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: 171795
Forest bird populations at the Big Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Hawai'i
Endemic Hawaiian forest birds have experienced dramatic population declines. The Big Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex (Refuge Complex) was established for the conservation of endangered forest birds and their habitats. Surveys have been conducted at two units of the Refuge Complex to monitor forest bird populations and their response to management actions. We analyzed survey data from 1987
Authors
Steven J. Kendall, Rachel A. Rounds, Richard J. Camp, Ayesha Genz, Thomas Cady, Donna L. Ball
Gene flow influences the genomic architecture of local adaptation in six riverine fish species
Understanding how gene flow influences adaptive divergence is important for predicting adaptive responses. Theoretical studies suggest that when gene flow is high, clustering of adaptive genes in fewer genomic regions would protect adaptive alleles from recombination and thus be selected for, but few studies have tested it with empirical data. Here, we used restriction site-associated sequencing t
Authors
Yue Shi, Kristen L. Bouska, Garrett J. McKinney, William Dokai, Andrew Bartels, Megan V. McPhee, Wesley Larson
Grass carp reproduction in small tributaries of Truman Reservoir, Missouri: Implications for establishment in novel habitats
Substantial work has been conducted to estimate the river length required for recruitment of invasive Grass Carp Ctenopharyngodon idella and bigheaded carps (Bighead Carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and Silver Carp H. molitrix); however, the distance upstream and size of stream required for spawning remain unclear. Adult Grass Carp are regularly captured in Harry S. Truman Reservoir, Missouri, alth
Authors
Cari-Ann Hayer, Michael F. Bayless, Cathy A. Richter, Amy E. George, Duane Chapman
Insects in high-elevation streams: Life in extreme environments imperiled by climate change
Climate change is altering conditions in high-elevation streams worldwide, with largely unknown effects on resident communities of aquatic insects. Here, we review the challenges of climate change for high-elevation aquatic insects and how they may respond, focusing on current gaps in knowledge. Understanding current effects and predicting future impacts will depend on progress in three areas. Fir
Authors
Jackson H. Birrell, Alisha A. Shah, Scott Hotaling, J. Joseph Giersch, Craig E. Williamson, Dean Jacobsen, H. Arthur Woods
Nonsalmonid gas bubble trauma investigations
From 2020 to 2023, a new spill program was implemented to aid the downstream passage of juvenile salmonids at mainstem dams on the Snake and Columbia rivers. Under this program, the total dissolved gas (TDG) cap was increased to 125% and monitoring of nonsalmonids for gas bubble trauma (GBT) became a requirement. The primary objective of this work and report was to measure the incidence and severi
Authors
Kenneth Tiffan, Brad Liedtke, Scott Louis Benson
Occurrence of mixed organic and inorganic chemicals in groundwater and tapwater, town of Campbell, Wisconsin, 2021–22
In response to previous reports of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in French Island’s (located in the Mississippi River within the town of Campbell, Wisconsin) primary source of drinking water, 11 locations were sampled by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in October 2021 to assess the potential presence of contaminant mixtures, including PFAS, in tapwater. Three locations
Authors
Kristin M. Romanok, Shannon M. Meppelink, Paul M. Bradley, Sara E. Breitmeyer, Lee Donahue, Mark P. Gaikowski, Randy K. Hines, Kelly L. Smalling
Phosphorus sources, forms, and abundance as a function of streamflow and field conditions in a Maumee River tributary, 2016-2019
Total phosphorus (TP), dissolved P (DP), and suspended sediment (SS) were sampled in Black Creek, Indiana, monthly during base flow and for 100 storm events during water years 2016–2019, enabling analysis of how each of these varied as a function of streamflow and field conditions at nested edge-of-field sites. Particulate P was normalized for SS (PSS = [TP − DP]/SS). Streamflow events were differ
Authors
Tanja N. Williamson, Edward G. Dobrowolski, Rebecca Kreiling
Signatures of high-latitude waves in observations of geomagnetic acceleration
Models for the second time-derivative of the geomagnetic field reveal prominent activity at high latitudes. Alternating patches of positive and negative geomagnetic acceleration propagate to the west at speeds that exceed nominal fluid velocities in the core. We show that waves are a viable interpretation of these observations. Magnetic Rossby waves produce a high-latitude response with suitable p
Authors
Rodrigo Chi-Duran, Margaret Susan Avery, Bruce Buffett
Ground motion selection for nonlinear response history analyses of concrete dams
Evaluating the seismic performance of a 3D concrete dam using nonlinear response history analysis (NLRHA) requires three orthogonal components of ground acceleration histories, or ground motions (GMs) for brevity. Although much progress has been made for the topic of ground motion selection and modification (GMSM) in the context of multistory buildings, NLRHA of dams requires at least two addition
Authors
N. Simon Kwong
Three-decades of Rocky Intertidal Photo Series Documenting interannual variability in western Prince William Sound
During summer 2021 we re-visited and re-photographed intertidal community scenes at seven rocky intertidal sites in Western Prince William Sound, adding another year of photos to a 32-year monitoring effort. The sites include both previously-oiled and un-oiled locations that were the subject of repeated annual photos beginning in 1990, one year after the March 24, 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. Phot
Authors
Alan Mearns, Dave Janka, Scott Pegau, Robert Campbell, Brian H. Robinson
Assessing the efficacy of oblique bubble screens for control of aquatic invasive species
Non-physical barriers, such as bubble screens (or curtains), are promising low-impact strategies to deter the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) in streams. Bubble screens have been successfully implemented to redirect and/or deter adult fish and to capture plastics in some rivers, but their efficacy on invasive fish at multiple life stages (eggs, larvae, and adult fish) is not yet known. Ai
Authors
Vindhyawasini Prasad, Cory D. Suski, P. Ryan Jackson, Amy E. George, Duane Chapman, Jesse Robert Fischer, Rafael O. Tinoco
Status and trends in the Lake Superior fish community, 2021
The Lake Superior nearshore fish community was sampled in May-June 2021 with daytime bottom trawl tows at 45 stations located in USA waters. The 45 locations sampled were long-term monitoring sites that had been annually sampled since 1978. All comparisons to 2021 results were limited to past collections from USA waters, as compared to previous years, where comparisons included USA and Canadian si
Authors
Mark Vinson, Daniel Yule, Lori M. Evrard, Owen T. Gorman, Sydney B Phillips