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Publications

These publications showcase the significant science conducted in our Science Centers.

Filter Total Items: 16782

Shale Gas Development and Brook Trout: Scaling Best Management Practices to Anticipate Cumulative Effects

Shale gas development may involve trade-offs between energy development and benefits provided by natural ecosystems. However, current best management practices (BMPs) focus on mitigating localized ecological degradation. We review evidence for cumulative effects of natural gas development on brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and conclude that BMPs should account for potential watershed-scale eff
Authors
David Smith, Craig D. Snyder, Nathaniel P. Hitt, John A. Young, Stephen P. Faulkner

Passage of American shad: paradigms and realities

Despite more than 250 years of development, the passage of American shad Alosa sapidissima at dams and other barriers frequently remains problematic. Few improvements in design based on knowledge of the swimming, schooling, and migratory behaviors of American shad have been incorporated into passage structures. Large-scale technical fishways designed for the passage of adult salmonids on the Colum
Authors
Alex Haro, Theodore Castro-Santos

Performance of fish passage structures at upstream barriers to migration

Attraction and passage efficiency were reviewed and compared from 19 monitoring studies that produced data for evaluations of pool-and-weir, Denil, vertical-slot and nature-like fishways. Data from 26 species of anadromous and potamodromous fishes from six countries were separated by year and taxonomic family into a matrix with 101 records. Attraction performance was highly variable for the follow
Authors
C.M. Bunt, T. Castro-Santos, A. Haro

Development of a quantitative assay to measure expression of transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß) in Lost River sucker (Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose sucker (Chasmistes brevirostris) and evaluation of potential pitfalls in use with field-

The Nature Conservancy is in the process of restoring the Williamson River Delta in an attempt to recreate important juvenile habitat for the endangered shortnose sucker Chasmistes brevirostris and the endangered Lost River sucker Deltistes luxatus. Measurement of TGF-β mRNA expression level was one of the indicators chosen to evaluate juvenile sucker health during the restoration process. TGF-β m
Authors
Laura S. Robertson, Christopher A. Ottinger, Summer M. Burdick, Scott P. VanderKooi

Development of polysomic microsatellite markers for characterization of population structuring and phylogeography in the shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum)

Shortnose sturgeon Acipenser brevirostrum is an endangered polyploid fish species for which no nuclear DNA markers previously existed. To address this need, 86 polysomic loci were developed and characterized in 20 A. brevirostrum from five river systems and eight members (parents and six progeny) of a captive-bred family. All markers proved to be polymorphic, polysomic, and demonstrated direct inh
Authors
Anne P. Henderson, Tim L. King

Evolution of the chemistry of Fe bearing waters during CO2 degassing

The rates of Fe(II) oxidation and precipitation from groundwater are highly pH dependent. Elevated levels of dissolved CO2 can depress pH and cause difficulty in removing dissolved Fe and associated metals during treatment of ferruginous water. This paper demonstrates interdependent changes in pH, dissolved inorganic C species, and Fe(II) oxidation rates that occur as a result of the removal (dega
Authors
J.N. Geroni, C.A. Cravotta, D.J. Sapsford

Short-term impacts of a 4-lane highway on black bears in eastern North Carolina

Among numerous anthropogenic impacts on terrestrial landscapes, expanding transportation networks represent one of the primary challenges to wildlife conservation worldwide. Larger mammals may be particularly vulnerable because of typically low densities, low reproductive rates, and extensive movements. Although numerous studies have been conducted to document impacts of road networks on wildlife,
Authors
Frank T. van Manen, Matthew F. McCollister, Jeremy M. Nicholson, Laura M. Thompson, Jason L. Kindall, Mark D. Jones

Description of two new gill myxozoans from smallmouth (Micropterus dolomieu) and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)

Two previously undescribed species of myxozoan parasites were observed in the gills of bass inhabiting the Potomac and James River basins. They are described using morphological characteristics and small-subunit (SSU) rDNA gene sequences. Both were taxonomically identified as new species of Myxobolus; Myxobolus branchiarum n. sp. was found exclusively in smallmouth bass, and Myxobolus micropterii
Authors
Heather L. Walsh, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Gavin W. Glenney, Deborah D. Iwanowicz, Vicki Blazer

Evaluation of nature-like and technical fishways for the passage of alewives at two coastal streams in New England

Nature-like fishways have been designed with the intent to reconnect river corridors and provide passage for all species occurring in a system. The approach is gaining popularity both in Europe and North America, but performance of these designs has not been quantitatively evaluated in a field setting for any North American species. Two nature-like fishways and three technical fishways in New Engl
Authors
Abigail E. Franklin, Alex Haro, Theodore R. Castro-Santos, John Noreika

High-resolution geophysical data from the inner continental shelf—Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) have cooperated to map approximately 410 square kilometers (km²) of the inner continental shelf in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. This report contains geophysical data collected by the USGS on three cruises conducted in 2009, 2010, and 2011, and additional bathymetry data collected by the National Oceanic
Authors
Seth D. Ackerman, Brian D. Andrews, David S. Foster, Wayne E. Baldwin, William C. Schwab

Transcriptional profiling of the parr–smolt transformation in Atlantic salmon

The parr–smolt transformation in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is a complex developmental process that culminates in the ability to migrate to and live in seawater. We used GRASP 16K cDNA microarrays to identify genes that are differentially expressed in the liver, gill, hypothalamus, pituitary, and olfactory rosettes of smolts compared to parr. Smolts had higher levels of gill Na+/K+-ATPase activ
Authors
Laura S. Robertson, Stephen D. McCormick

Carbon dioxide stripping in aquaculture -- part II: development of gas transfer models

The basic mass transfer equation for gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide can be derived from integration of the driving force equation. Because of the physical characteristics of the gas transfer processes, slightly different models are used for aerators tested under the non steady-state procedures, than for packed columns, or weirs. It is suggested that the standard condition for carbon dioxi
Authors
John Colt, Barnaby Watten, Tim Pfeiffer