nearshore ocean chemistry and food web dynamics. Research from tightly coupled, high-flux coastal ecosystems can advance understanding of terrestrial–marine links...
Microbial pathogens and contaminants of emerging concern in groundwater at an urban subsurface stormwater infiltration site
Jane R. de Lambert, James F. Walsh, Deanna P. Scher, Aaron D. Firnstahl, Mark A. Borchardt
2021, Science of the Total Environment (775)
Urban stormwater may contain a variety of pollutants, including viruses and other pathogens, and contaminants of emerging concern (pharmaceuticals, artificial sweeteners, and personal care products). In vulnerable geologic settings, the potential exists for these contaminants to reach underlying aquifers and contaminate drinking water wells. Viruses and other pathogens, as well...
Computational methodology to analyze the effect of mass transfer rate on attenuation of leaked carbon dioxide in shallow aquifers
Radek Fucik, Jakub Solovsky, Michelle R. Plampin, Hao Wu, Jiri Mikyska, Tissa H. Illangasekare
2021, Acta Polytechnica (61)
Exsolution and re-dissolution of CO2 gas within heterogeneous porous media are investigated using experimental data and mathematical modeling. In a set of bench-scale experiments, water saturated with CO2 under a given pressure is injected into a 2-D water-saturated porous media system, causing CO2 gas to exsolve and migrate upwards. A layer of fine...
Big runs of little fish: First estimates of run size and exploitation in an amphidromous postlarvae fishery
A.C. Engman, Thomas J. Kwak, J.R. Fischer
2021, Canadian Journal Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (78) 905-912
Amphidromous postlarvae fisheries (APFs) constitute a globally widespread and distinctive class of fishery that is largely unknown to fisheries science. APFs harvest ocean-to-river migrating fishes at smaller sizes and younger ages than any other class of fishery. No quantitative estimates of run size and exploitation exist, which are needed to...
Multi-taxa database data dictionary
Elise Watson, Carlton J. Rochester, Chris W. Brown, Donn A. Holmes, Stacie A. Hathaway, Robert N. Fisher
2021, Techniques and Methods 16-B1
The conservation of biological resources relies on the successful management of ecological and physiological research data. The Western Ecological Research Center of the U.S. Geological Survey is working with researchers, land managers, and decision makers from non-government organizations and city, county, state, and federal resource agencies to develop data...
Environmental and anthropogenic drivers of contaminants in agricultural watersheds with implications for land management
Kelly L. Smalling, Olivia Devereux, Stephanie E. Gordon, Patrick J. Phillips, Vicki S. Blazer, Michelle L. Hladik, Dana W. Kolpin, Michael T. Meyer, Adam Sperry, Tyler Wagner
2021, Science of the Total Environment (774)
If not managed properly, modern agricultural practices can alter surface and groundwater quality and drinking water resources resulting in potential negative effects on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Exposure to agriculturally derived contaminant mixtures has the potential to alter habitat quality and negatively affect fish and other aquatic organisms. Implementation of...
Using high resolution satellite and telemetry data to track flooded habitats, their use by waterfowl, and evaluate effects of drought on waterfowl and shorebird bioenergetics in California
Elliott Matchett, Matthew Reiter, Cory T. Overton, Dennis Jongsomjit, Michael L. Casazza
2021, Open-File Report 2020-1102
Wetland managers in the Central Valley of California, a dynamic hydrological landscape, require information regarding the amount and location of existing wetland habitat to make decisions on how to best use water resources to support multiple wildlife objectives, particularly during drought. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological...
The application of ensemble wave forcing to quantify uncertainty of shoreline change predictions
Sean Vitousek, Laura Cagigal, Jennifer Montano, Ana Rueda, Fernando Mendez, Giovanni Coco, Patrick L. Barnard
2021, JGR Earth Surface (126)
Reliable predictions and accompanying uncertainty estimates of coastal evolution on decadal to centennial time scales are increasingly sought. So far, most coastal change projections rely on a single, deterministic realization of the unknown future wave climate, often derived from a global climate model. Yet, deterministic projections do not account for...
Export of photolabile and photoprimable dissolved organic carbon from the Connecticut River
B. Yoon, Jacob D. Hosen, Ethan Kyzivat, Jennifer H Fair, Lisa C. Weber, Kelly S. Aho, Rachel Lowenthal, Serena Matt, W. V. Sobczak, James B. Shanley, Jonathan Morrison, James E. Saiers, Aron Stubbins, Peter A. Raymond
2021, Aquatic Sciences (83)
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) impacts water quality, the carbon cycle, and the ecology of aquatic systems. Understanding what controls DOC is therefore critical for improving large-scale models and best management practices for aquatic ecosystems. The two main processes of DOC transformation and removal, photochemical and microbial DOC degradation, work in...
Enhancing the application of Earth observations for improved environmental decision-making using the Early Warning eXplorer (EWX)
Shraddhanand Shukla, Martin Landsfeld, Michelle Anthony, Michael Budde, Greg Husak, James Rowland, Chris Funk
2021, Frontiers in Climate (2)
The mitigation of losses due to extreme climate events and long-term climate adaptation requires climate informed decision-making. In the past few decades, several remote sensing and modeled-based Earth observations (EOs) have been developed to provide an unprecedented global overview and routine monitoring of climate and its impacts on vegetation and...
Understanding metrics of stress in the context of invasion history: The case of the brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis)
N Claunch, I. Moore, H Waye, L Schoenle, S Oakey, Robert Reed, Christina Romagosa
2021, Conservation Physiology (9)
Invasive species can exert rapid depletion of resources after introduction and, in turn, affect their own population density. Additionally, management actions can have direct and indirect effects on demography. Physiological variables can predict demographic change but are often restricted to snapshots-in-time and delayed confirmation of changes in population density...
Observations of acrobat ants (Crematogaster sp.) preying on the eggs of the invasive giant applesnail (Pomacea maculata)
Jacoby Carter, Jennifer Wilson, Susan Mopper
2021, Southeastern Naturalist (1) N15-N18
Herein we provide direct evidence for the consumption of Pomacea maculata (Giant Applesnail) eggs by ants in the genus Crematogaster. The observations were made during removal of snail egg masses at the Hudson Woods Unit of the Texas Mid-Coast National Wildlife Refuge, TX. We observed acrobat ants (Crematogaster sp.) removing snail eggs from an...
Seasonal impoundment alters patterns of tidal wetland plant diversity across spatial scales
Scott Jones, Christopher N. Janousek, Michael L. Casazza, John Y. Takekawa, Karen M. Thorne
2021, Ecosphere (12)
Understanding patterns of biodiversity is a key goal of ecology and is especially pressing in the current human‐caused biodiversity crisis. In wetland ecosystems, human impacts are centered around hydrologic manipulation including the common practice of wetland diking and impoundment. Constraining how wetland management influences plant biodiversity patterns across spatial scales...
Microbial and viral indicators of pathogens and human health risks from recreational exposure to waters impaired by fecal contamination
Anna M. McKee, Marcella A. Cruz
2021, Journal of Sustainable Water in the Built Environment (7)
Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) (e.g., fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, and enterococci) have been used for decades to monitor for and protect the public from waterborne pathogens from fecal contamination. However, FIB may not perform well at predicting the presence of waterborne pathogens or human health outcomes from recreational exposure...
Landsat 8 thermal infrared sensor scene select mechanism open loop operations
Michael J. Choate, R. Rengarajan, James C. Storey, Tim Beckmann
2021, MDPI Remote Sensing (13)
The Landsat 8 (L8) spacecraft and its two instruments, the operational land imager (OLI) and thermal infrared sensor (TIRS), have been consistently characterized and calibrated since its launch in February 2013. These performance metrics and calibration updates are determined through the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Landsat image assessment system...
