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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: 2892

Mitochondrial-DNA phylogeny of deer (Cervidae)

Mitochondrial-DNA restriction-site maps were constructed for several cervid taxa in the subfamilies Cervinae and Odocoileinae. Parsimony analyses of restriction sites and pair-wise analyses of genetic distances resulted in dendrograms congruent with the subfamily designations. Relationships within the Odocoileinae determined from genetic distances generally were concordant with those for nuclear-e
Authors
M. A. Cronin

Brood habitat use of Rio Grande wild turkeys

Habitat use of 14 Rio Grande wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) broods was studied in riparian habitats in northeast Colorado in 1986-87. Of 191 locations, 78% were within the riparian zone, 11 % in agricultural uplands, and 11 % on the edge between these habitats. Use of habitats was dependent on time of day. Within the riparian zone, older broods used grazed areas more often than young broods. Mi
Authors
Joel A. Schmutz, Clait E. Braun, William F. Andelt

Procedures and rationale for marking sea otters captured and treated during the T/V Exxon Valdez oil spill

Four methods were used for marking sea otters (Enhydra lutris) captured and treated during the response to the T/V Exxon Valdez oil spill. Colored and numbered flipper tags were placed on each sea otter that was brought to the otter treatment centers. These tags allowed individual recognition and permitted the tracking of individuals through the treatment and holding processes. Recovery of tagged
Authors
A.R. DeGange, T.D. Williams

Identification of a herpes-like virus in sea otters during rehabilitation after the T/V Exxon Valdez oil spill

During implantation of radiotelemetry devices in sea otters (Enhydra lutris) at the Seward Otter Rehabilitation Center, surgical team members noted ulcers in the oral cavity of each of five animals examined. Oral lesions were identified in 25 of 27 otters examined at the center. Histological evaluation of the lesions revealed focal areas of mucosal epithelial necrosis with associated intranuclear
Authors
R.K. Harris, R.B. Moeller, T.P. Lipscomb, J.M. Pletcher, R.J. Haebler, P.A. Tuomi, C.R. McCormick, Anthony R. DeGange, Daniel M. Mulcahy, T.D. Williams

Distribution, age, and sex composition of sea otter carcasses recovered during the response to the T/V Exxon Valdez oil spill

Nearly 900 sea otter (Enhydra lutris) carcasses were recovered in or adjacent to coastal areas affected by the T/V Exxon Valdez oil spill. The time of carcass recovery and the condition of carcasses indicate that most oil spill-induced mortality occurred early in the response period. In fact, by 19 May about 70% of the carcasses had been found. The majority of the carcasses (56%) were from Prince
Authors
Anthony R. DeGange, Calvin J. Lensink

Evaluation of sea otter capture after the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Prince William Sound, Alaska

After the T/V Exxon Valdez oil spill into Prince William Sound, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Exxon Company, U.S.A., began rescuing sea otters (Enhydra lutris). The primary objective of this operation was to capture live, oiled sea otters for cleaning and rehabilitation. Between 30 March and 29 May 1989, 139 live sea otters were captured in the sound and transported to rehabilitation cent
Authors
James L. Bodkin, F. Weltz

Distribution and relative abundance of sea otters in south-central and south-western Alaska before or at the time of the T/V Exxon Valdez oil spill

Surveys of sea otters (Enhydra lutris) conducted before, immediately after, or at the time of the TA^ Exxon Valdez oil spill were used to guide otter capture efforts and assess the immediate effects of the spill. Shoreline counts (by boat) of sea otters in Prince William Sound in 1984 suggested that a minimum of 4,500 sea otters inhabited nearshore waters of Prince William Sound. Areas of highest
Authors
Anthony R. DeGange, Daniel H. Monson, David B. Irons, C.M. Robbins, David C. Douglas

Monitoring St. Lawrence Island and Cape Thompson seabird populations

About 1.8 million seabirds of 12 species breed on St. Lawrence Island (Figure 1) - one of the largest aggregations of breeding seabirds in the subarctic Pacific. Colonies of least and crested auklets alone, totaling 1.5 million birds, contain a substantial proportion (perhaps 20%) of these species’ world populations. Large seabird colonies occur also at Cape Thompson (Figure 2), where thick-billed
Authors
Scott A. Hatch, John F. Piatt, Brian S. Fadely, Bay D. Roberts

Site 766

No abstract available.
Authors

Site 765: Sedimentology

Various techniques were used to decipher the sedimentation history of Site 765, including Markov chain analysis of facies transitions, XRD analysis of clay and other minerals, and multivariate analysis of smear-slide data, in addition to the standard descriptive procedures employed by the shipboard sedimentologist. This chapter presents brief summaries of methodology and major findings of these th
Authors

Site 765: Sediment Lithostratigraphy

A 935-m-thick succession of Quaternary through Lower Cretaceous sediments was recovered at Site 765 (Fig. 10). A single core of Quaternary sediment was obtained from Hole 765A; drilling terminated and a new hole was drilled in an attempt to establish the mud line. Quaternary through middle Miocene sediments were cored in Hole 765B down to a depth of 395.6 mbsf. Middle Miocene through Lower Cretace
Authors

Avifaunal remains from the Utqiagvik Village Site, North Alaska

No abstract available.
Authors
J.E. Lobdell, Robert E. Gill