Publications

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a persistent and increasing problem globally, yet we still have limited knowledge about how they affect wildlife. Although semi-aquatic and aquatic amphibians and reptiles have experienced large declines and occupy environments where HABs are increasingly problematic, their vulnerability to HABs remains unclear. To inform monitoring, management, and future research,

Deepwater sculpin (Myoxocephalus thompsonii) were considered extirpated from Lake Ontario prior to the 1990s but have since resurged and are now an abundant offshore demersal species. As deepwater sculpin reproduction is poorly described, an investigation of their gonadal development and fecundity was conducted to better understand their reproductive biology. To evaluate spawning period duration a

Data from prior research indicate the prepupal stage of the monarch butterfly life cycle is more sensitive to clothianidin exposure than the larval stage. A set of experiments was conducted to determine if the dietary clothianidin exposures that cause prepupal mortality are environmentally relevant. Monarch larvae were raised from egg to pupae on clothianidin-contaminated swamp milkweed plants (As

The Coastal California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica), a federally threatened species, is a flagship species for regional conservation planning in southern California (USA). An inhabitant of coastal sage scrub vegetation, the gnatcatcher has declined in response to habitat loss and fragmentation, exacerbated by catastrophic wildfires. We documented the status of gnatcatchers thro

Along Mexico's arid Colorado River Delta, the riparian corridor lacks water due to a reduction in frequent flows, climate change, human infrastructure, and altered riparian landcover from disturbances to invasive species, fire, and high soil and water salinities, which have led to declines in riparian plant health in recent decades. Restoration efforts focusing on small plots have successfully rev

The National Water Model (NWM) provides critical analyses and projections of streamflow that support water management decisions. However, the NWM performs poorly in lower-elevation rivers of the western United States (US). The accuracy of the NWM depends on the fidelity of the model inputs and the representation and calibration of model processes and water sources. To evaluate the NWM performance

Avian droppings (combination of fecal matter and urates) provide a non-lethal and non-invasive matrix for measuring pesticide exposures. In the field, droppings may be collected days or weeks after excretion and the persistence of pesticide residues in weathered droppings is not known. Thus, we studied the effects of weathering on pesticide residues in droppings. Domestic chicken (Gallus gallus do

The Coastal Science Navigator is an online gateway to a wide variety of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) coastal change hazards-related information, data, and tools relevant to stakeholders’ scientific and decision-making needs. The products within the Coastal Science Navigator provide data related to past, present, and future threats to our coastlines. The filter search allows users to see all avail

Estimates of nitrogen loading from nonpoint sources on Long Island, New York, at or just below the land surface, are essential for assessing the current and future effects of nitrogen on the island’s drinking water and fresh and marine surface receiving waters. Annual estimates of nitrogen loading for the 120 years from 1900 to 2019 for major nonpoint nitrogen sources—septic systems, residential f

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, performed a two-part study to (1) assess water use and temporal trends and changes in streamflow, and to (2) characterize 2021–23 baseline water quality, as they relate to oil and gas extraction activities in selected eastern Ohio watersheds. Between calendar years 2010 and 2019, hydraulic fracturing water wi

Lake Superior has a vast and largely undeveloped watershed in comparison to the other Great Lakes, which makes it challenging to study mercury (Hg) sources and cycling. To examine Hg inputs to Lake Superior, we conducted an expansive binational assessment in 40 watersheds from a diverse range of landcover types. We further paired tributary Hg data to sediment source portfolios in the nearshore and

The Southern California Borderland hosts a variety of geologic and oceanographic features that allow for diverse habitats to occur in a restricted region with a strong oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) and hard substrates. These include ferromanganese (FeMn) crusts and phosphorites targeted for deep-seabed mining in other regions. Baseline studies regarding hardground macro- (> 0.3 mm) and megafaunal (> 2