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
Effects of the 1982-83 El Niño – Southern Oscillation on Pacific Ocean bird populations
Seabird reproductive success, population size, and movements in the Pacific region responded dramatically to the 1982-83 El Niño – Southern Oscillation (ENSO). At sites within the North and South Pacific Gyres, the onset of seabird responses tracked oceanographic changes related to ENSO; to the north of the gyres, responses were delayed 1 yr. Reproductive failures and high adult mortality were det
Authors
David G. Ainley, H.R. Carter, Daniel W. Anderson, Kenneth T. Briggs, Malcom C. Coulter, F. Cruz, J.B. Cruz, C.A. Valle, S.I. Fefer, Scott A. Hatch, Elizabeth Anne Schreiber, Ralph W. Schreiber, N.G. Smith
Interactions between seabirds and fisheries in the North Pacific Ocean
Interactions between commercial fisheries and seabirds in the northern Pacific Ocean are increasing with rising consumption of fishery products. As fishing expands into remote areas previously not fished, additional populations of seabirds may be affected. Some interactions such as introduction of fish processing wastes into the environment may be beneficial for seabirds, while others such as comp
Authors
Linda L. Jones, Anthony R. DeGange
Fall migration of Ross' Gull (Rhodostethia rosea) in Alaskan Chukchi and Beaufort seas: Final report
Ross’ Gulls (Rhodostethia rosea) are a major component of the pelagic avifauna of the Alaskan Chukchi and Beaufort seas in fall. Until recently, however, their distribution, abundance, and phenology of occurrence in Alaskan waters was poorly known. Since 1970, a combination of shipboard, aerial, and land-based surveys has revealed the major features of this species’ post-breeding movements in Alas
Authors
George J. Divoky, Gerald A. Sanger, Scott A. Hatch, J. Christopher Haney
Populations, productivity, and feeding habits of seabirds on St. Lawrence Island, Alaska: Final report
A field camp was established at Kongkok Bay near the southwest cape of St. Lawrence Island and occupied continuously from 24 May to 2 September 1987. Permanent study plots were selected for both cliff and crevice-nesting species, and regular observations were made throughout the breeding season to document attendance patterns, breeding phenology, and success. Periodic collections of adults offshor
Authors
John F. Piatt, Scott A. Hatch, Bay D. Roberts, Wayne W. Lidster, John L. Wells, J. Christopher Haney
Applications of satellite telemetry to wildlife research and management in Alaska
Since 1984, the Alaska Fish and Wildlife Research Center, in cooperation with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and several other agencies, has used the Argos Data Collection and Location System to address wildlife research and management problems in Alaska and other parts of North America. The use of satellite telemetry has overcome some of the logistical problems of working in remote areas
Authors
S.G. Fancy, R.B. Harris, David C. Douglas, L.F. Pank, Kenneth R. Whitten, Thomas R. McCabe, Steven C. Amstrup, G.W. Garner
Testing for individual variation in breeding success
I measured the breeding success of Northern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) in 6 consecutive years at a colony in the Semidi Islands, western Gulf of Alaska (56°N, 156°W). I tabulated the frequency distribution of the number of years successful for a sample of 224 nest sites at which breeding occurred in all 6 yr. A consistently higher probability of success occurred in some sites than in others (Fig
Authors
Scott A. Hatch
Survival of aluminum and monel bands on black brant
Three recoveries of Black Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) were recently reported in the "Significant Encounters" section of North American Bird Bander (Anon. 1986). At the time of recovery these Brant were 21.5, 22 and at least 22.5 years old. The significance of these recoveries caught my attention as all were of birds banded on the Yukon Delta, Alaska in 1963 by the Alaska Department of Fish a
Authors
Calvin J. Lensink
Factors influencing predation associated with visits to artificial goose nests
Artificial goose nests were used to determine what factors might increase predation after visits to nests of Cackling Canada Geese (Branta canadensis minima). We tested whether leaving the nest uncovered, marking the nest location with a flag, or placing the nest on an island or peninsula would increase the rate of predation. Predators destroyed significantly more of the nests with eggs exposed to
Authors
M. Michele Vacca, Colleen M. Handel
Sandstone petrographic evidence and the Chugach-Prince William terrane boundary in southern Alaska
The contact between the Upper Cretaceous Valdez Group and the Paleocene and Eocene Orca Group has been inferred to be the boundary between the Chugach and the Prince William tectonostratigraphic terranes. Sandstone petrographic data from the Prince William Sound area show no compositional discontinuity across this contact. These data are best explained by considering the Valdez and Orca Groups to
Authors
Julie A. Dumoulin
Littoral foraging by red phalaropes during spring in the northern Bering Sea
Phalaropes demonstrate considerable plasticity in their choice of foraging habitats. The Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicaria) alternates use of pelagic environments in winter and migration (Taning 1933, Stanford 1953, Briggs et al 1984) with wet tundra habitats during the breeding season (Kistchinski 1975, Mayfield 1979, Ridley 1980). Foods available and taken in littoral zones of the Arctic Ocean
Authors
J. Christopher Haney, Amy E. Stone
Seasonal occurrence of migrant whimbrels and bristle-thighed curlews on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska
Migrant Whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus) and Bristle-thighed Curlews (N. tahitiensis) were recorded during five summers along coastal tundra of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska. From June to September, 1975-1979, 358 flocks totalling 1,265 curlews were observed; an additional 54 flocks were identified by vocalization alone. Among the 359 flocks identified to species, 52% were of Whimbrels, 47% were
Authors
Colleen M. Handel, Christian P. Dau
Colony attendance and population monitoring of Black-legged Kittiwakes on the Semidi Islands, Alaska
Patterns of colony attendance in Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) were studied over 5 years on the Semidi Islands, western Gulf of Alaska. A census period of 50 days, extending from first egg laying through final hatching, was appropriate because counts made then were subject to the least amount of daily variation. Five counts during that period were sufficient to detect a 25% change in
Authors
Scott A. Hatch, Martha A. Hatch