Publications
Browse more than 160,000 publications authored by our scientists over the past 100+ year history of the USGS. Publications available are: USGS-authored journal articles, series reports, book chapters, other government publications, and more.
Mission Area Publications
Mission Area Publications
We are focused on some of the most significant issues society faces, and our science is making a substantial contribution to the well-being of the Nation and the world. Learn more about the major topics our research covers and the programs focused on those topics.
Filter Total Items: 171654
From eDNA to decisions using a multi-method approach to restoration planning in streams
Reintroduction efforts are increasingly used to mitigate biodiversity losses, but are frequently challenged by inadequate planning and uncertainty. High quality information about population status and threats can be used to prioritize reintroduction and restoration efforts and can transform ad hoc approaches into opportunities for improving conservation outcomes at a landscape scale. We conducted
Authors
Andrea J. Adams, C. Kamoroff, Daniel R. Norton, R. L. Grasso, Brian J. Halstead, Patrick M. Kleeman, C. Mengelt, K. Powelson, T. Seaborn, C.S. Goldberg
Dissolved arsenic concentrations in surface waters within the upper portions of the Klamath River Basin, Oregon and California
Arsenic toxicity is an environmental health problem. Levels of arsenic in surface waters at some locations in the Klamath River Basin in southern Oregon and northern California can exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standard for drinking water. There are both anthropogenic and natural sources of arsenic. The Klamath River Basin consists primarily of volcanic deposits and contain
Authors
Marie Noële Croteau, Brent R. Topping, Rick A. Carlson
System characterization report on the Gaofen-6
Executive SummaryGaofen-6 represents a series of Chinese high-resolution Earth observation satellites. More than 12 satellites have been launched in the Gaofen series, beginning with Gaofen-1 in 2013. Satellites within the series have varying infrared, radar, and optical imaging capabilities. The primary goal for the satellites in this series is to provide near real-time observations for climate c
Authors
Aparajithan Sampath, Jon Christopherson, Seonkyung Park, Minsu Kim, Gregory L. Stensaas, Cody Anderson
Distribution, abundance, and breeding activities of the Least Bell's Vireo at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California—2020 annual report
Executive SummaryThe purpose of this report is to provide the Marine Corps with an annual summary of abundance, breeding activity, demography, and habitat use of endangered Least Bell’s Vireos (Vireo bellii pusillus) at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton (MCBCP, or Base). Surveys for the Least Bell's Vireo were conducted at MCBCP, California, between April 1 and July 10, 2020. Core survey areas and
Authors
Suellen Lynn, Michelle Treadwell, Barbara E. Kus
Distribution, Abundance, and Breeding Activities of the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California—2020 Annual Report
Executive SummarySurveys for the endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) were done at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton (MCBCP or “Base”), California, between May 4 and July 31, 2020. All of MCBCP’s historically occupied riparian habitat (core survey area) was surveyed for flycatchers in 2020. Additionally, one-fifth of the unoccupied riparian habitat (non-core survey
Authors
Scarlett L. Howell, Barbara E. Kus
Effects of elevated pCO2 on bioenergetics and disease susceptibility in Pacific herring Clupea pallasii
Ocean acidification can affect the immune responses of fish, but effects on pathogen susceptibility remain uncertain. Pacific herring Clupea pallasii were reared from hatch under 3 CO2 partial pressure ( pCO2) treatments (ambient, ∼650 µatm; intermediate, ∼1500 µatm; high, ∼3000 µatm) through metamorphosis (98 d) to evaluate the effects of ocean acidification on bioenergetics and susceptibility to
Authors
Christopher Murray, Jacob L. Gregg, Ashley MacKenzie, Hiruni Jayasekara, Sophie Hall, Terrie Klinger, Paul Hershberger
Fish beta diversity associated with hydrologic and anthropogenic disturbance gradients in contrasting stream flow regimes
Understanding the role of hydrologic variation in structuring aquatic communities is crucial for successful conservation and sustainable management of native freshwater biodiversity. Partitioning beta diversity into the additive components of spatial turnover and nestedness can provide insight into the forces driving variability in fish assemblages across stream flow regimes. We examined stream fi
Authors
John Tyler Fox, Cyndy Loftin
Evaluation of extinction risk for stream fishes within an urban riverscape using population viability analysis
1. The Santa Ana River in the Los Angeles region of California demonstrates common habitat degradation symptoms that are characteristic of the urban stream syndrome. These impacts have altered the Santa Ana River community structure, with few species as impacted as the native Santa Ana sucker (sucker; Pantosteus santaanae). 2. Consequently, a recovery plan developed for sucker identified the need
Authors
Brock Huntsman, Kai Palenscar, Kerwin Russell, Brett Mills, Chris Jones, William Ota, Kurt E. Anderson, Heather Dyer, Fitsum Abadi, Marissa L. Wulff
Signatures of wave erosion in Titan’s coasts
The shorelines of Titan’s hydrocarbon seas trace flooded erosional landforms such as river valleys; however, it is unclear whether coastal erosion has subsequently altered these shorelines. Spacecraft observations and theoretical models suggest that wind may cause waves to form on Titan’s seas, potentially driving coastal erosion, but the observational evidence of waves is indirect, and the proces
Authors
Rose Elizabeth Palermo, Andrew D. Ashton, Jason M. Soderblom, Samuel P. D. Birch, Alexander G. Hayes, J. Taylor Perron
Microbial communities in standing dead trees in ghost forests are largely aerobic, saprophytic, and methanotrophic
Standing dead trees (snags) are recognized for their influence on methane (CH4) cycling in coastal wetlands, yet the biogeochemical processes that control the magnitude and direction of fluxes across the snag-atmosphere interface are not fully elucidated. Herein, we analyzed microbial communities and fluxes at one height from ten snags in a ghost forest wetland. Snag-atmosphere CH4 fluxes were hig
Authors
Mary Jane Carmichael, Melinda Martinez, Suzanna L. Bräuer, Marcelo Ardón
Bioconcentration of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and precursors in fathead minnow tissues environmentally exposed to aqueous film-forming foam-contaminated waters
Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been associated with toxicity in wildlife and negative health effects in humans. Decades of fire training activity at Joint Base Cape Cod (MA, USA) incorporated the use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), which resulted in long-term PFAS contamination of sediments, groundwater, and hydrologically connected surface waters. To explore the b
Authors
Nicholas I. Hill, Jitka Becanova, Simon Vojta, Larry B. Barber, Denis R. LeBlanc, Alan M. Vajda, Heidi M. Pickard, Rainer Lohmann
River channel response to the removal of the Pilchuck River Diversion Dam, Washington State
In August 2020, the 3-m tall Pilchuck River Diversion Dam was removed from the Pilchuck River, allowing free fish passage to the upper third of the watershed for the first time in over a century. The narrow, 300-m long impoundment behind the dam was estimated to hold 4,000–7,500 m3 of sand and gravel, representing less than one year's typical bedload flux. Repeat cross section surveys, stage senso
Authors
Scott W. Anderson, Brett Shattuck, Neil Shea, Catherine M. Seguin, Joe J. Miles, Derek Marks, Natasha Coumou