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: 2891
Migration of Sakhalin taimen (Parahucho perryi): Evidence of freshwater resident life history types
Sakhalin taimen (Parahucho perryi) range from the Russian Far East mainland along the Sea of Japan coast, and Sakhalin, Kuril, and Hokkaido Islands and are considered to primarily be an anadromous species. We used otolith strontium-to-calcium ratios (Sr/Ca) to determine the chronology of migration between freshwater and saltwater and identify migratory contingents of taimen collected from the Kopp
Authors
Christian E. Zimmerman, P.S. Rand, M. Fukushima, S.F. Zolotukhin
SYBR green-based real-time reverse transcription-PCR for typing and subtyping of all hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes of avian influenza viruses and comparison to standard serological subtyping tests
Continuing outbreaks of H5N1 highly pathogenic (HP) avian influenza virus (AIV) infections of wild birds and poultry worldwide emphasize the need for global surveillance of wild birds. To support the future surveillance activities, we developed a SYBR green-based, real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (rRT-PCR) for detecting nucleoprotein (NP) genes and subtyping 16 hemagglutinin (HA) and 9 neuramin
Authors
K. Tsukamoto, P.C. Javier, M. Shishido, D. Noguchi, John M. Pearce, H.-M. Kang, O.M. Jeong, Y.-J. Lee, K. Nakanishi, T. Ashizawa
Assessment of pingo distribution and morphometry using an IfSAR derived digital surface model, western Arctic Coastal Plain, Northern Alaska
Pingos are circular to elongate ice-cored mounds that form by injection and freezing of pressurized water in near-surface permafrost. Here we use a digital surface model (DSM) derived from an airborne Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (IfSAR) system to assess the distribution and morphometry of pingos within a 40,000 km2 area on the western Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska. We have i
Authors
Benjamin M. Jones, G. Grosse, Kenneth M. Hinkel, C.D. Arp, S. Walker, R.A. Beck, J. P. Galloway
Semiochemical compounds of preen secretion reflect genetic make-up in a seabird species
Several vertebrates choose their mate according to genetic heterozygosity and relatedness, and use odour cues to assess their conspecifics' genetic make-up. In birds, although several species (including the black-legged kittiwake) exhibit non-random mating according to genetic traits, the cues used to assess genetic characteristics remain unknown. The importance of olfaction in birds' social behav
Authors
S. Leclaire, T. Merkling, C. Raynaud, Hervé Mulard, J.-M. Bessiere, E.M. Lhuillier, Scott A. Hatch, E. Danchin
Functional ecology of saltglands in shorebirds: Flexible responses to variable environmental conditions
1. Birds of marine environments have specialized glands to excrete salt, the saltglands. Located on the skull between the eyes, the size of these organs is expected to reflect their demand, which will vary with water turnover rates as a function of environmental (heat load, salinity of prey and drinking water) and organismal (energy demand, physiological state) factors. On the basis of inter- and
Authors
J.S. Gutierrez, M.W. Dietz, J.A. Masero, Robert E. Gill, Anne Dekinga, Phil F. Battley, J. M. Sanchez-Guzman, Theunis Piersma
Microanatomy of passerine hard-cornified tissues: Beak and claw structure of the black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)
The microanatomy of healthy beaks and claws in passerine birds has not been well described in the literature, despite the importance of these structures in avian life. Histological processing of hard‐cornified tissues is notoriously challenging and only a few reports on effective techniques have been published. An emerging epizootic of beak deformities among wild birds in Alaska and the Pacific No
Authors
Caroline R. Van Hemert, Colleen M. Handel, J.E. Blake, R.M. Swor, T. M. O'Hara
Microsatellite marker isolation and development for the giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini)
We isolated and developed 18 novel microsatellite markers for the giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) and examined them for 31 individuals from Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska. These loci displayed moderate levels of allelic diversity (averaging 11 alleles per locus) and heterozygosity (averaging 65%). Seven loci deviated from Hardy–Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE) due to heterozygote defic
Authors
Rebecca K. Toussaint, G. Kevin Sage, Sandra L. Talbot, David Scheel
Contrasting extreme long-distance migration patterns in bar-tailed godwits Limosa lapponica
Migrating birds make the longest non-stop endurance flights in the animal kingdom. Satellite technology is now providing direct evidence on the lengths and durations of these flights and associated staging episodes for individual birds. Using this technology, we compared the migration performance of two subspecies of bar-tailed godwit Limosa lapponica travelling between non-breeding grounds in New
Authors
Phil F. Battley, Nils Warnock, T. Lee Tibbitts, Robert E. Gill, Theunis Piersma, Chris J. Hassell, David C. Douglas, Daniel M. Mulcahy, Brett D. Gartrell, Rob Schuckard, David S. Melville, Adrian C. Riegen
Genetic and morphological divergence among Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) populations breeding in north-central and western North America
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) populations breeding in the northern portion of the species' range exhibit variation in morphological traits that conforms to predictions based on differences in prey size, tree stand density, and migratory behavior. We examined genetic structure and gene flow and compared divergence at morphological traits (PST) and genetic markers (FST) to elucidate mechanisms
Authors
Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Robert N. Rosenfield, John Bielefeldt, Robert K. Murphy, Andrew C. Stewart, William C. Stout, Timothy G. Driscoll, Michael A. Bozek, Brian L. Sloss, Sandra L. Talbot
Paired serologic and polymerase chain reaction analyses of avian influenza prevalence in Alaskan shorebirds
Surveillance has revealed low prevalence of avian influenza viruses (AIV) in shorebirds except Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) on the North American Atlantic coast. Similarly, of five species of shorebirds surveyed in Alaska in 2010, Ruddy Turnstones had the highest AIV antibody prevalence; prevalence of AIV RNA was low or zero.
Authors
John M. Pearce, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Jeffrey S. Hall
The footprint of Alaskan tundra fires during the past half-century: implications for surface properties and radiative forcing
Recent large and frequent fires above the Alaskan arctic circle have forced a reassessment of the ecological and climatological importance of fire in arctic tundra ecosystems. Here we provide a general overview of the occurrence, distribution, and ecological and climate implications of Alaskan tundra fires over the past half-century using spatially explicit climate, fire, vegetation and remote sen
Authors
Adrian V. Rocha, Michael M. Loranty, Phil E. Higuera, Michelle C. Mack, Feng Sheng Hu, Benjamin M. Jones, Amy L. Breen, Edward B. Rastetter, Scott J. Goetz, Gus R. Shaver
Long-distance swimming by polar bears (Ursus maritimus) of the southern Beaufort Sea during years of extensive open water
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774) depend on sea ice for catching marine mammal prey. Recent sea-ice declines have been linked to reductions in body condition, survival, and population size. Reduced foraging opportunity is hypothesized to be the primary cause of sea-ice-linked declines, but the costs of travel through a deteriorated sea-ice environment also may be a factor. We used movemen
Authors
Anthony M. Pagano, George M. Durner, Kristin S. Simac, G.S. York, Steven C. Amstrup