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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: 2891

Mesothermal gold deposits of Westland, New Zealand and southern Alaska: Products of similar tectonic processes?

No abstract available.
Authors
R. J. Goldfarb, T. Christie, D. Skinner, Peter J. Haeussler, D. C. Bradley

Salmon escapement estimates into the Togiak River using sonar, Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, 1987, 1988, and 1990

We began a three year study in 1987 to test the feasibility of using sonar in the Togiak River to estimate salmon escapements. Current methods rely on periodic aerial surveys and a counting tower at river kilometer 97. Escapement estimates are not available until 10 to 14 days after the salmon enter the river. Water depth and turbidity preclude relocating the tower to the lower river and affect th
Authors
David B. Irving, James E. Finn, James P. Larson

Clinical and clinical laboratory correlates in sea otters dying unexpectedly in rehabilitation centers following the Exxon Valdez oil spill

Following the Exxon Valdez oil spill, 347 oiled sea otters (Enhydra lutris) were treated in rehabilitation centers. Of these, 116 died, 94 within 10 days of presentation. Clinical records of 21 otters dying during the first 10 days of rehabilitation were reviewed to define the laboratory abnormalities and clinical syndromes associated with these unexpected deaths. The most common terminal syndrome
Authors
A.H. Rebar, T.P. Lipscomb, R.K. Harris, Brenda E. Ballachey

Evidence of Emperor Geese breeding in Russia and staging in Alaska

Emperor Geese (Chen canagica) breed primarily on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska (Eisenhauer and Kirkpatrick 1977), but a small, poorly quantified proportion of the world's population is known to breed in the Russia Far East (Kistchinski 1976, 1988, Portenko 1981). Eisenhauer and Kirkpatrick (1977) stated that 80 to 90% of all Emperor Geese breed on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, and current
Authors
Joel A. Schmutz, Alexander V. Kondratyev

Characteristics of vegetation phenology over the Alaskan landscape using AVHRR time-series data

Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) satellite data were acquired and composited into twice-a-month periods from 1 May 1991 to 15 October 1991 in order to map vegetation characteristics of the Alaskan landscape. Unique spatial and temporal qualities of the AVHRR data provide information that leads to a better understanding of regional biophysical characteristics of vegetation communiti
Authors
Carl J. Markon, Michael D. Fleming, Emily F. Binnian

Increasing frequency of plastic particles ingested by seabirds in the subarctic North Pacific

We examined gut contents of 1799 seabirds comprising 24 species collected in 1988-1990 to assess the types and quantities of plastic particles ingested by seabirds in the subarctic waters of Alaska. Of the 15 species found to ingest plastic, most were surface-feeders (shearwaters, petrels, gulls) or plankton-feeding divers (auklets, puffins). Of 4417 plastic particles examined, 76% were industrial
Authors
Martin D. Robards, John F. Piatt, Kenton D. Wohl

Deposition and persistence of beachcast seabird carcasses

Following a massive wreck of guillemots (Uria aalge) in late winter and spring of 1993, we monitored the deposition and subsequent disappearance of 398 beachcast guillemot carcasses on two beaches in Resurrection Bay, Alaska, during a 100 day period. Deposition of carcasses declined logarithmically with time after the original event. Since fresh carcasses were more likely to be removed between cou
Authors
Thomas I. van Pelt, John F. Piatt

Influence of temperature on incubation rates of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) from ten Washington populations

Coho salmon from 10 Washington populations were incubated under controlled conditions to determine the levels of variation in time to hatch among populations and families within populations. The average incubation rate was somewhat slower than that estimated from a quantitative model derived from British Columbia populations, and was slightly faster than that predicted by a Washington model. Signi
Authors
John T. Konecki, Carol Ann Woody, Thomas P. Quinn

Detection of sea otters in boat-based surveys of Prince William Sound, Alaska

Boat-based surveys have been commonly used to monitor sea otter populations, but there has been little quantitative work to evaluate detection biases that may affect these surveys. We used ground-based observers to investigate sea otter detection probabilities in a boat-based survey of Prince William Sound, Alaska. We estimated that 30% of the otters present on surveyed transects were not detected
Authors
Mark S. Udevitz, James L. Bodkin, Daniel P. Costa

Survival of juvenile black brant during brood rearing

Survival of young is an important and poorly understood component of waterfowl productivity. We estimated survival of black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) goslings during summers 1987-89 on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, to determine timing and magnitude of gosling mortality and to compare methods of estimating gosling survival. Eighty-two percent of radio-tagged adult females (n = 61) fled
Authors
Paul L. Flint, James S. Sedinger, Kenneth H. Pollock

Estimating prefledging survival: Allowing for brood mixing and dependence among brood mates

Estimates of juvenile survival from hatch to fledging provide important information on waterfowl productivity. We develop a model for estimating survival of young waterfowl from hatch to fledging. Our model enables interchange of individuals among broods and relaxes the assumption that individuals within broods have independent survival probabilities. The model requires repeated observations of in
Authors
Paul L. Flint, Kenneth H. Pollock, Dana Thomas, James S. Sedinger

Evaluating growth of the Porcupine Caribou Herd using a stochastic model

Estimates of the relative effects of demographic parameters on population rates of change, and of the level of natural variation in these parameters, are necessary to address potential effects of perturbations on populations. We used a stochastic model, based on survival and reproduction estimates of the Porcupine Caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) Herd (PCH), during 1983-89 and 1989-92 to obtain
Authors
Noreen E. Walsh, Brad Griffith, Thomas R. McCabe