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Browse publications authored by our scientists.  Publications available are: USGS-authored journal articles, series reports, book chapters, other government publications, and more. **Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

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Blooming wildflowers in Pinnacles National Park.

The circular highlights how our research efforts fulfill larger USGS strategic goals.

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Our History

Tricolored Heron at Ding Darling National Park

This book is dedicated to those who are or have been associated with the unit program. 

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Our Research

Yellow-billed Loon on a lake in the northern area of Alaska.

This report provides abstracts of most of the ongoing and recently completed research.

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Filter Total Items: 3984

Book review: Ecology of North American freshwater fishes

This book will be important in courses for upper undergraduates studying fish ecology or for graduate students. However, it will also be an excellent reference for the fishery manager who asks ‘Why does this fish do that?’. With the wealth of great information contained in Ross’ book, chances are an answer will be found. Review info: Ecology of North American freshwater fishes. Edited by Stephen
Authors
Scott A. Bonar
By
Cooperative Research Units

Ungulate exclusion, conifer thinning and mule deer forage in northeastern New Mexico

The southwestern United States has experienced expansion of conifer species (Juniperus spp. and Pinus ponderosa) into areas of semi-arid grassland over the past century. The expansion of conifers can limit palatable forage and reduce grass and forb communities. Conifer species are sometimes thinned through hydraulic mulching or selective cutting. We assessed the effects of these treatments on mule
Authors
David W. Kramer, Grant E. Sorensen, Chase A. Taylor, Robert D. Cox, Philip S. Gipson, James W. Cain
By
Cooperative Research Units

Post-mortem sporulation of Ceratomyxa shasta (Myxozoa) after death in adult Chinook salmon

Ceratomyxa shasta (Myxozoa) is a common gastrointestinal pathogen of salmonid fishes in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. We have been investigating this parasite in adult Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Willamette River, Oregon. In prior work, we observed differences in the pattern of development of C. shasta in adult salmon compared to juvenile salmon. Adult salmon con
Authors
Michael L. Kent, K. Soderlund, E. Thomann, Carl B. Schreck, T.J. Sharpton
By
Cooperative Research Units

Developing and testing temperature models for regulated systems: a case study on the Upper Delaware River

Water temperature is an important driver of many processes in riverine ecosystems. If reservoirs are present, their releases can greatly influence downstream water temperatures. Models are important tools in understanding the influence these releases may have on the thermal regimes of downstream rivers. In this study, we developed and tested a suite of models to predict river temperature at a loca
Authors
Jeffrey C. Cole, Kelly O. Maloney, Matthias Schmid, James E. McKenna
By
Water Availability and Use Science Program, Cooperative Research Units

Global research priorities to mitigate plastic pollution impacts on marine wildlife

Marine wildlife faces a growing number of threats across the globe, and the survival of many species and populations will be dependent on conservation action. One threat in particular that has emerged over the last 4 decades is the pollution of oceanic and coastal habitats with plastic debris. The increased occurrence of plastics in marine ecosystems mirrors the increased prevalence of plastics in
Authors
Amanda C. Vegter, Mário Barletta, Cathy A. Beck, José C. Borrero, Harry Burton, Marnie L. Campbell, Monica F. Costa, Marcus Eriksen, Cecilia Eriksson, Andres Estrades, Kirsten V. Gilardi, Britta D. Hardesty, Juliana A. Ivar do Sul, Jennifer L. Lavers, Bojan Lazar, Laurent Lebreton, Wallace J. Nichols, Christine A. Ribic, Peter G. Ryan, Qamar A. Schuyler, Stephen D. A. Smith, Hideshige Takada, Kathy A. Townsend, Colette C. C. Wabnitz, Chris Wilcox, Lindsay C. Young, Mark Hamann
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Distribution, stock composition and timing, and tagging response of wild Chinook Salmon returning to a large, free-flowing river basin

Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha returns to the Yukon River basin have declined dramatically since the late 1990s, and detailed information on the spawning distribution, stock structure, and stock timing is needed to better manage the run and facilitate conservation efforts. A total of 2,860 fish were radio-tagged in the lower basin during 2002–2004 and tracked upriver. Fish traveled to spa
Authors
John H. Eiler, Michele Masuda, Ted R. Spencer, Richard J. Driscoll, Carl B. Schreck
By
Cooperative Research Units

Prolonged instability prior to a regime shift

Regime shifts are generally defined as the point of ‘abrupt’ change in the state of a system. However, a seemingly abrupt transition can be the product of a system reorganization that has been ongoing much longer than is evident in statistical analysis of a single component of the system. Using both univariate and multivariate statistical methods, we tested a long-term high-resolution paleoecologi
Authors
Trisha Spanbauer, Craig R. Allen, David G. Angeler, Tarsha Eason, Sherilyn C. Fritz, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Kirsty L. Nash, Jeffery R. Stone
By
Cooperative Research Units

Smolting in coastal cutthroat trout Onchorhynchus clarkii clarkii

Gill Na+, K+-ATPase activity, condition factor and seawater (SW) challenges were used to assess the development of smolt characteristics in a cohort of hatchery coastal cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii from the Cowlitz River in Washington State, U.S.A. Gill Na+, K+-ATPase activity increased slightly in the spring, coinciding with an increase in hypo-osmoregulatory ability. These change
Authors
Joseph D. Zydlewski, G. Zydlewski, B. Kennedy, W. Gale
By
Cooperative Research Units

Survival of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts through a hydropower complex

This study evaluated Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolt survival through the lower Penobscot River, Maine, U.S.A., and characterized relative differences in proportional use and survival through the main-stem of the river and an alternative migration route, the Stillwater Branch. The work was conducted prior to removal of two main-stem dams and operational changes in hydropower facilities in the St
Authors
D.S. Stich, M.M. Bailey, Joseph D. Zydlewski
By
Cooperative Research Units

Supplemental feeding alters migration of a temperate ungulate

Conservation of migration requires information on behavior and environmental determinants. The spatial distribution of forage resources, which migration exploits, often are altered and may have subtle, unintended consequences. Supplemental feeding is a common management practice, particularly for ungulates in North America and Europe, and carryover effects on behavior of this anthropogenic manipul
Authors
Jennifer D. Jones, Matthew Kauffman, Kevin L. Monteith, Brandon M. Scurlock, Shannon E. Albeke, Paul C. Cross
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Cooperative Research Units, Environmental Health Program

Environmental correlates of temporary emigration for female Weddell seals and consequences for recruitment

In colonial-breeding species, prebreeders often emigrate temporarily from natal reproductive colonies then subsequently return for one or more years before producing young. Variation in attendance–nonattendance patterns can have implications for subsequent recruitment. We used open robust-design multistate models and 28 years of encounter data for prebreeding female Weddell seals (Leptonychotes we
Authors
Glenn E. Stauffer, Jay J. Rotella, Robert A. Garrott, William L. Kendall
By
Cooperative Research Units

Body morphology differs in wild juvenile Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in the Willamette River, Oregon, USA

Body morphology of juvenile Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in the upper Willamette River, Oregon, U.S.A., was analysed to determine if variation in body shape is correlated with migratory life-history tactics followed by juveniles. Body shape was compared between migrating juveniles that expressed different life-history tactics, i.e. autumn migrants and yearling smolts, and among parr sam
Authors
E.J. Billman, L.D. Whitman, R.K. Schroeder, C.S. Sharpe, David L. G. Noakes, Carl B. Schreck
By
Cooperative Research Units