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Methanogenic archaea in subsurface coal seams are biogeographically distinct: An analysis of metagenomically-derived mcrA sequences
The production of methane as an end-product of organic matter degradation in the absence of other terminal electron acceptors is common, and has often been studied in environments such as animal guts, soils, and wetlands due to its potency as a greenhouse gas. To date however, the study of the biogeographic distribution of methanogens across coal seam environments has been minimal. Here, we show t
Authors
Bronwyn C Campbell, Paul Greenfield, Se Gong, Elliott Barnhart, David J. Midgley, Ian T. Paulsen, Simon C. George
Extreme rainstorms drive exceptional organic carbon export from forested humid-tropical rivers in Puerto Rico
Extreme rainfall events in the humid-tropical Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico export the bulk of suspended sediment and particulate organic carbon. Using 25 years of river carbon and suspended sediment data, which targeted hurricanes and other large rainstorms, we estimated biogenic particulate organic carbon yields of 65 ± 16 tC km−2 yr−1 for the Icacos and 17.7 ± 5.1 tC km−2 yr−1 for the Mameyes
Authors
Kasey E. Clark, Robert Stallard, Sheila F. Murphy, Martha A. Scholl, Grizelle González, Alain F. Plante, William H. McDowell
System characterization report on PRecursore IperSpettrale della Missione Applicativa (PRISMA)
Executive SummaryThis report addresses system characterization of the Italian Space Agency’s PRecursore IperSpettrale della Missione Applicativa (PRISMA) and is part of a series of system characterization reports produced and delivered by the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Cal/Val Center of Excellence. These reports present and detail the methodology and procedures
Authors
Minsu Kim, Seonkyung Park, Cody Anderson, Gregory L. Stensaas
Development of continuous bathymetry and two-dimensional hydraulic models for the Willamette River, Oregon
The Willamette River is home to at least 69 species of fish, 33 of which are native, including Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss). These fish need suitable hydraulic conditions, such as water depth and velocity, to fulfill various stages of their life. Hydraulic conditions are driven by interactions between channel morphology and streamflow, which through
Authors
James S. White, J. Rose Wallick
Introduction to the Delta Smelt flow alteration white papers
The management of the quantity and timing of freshwater flow into and through the San Francisco Estuary (SFE) is a perennial source of controversy in California. It is well known that freshwater outflow is a major environmental driver in estuarine ecosystems, including the SFE. However, the estuary is also the hub of California’s water distribution system, which supplies water to over 25 million C
Authors
Larry R. Brown
Dynamic abiotic habitat
The factors affecting an organism can be divided into two general classes, abiotic and biotic. Abiotic factors include features of the physical and chemical environment, such as climate, water movement, and many aspects of water quality. Biotic factors refer to those involving living organisms and their interactions, such as the organisms and processes in a food web. We also distinguish between dy
Authors
Larry R. Brown, Steven B. Slater, Michael L. MacWilliams
Conceptual models of groundwater flow in the Grand Canyon region, Arizona
The conceptual models of groundwater flow outlined herein synthesize what is known and hypothesized about the groundwater-flow systems that discharge to the Grand Canyon of Arizona. These models interpret the hydrogeologic characteristics and hydrologic dynamics of the physical systems into a framework for understanding key aspects of the physical systems as they relate to groundwater flow and con
Authors
Jacob E. Knight, Peter W. Huntoon
Harmful algal blooms in the Alaskan Arctic: An emerging threat as oceans warm
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) present an emerging threat to human and ecosystem health in the Alaskan Arctic. Two HAB toxins are of concern in the region: saxitoxins (STXs), a family of compounds produced by the dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella, and domoic acid (DA), produced by multiple species in the diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia. These potent neurotoxins cause paralytic and amnesic shellfish
Authors
Donald Anderson, Evangeline Fachon, Katherine Hubbard, Kathi Lefebvre, Peigen Lin, Robert Pickart, Mindy Richlen, Gay Sheffield, Caroline R. Van Hemert
Great diversity of KSα sequences from bat-associated microbiota suggests novel sources of uncharacterized natural products
Polyketide synthases (PKSs) are multidomain enzymes in microorganisms that synthesize complex, bioactive molecules. PKS II systems are iterative, containing only a single representative of each domain: ketosynthase alpha (KSα�), ketosynthase beta and the acyl carrier protein. Any gene encoding for one of these domains is representative of an entire PKS II biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC). Bat skin
Authors
Paris S. Hamm, Jennifer J.M. Hathaway, Ara S. Winter, Nicole A. Caimi, Debbie C. Buecher, Ernest W. Valdez, Diana E. Northup
Resource selection and species interactions between native and non-native fishes in a simulated stream system
Effective fishery management necessitates understanding of resource partitioning by fishes that inhabit complex systems composed of biotic and abiotic features. Evaluations of non-native species introductions have continually demonstrated adverse effects associated with abundance and distribution of native fishes. Therefore, understanding resource selection and interactions between native and non-
Authors
Philip R. Branigan, Michael Quist, Bradley Shepard, Susan Ireland
Using microbial source tracking to identify fecal contamination sources in Lake Montauk on Long Island, New York
The U.S. Geological Survey worked in cooperation with the Concerned Citizens of Montauk and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to assess the potential sources of fecal contamination entering Lake Montauk, an artificial embayment on the tip of the southern fork of Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. Water samples are routinely collected by the New York State Department o
Authors
Tristen N. Tagliaferri, Shawn C. Fisher, Christopher M. Kephart, Natalie Cheung, Ariel P. Reed, Robert J. Welk
Spatial effects in relation to reproductive performance of Common Murres (Uria aalge) at a re-established colony
A main goal of seabird colony restoration is for the colony to become self-sustaining. To do so, elevated rates must be attained in (1) reproductive success and (2) recruitment by immigrants and birds produced at the colony. Thus, an understanding of the factors affecting reproductive success and recruitment at restoration sites is vital. We examined how spatial features at the colony level affect
Authors
Gerard J. McChesney, Julie L. Yee, Michael W. Parker, William M. Perry, Harry R. Carter, Richard T. Golightly, Stephen W. Kress