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Publications

USGS research activities relevant to Alaska have yielded more than 9400 historical publications. This page features some of the most recent newsworthy research findings.

Filter Total Items: 2885

Breeding seasons of oceanic birds in a subarctic colony

We studied the breeding seasons of marine birds on the Semidi Islands, western Gulf of Alaska, from 1976 to 1983. Distributions of laying or hatching observed in 11 species during 1–7 years are presented; less detailed information is available on the breeding schedules of three species. The combined laying period of 14 species lasted 3 months from mid-April to mid-July; the first eggs of the earli
Authors
Scott A. Hatch, Martha A. Hatch

Isolation of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus from a leech (Piscicola salmositica) and a copepod (Salmincola sp.), ectoparasites of sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka

Infectious haematopoietic necrosis (IHN) virus was isolated from freshwater leeches Piscicola salmositica and copepods Salmincola sp. removed from the gills of spawning sockeye salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka. This is the first report of the isolation of IHN virus from an animal other than salmonid fishes. High levels of IHN virus were also found in leeches taken from the bottom gravel of the spawning
Authors
Daniel M. Mulcahy, D. Klaybor, W.N. Batts

Computer-aided procedure for counting waterfowl on aerial photographs

Examination of 46 Canada goose goslings yielded 14 species of parasites, including five Protozoa, four Nematoda, two Cestoda, and three Trematoda. Evidence indicates that goslings acquired most of these infections during their first week of life. Some parasites, Prosthogonimus sp., occurred only in younger birds. Others, Leucocytozoon simondi, were evident only during the initial course of infect
Authors
D. Bajzak, John F. Piatt

Flexible time budgets in breeding Common Murres: Buffers against variable prey availability

Mortality rates of canvasbacks were estimated from band-recovery records. The annual rate of mortality of immatures during the first year was 77 per cent. Annual mortality rates of adults ranged from 35 to 50 per cent. Mortality rates of females were higher than those of males. Relatively larger numbers of immatures and adult females were shot early in the hunting season, and relatively larger num
Authors
A.E. Burger, John F. Piatt

Error in telemetry studies: Effects of animal movement on triangulation

We used Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the effects of animal movement on error of estimated animal locations derived from radio-telemetry triangulation of sequentially obtained bearings. Simulated movements of 0-534 m resulted in up to 10-fold increases in average location error but <10% decreases in location precision when observer-to-animal distances were <1,000 m. Location error and pre
Authors
Joel A. Schmutz, Gary C. White

Geologic studies in Alaska by the U.S. Geological Survey, 1988

This volume continues the annual series of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reports on geologic investigations in Alaska. Since 1975, when the first of these collections of short papers appeared under the title "The United States Geological Survey in Alaska: Accomplishments during 1975," the series has been published as USGS circulars. This bulletin departs from the circular style, in part to provide

Pre-field study and mineral resource assessment of the Sleetmule quadrangle, southwestern Alaska

No abstract available.
Authors
Marti L. Miller, H. E. Belkin, R. B. Blodgett, T. K. Bundtzen, J. W. Cady, R. J. Goldfarb, J. E. Gray, R. G. McGimsey, S. L. Simpson

Preliminary geologic map of the Baird Mountains and part of the Selawik quadrangles, Alaska

No abstract available.
Authors
Susan M. Karl, Julie A. Dumoulin, Inyo Ellersieck, A. G. Harris, J. M. Schmidt

Twenty-four hour behavior patterns and budgets of free-ranging reindeer in winter

To obtain movement data on wild fulvous tree ducks (Dendrocygna bicolor) 165 immature pen-reared fulvous tree ducks were color-marked and released in three southeast Texas counties in July October 1969/70. Nine (5 percent) of the marked birds were recovered from 3 days to 9 months after release, and an additional 15 birds provided sight records. Many released birds apparently became integrated in
Authors
W. B. Collins, T. S. Smith

Baleen whales and their prey in a coastal environment

Patterns of abundance of humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae), fin (Balaenoptera physalus), and minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) whales are described in relation to the abundance of their primary prey, capelin (Mallotus villosus), during 1982–1985 at Witless Bay, Newfoundland. The abundance ratio of the three whale species was 10:1:3.5, respectively. Abundance of all whale species was strongly corr
Authors
John F. Piatt, David A. Methven, Alan E. Burger, Ruth L. McLagan, Vicki Mercer, Elizabeth Creelman

Diurnal and seasonal patterns of colony attendance in the Northern Fulmar, Fulmarus glacialis

The annual cycle of Northern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) in the western Gulf of Alaska includes about six months from mid-April to mid-October when birds are associated with land at the Semidi Islands. The pre-laying stage in five years was marked by recurrent peaks in attendance that included up to 90% of the population, and alternate periods of 2 to 12 days when the breeding ground was deserted
Authors
Scott A. Hatch

The Resurrection Peninsula ophiolite

The Resurrection Peninsula forms the east side of Resurrection Bay (fig. 3). Relief ranges from 437 m (1,434 ft) at the southern end of the peninsula to more than 1,463 m (4,800 ft) opposite the head of the bay. All rock units composing the informally named Resurrection Peninsula ophiolite of Nelson and others (1987) are visible or accessible by boat."Ophiolite" has been a geologic term since 1827
Authors
Steven W. Nelson, Marti L. Miller, Julie A. Dumoulin
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