Technical note: A low-cost approach to monitoring relative streamflow dynamics in small headwater streams using time lapse imagery and a deep learning model
Phillip J. Goodling, Jennifer H. Fair, Amrita Gupta, Jeffrey D. Walker, Todd Dubreuil, Michael J. Hayden, Benjamin H. Letcher
2025, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (29) 6445-6460
Despite their ubiquity and importance as freshwater habitat, small headwater streams are under-monitored by existing stream gage networks. To address this gap, we describe a low-cost, non-contact, and low-effort method that enables organizations to monitor relative streamflow dynamics in small headwater streams. The method uses a camera to capture repeat...
Aridity reduces lag times between aquatic and terrestrial dry-down among watersheds and across years in the northwest US
Bradley J. Butterfield, Daniel Rodolphe Schlaepfer, Robert Al-Chokhachy, Jason B. Dunham, Jeremiah D. Groom, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Christian E. Torgersen, John B. Bradford
2025, Ecosphere (16)
Landscapes encompass both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems that experience the same climate but may respond to climate in divergent ways. For example, the time lag between seasonal dry-down of terrestrial soil moisture and decline in streamflow has important implications for species and ecosystem processes across the aquatic–terrestrial interface. How these...
An inset groundwater-flow model to evaluate the effects of layering configuration on model calibration and assess managed aquifer recharge near Shellmound, Mississippi
Moussa Guira, Jonathan P. Traylor, Andrew T. Leaf, Alec R. Weisser
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5055
The U.S. Geological Survey has developed a high-resolution inset groundwater-flow model in the Mississippi Delta as part of an interdisciplinary collaboration coordinated by the Mississippi Alluvial Plain project to provide a tool that stakeholders can use to support water-resource management decisions. Groundwater withdrawals from the Mississippi River Valley alluvial (MRVA)...
Plate tectonics and volcanism in western California
Seth D. Burgess
2025, Fact Sheet 2025-3013
Introduction Western California is home to a variety of volcanic rocks. The locations, ages, and chemical compositions of these volcanic rocks help tell part of the fascinating story of California’s plate tectonic evolution over the past 40 million years. These volcanic rocks are a product of multiple tectonic processes, including subduction...
Observational, virological, and serological data provide insights into an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza among wild birds on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska in 2022
Bryan Daniels, Erik E. Osnas, Megan Boldenow, Robert Gerlach, Christina Ahlstrom, Sarah Coburn, Michael J. Brook, Michael Brubaker, Julian Fischer, David N. Koons, Angela Matz, Marin Murphy, Daniel Rizzolo, Laura Celeste Scott, David R. Sinnett, Jordan M. Thompson, Juliana Lenoch, Mia Kim Torchetti, David E. Stallknecht, Rebecca L. Poulson, Andrew M. Ramey
2025, Journal of Wildlife Diseases (61) 1010-1027
In 2021–22, clade 2.3.4.4b highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses were introduced by wild birds into North America, leading to geographically widespread disease. In response to HPAI outbreaks throughout late 2021 and early 2022, we recorded observations of sick and dead birds, estimated abundance of carcasses, collected swab and sera...
East Greenland Ice Sheet retreat history from Scoresby Sund and Storstrømmen Glacier during the last deglaciation
Jacob T. Anderson, Nicolas E. Young, Allie Balter-Kennedy, Karlee Prince, Caleb K. Walcott-George, Brandon L. Graham, Joanna Charton, Jason P. Briner, Joerg M. Shaefer
2025, Climate of the Past (21) 2263-2281
The lack of geological constraints on past ice-sheet change in marine-based sectors of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) following the Last Glacial Maximum limits our ability to assess (1) the drivers of ice-sheet change, and (2) the performance of ice-sheet models that are benchmarked against the paleo-record of GrIS change....
Cryptic life history diversity supports endangered species recovery in an ultra-urbanized landscape
Shannon L. White, Amanda Higgs, Dewayne Fox
2025, Scientific Reports (15)
Urban landscapes are often overlooked in conservation planning, allowing human activities to take precedence in ecosystem management. However, even heavily modified environments can support diverse species profiles, but continued expansion of the human footprint could transform these biodiversity hotspots into ecological traps that serve as hidden catalysts for demographic declines....
Preserving and increasing water resources—Natural infrastructure in dryland streams in Baja California Sur, Mexico
Alma Lizette Anides Morales, Laura M. Norman, Thomas J. Mack
2025, Fact Sheet 2025-3042
The Los Planes watershed of Baja California Sur, Mexico, and its underlying aquifer are experiencing groundwater decline owing to low average annual rainfall (28.1 centimeters per year) and rising water demand from population growth and agricultural activities. This decline in water availability can lead to desertification—a process that changes arable...
Sentinel-2 based estimates of rangeland fractional cover and canopy gap class for the western United States
Brady W. Allred, Sarah E. McCord, Timothy J. Assal, Brandon T. Bestelmeyer, Chad S. Boyd, Alexander C. Brooks, Samantha M. Cady, Michael C. Duniway, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf, Shane A. Green, Georgia R. Harrison, Eric R. Jensen, Emily J. Kachergis, Anna C. Knight, Chloe M. Mattilio, Brian A. Mealor, David E. Naugle, Dylan O’Leary, Peter J. Olsoy, Erika S. Peirce, Jason R. Reinhardt, Robert K. Shriver, Joseph T. Smith, Jason D. Tack, Ashley M. Tanner, Evan P. Tanner, Dirac Twidwell, Nicholas P. Webb, Scott L. Morford
2025, Preprint
Rangelands are extensive ecosystems, providing important ecosystem services while undergoing continuous change. As a result, improved monitoring technologies can help better characterize vegetation change. Satellite remote sensing has proven effective in this regard, tracking vegetation dynamics at broad and fine scales. We leveraged the spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution of...
Carbon and nitrogen isotopes of different native fish tissues from the Santa Ana River, California
Brock Huntsman, Matthew J. Young, Kai Palenscar, Kurt E. Anderson, William Ota, Jordan Mae-Jean Buxton, Justin K. Clause, Danielle L. Palm, Jeff Lee Gronemyer, Brett Mills, Kerwin Russell, Rebecca Christensen
2025, North American Journal of Fisheries Management
ObjectiveStable isotopes are commonly used to understand the role of fishes in aquatic food webs. However, variability in species- and tissue-specific isotopic values can affect the inference that is drawn from a stable isotope study. We evaluated differences in stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen...
Absolute radiometric calibration evaluation of Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) Headwall and MicaSense sensors and improving data quality using the Empirical Line Method
Mahesh Shrestha, Victoria Mary Scholl, Aparajithan Sampath, Jeffrey Irwin, Travis Kropuenske, Josip Adams, Matthew Alexander Burgess, Lance R Brady
2025, Remote Sensing (17)
The use of Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UASs) for remote sensing applications has increased significantly in recent years due to their low cost, operational flexibility, and rapid advancements in sensor technologies. In many cases, UAS platforms are considered viable alternatives to conventional satellite and crewed airborne platforms, offering very high spatial,...
Population demographics of invasive Silver Carp in a Great Plains river network
Blake Logan, Mark Pegg, Kirk D. Steffensen, Jonathan J. Spurgeon
2025, North American Journal of Fisheries Management
ObjectiveKnowledge of invasive Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix population demographics and distributions may inform estimates of efforts necessary to achieve reductions in abundance and identify locations to conduct removal. Although extensively studied in other parts of their invasive range (e.g., Mississippi and Illinois rivers), less is known regarding Silver Carp population demographics in...
Modeling floods, sediment entrainment, and downstream debris flows from hypothetical breaches of the blockage at Spirit Lake, Washington
David L. George, Charles M. Cannon
2025, Open-File Report 2025-1046
This report describes a modeling investigation by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) of hazards in the Toutle and Cowlitz River valleys posed by hypothetical outburst floods from Spirit Lake, Washington. A massive debris avalanche resulting from the collapse of Mount St. Helens’ north flank during the May 18, 1980, eruption...
Quantitative PCR detection of endangered diamond darter Crystallaria Cincotta in environmental DNA: Employing locked nucleic acids and blocking probe for specificity
Andrew P. Kinziger, Cameron M. Layne, Stuart A. Welsh
2025, Conservation Genetics Resources (18)
This study presents a quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay for the detection of the endangered diamond darter Crystallaria cincotta from environmental DNA (eDNA) in water samples. The assay design is based on an alignment of mitochondrial cytochrome b DNA sequences from 58 individuals representing 25 percid species. Leveraging genetic differences, a species-specific...
The Bird Banding Lab Is back online. Thank you for your patience
Antonio Celis-Murillo
2025, Newsletter
Note to All Banders was a special extra communication with more urgent information relevant to banders. This Note to All Banders was sent to U. S. bird banders on November 14, 2025, following the return of Bird Banding Lab staff after the 43-day furlough. This note includes information regarding staff...
Understanding abundances and behaviors of shorebirds in coastal Louisiana
Theodore J. Zenzal Jr., Amanda Nicole Anderson, Nicholas Enwright, Hana R. Thurman, Wyatt C. Cheney, Delaina LeBlanc, Robert C. Dobbs, Brock Geary, Hardin Waddle
2025, Preprint
Barrier islands provide resources and ecological services that are integral to economic and environmental interests, such as protection of coastal infrastructure and provision of wildlife habitat. Over time, barrier islands may become eroded and experience land loss, which can require management actions to restore island integrity. Barrier island restoration can...
Performance analysis of oil recovery and CO2 retention in a greenfield residual oil zone: CO2-EOR in Tall Cotton Field (Permian Basin, West Texas, USA)
C. Ozgen Karacan
2025, Carbon Capture Science and Technology (17)
Residual oil zones (ROZs) can offer significant oil resources via enhanced oil recovery (EOR) as well as subsurface carbon dioxide (CO2) retention during injection. If injected CO2 is anthropogenic, the ROZs can offer a substantial geologic storage potential. The ROZs below the oil/water contact (OWC) of main pay zones (MPZ) in...
Reconnaissance of potential alternate water supply sources for the City of Gary, West Virginia
Mark D. Kozar, Samuel H. Austin
2025, Open-File Report 2025-1037
Seven potential sources of water, consisting of free-flowing discharge from abandoned coal mines at six locations and one abandoned flooded underground coal mine air shaft, were sampled for chemical analysis to assess the quality of the groundwater emanating from the seven mine sources. The six free-flowing mine discharge sources were...
DeepFaune New England: A species classification model for trail camera images in northeastern North America
Laurence A. Clarfeld, Katherine D. Gieder, Angela K. Fuller, Zhongqi Miao, Alexej P.K. Sirén, Shevenell M. Webb, Toni Lyn Morelli, Jillian R. Kilborn, Catherine B. Callahan, Leighlan S. Prout, Rachel Cliché, Riley K. Patry, Christopher Bernier, Susan Staats, Therese M. Donovan
2025, Ecology and Evolution (15)
The DeepFaune New England model classifies wildlife species in trail camera images, identifying 24 taxa from northeastern North America with high (97%) accuracy. The model was adapted from the DeepFaune model for identifying European wildlife, demonstrating the practicality of transfer learning across continents. The majority of training...
Reply to the discussion by Pilfold “Polar bear mass change confirms hyperphagia follows ringed seal whelping”
Anthony M. Pagano, Stephen N. Atkinson, Louise C. Archer
2025, Arctic Science (11) 1-3
The spring is a critical period when polar bears (Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774) are thought to have peak access to seals and acquire the majority of their annual energy requirements during a period of hyperphagia. Pagano et al. (Pagano A.M., Atkinson S.N., and Archer L.C. 2025. Arctic Science.11:1-14. doi:10.1139/as-2024-0051) examined the...
Using monitoring and partnerships to provide management-relevant information about Chesapeake Bay rivers
James S. Webber, Kaylyn S. Gootman, Kenneth Hyer, Peter J. Tango, Douglas L. Moyer
2025, Fact Sheet 2025-3045
The lands and waters of the Chesapeake Bay watershed provide more than $100 billion in economic benefits- an amount that is expected to increase by achieving the region’s clean-water goals. Achieving those goals requires accurate and timely information about the health of the watershed’s rivers and streams. The Chesapeake Bay...
The 3D Elevation Program—Supporting the economy of Massachusetts
Dan Walters
2025, Fact Sheet 2025-3044
Introduction Massachusetts extends from the mountains of the Appalachian system in the west of the State to the sandy beaches and rocky shorelines of the Atlantic coast in the east. Inland topographic data support a wide range of important activities, including geologic mapping, transportation planning, forest and wildlife management, quantifying ecological...
Rapid increase in antibodies to influenza A virus H5 and N1 in Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) following the introduction of 2.3.4.4B H5N1 into North America
Jeffery D. Sullivan, Rebecca L. Poulson, Glenn H. Olsen, Alicia Berlin, Zijing Cao, Deborah Carter, Josh Homyack, Jennifer Kilburn, Scott R. McWilliams, Joshua Osborn, Tori Mezebish Quinn, Hannah Schley, Matthew M. Weegman, Christopher A. Williams, David E. Stallknecht, Diann Prosser
2025, Canadian Journal of Microbiology (71) 1-6
Clade 2.3.4.4b Eurasian-origin H5N1 entered North America in late 2021 and spread across the continent. While studies have characterized the antibody response mounted by dabbling ducks following exposure, little data are available for diving ducks. This study sought to identify influenza A virus (IAV) infection and antibodies in Lesser and...
Sensitive environmental DNA methods for low-risk surveillance of at-risk bumble bees
Rodney T. Richardson, Grace Avalos, Cameron J. Garland, Regina Trott, Olivia Hager, Mark J. Hepner, Clayton D. Raines, Karen Goodell
2025, Molecular Ecology Resources (26)
Terrestrial environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques have been proposed as a means of sensitive, non-lethal pollinator monitoring. To date, however, no studies have provided evidence that eDNA methods can achieve detection sensitivity on par with traditional pollinator surveys. Using a large-scale dataset of eDNA and corresponding net surveys, we show that...
Land change, fire, and climate weaken carbon sink in the conterminous U.S.
Jinxun Liu, Benjamin M. Sleeter, Zhiliang Zhu, Mark A. Cochrane, Qiang Zhou, Bin Wang, Grant Domke, Paul Selmants, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Qiuan Zhu, Tamara Wilson, Kristin Byrd, Eric Ward, Terry Sohl, Todd Hawbaker, Zhen Zhang, Christopher Soulard, Kimberly Wickland, Robert G. Striegl
2025, Science Advances (11)
The land carbon sink of the conterminous United States was evaluated using a bottom-up modeling framework and 30-meter land change data from 1985 to 2020. This cross-scale, cross-landscape, and cross-system approach tracked fractional land cover changes and applied regional model calibration. Results show average terrestrial and aquatic carbon sinks of +110 ±...
