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
Population genetic structure and gene flow of Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) breeding throughout the western Antarctic Peninsula
Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) are responding to ocean–climate variability throughout the marine ecosystem of the western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) where some breeding colonies have declined by 80%. Nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) markers were used to understand historical population genetic structure and gene flow given relatively recent and continuing reductions in sea ice habitats a
Authors
Kristen B. Gorman, Sandra L. Talbot, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, George K. Sage, Megan C. Gravley, Tony D. Williams, William R. Fraser
Size, growth, and density data for shallow-water sea urchins from Mexico to the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, 1956–2016
Size, growth, and density have been studied for North American Pacific coast sea urchins Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, S. droebachiensis, S. polyacanthus, Mesocentrotus (Strongylocentrotus) franciscanus, Lytechinus pictus, Centrostephanus coronatus, and Arbacia stellata by various workers at diverse sites and for varying lengths of time from 1956 to present. Numerous peer-reviewed publications ha
Authors
Thomas A Ebert, Louis Barr, James L. Bodkin, Dirk Burcham, Dominique Bureau, Henry Carson, Nancy Caruso, Jennifer E. Caselle, Jeremy Claisse, Sabrina Clemente, Kathryn Davis, Paul Detwiler, John Dixon, David Duggins, John Engle, James Estes, Scott Groth, Benjamin Grupe, Peter Halmay, Kyle Hebert, Jose Carlos Hernandez, Laura J. Jurgens, Peter Kalvass, Michael C. Kenner, Brenda Konar, David Kushner, Lynn Lee, David Leighton, Gabriela Montano-Moctezuma, Eric Munk, Irma Olguin Espinoza, Ben Weitzman
Streambed scour evaluations and conditions at selected bridge sites in Alaska, 2013–15
Streambed scour potential was evaluated at 52 river- and stream-spanning bridges in Alaska that lack a quantitative scour analysis or have unknown foundation details. All sites were evaluated for stream stability and long-term scour potential. Contraction scour and abutment scour were calculated for 52 bridges, and pier scour was calculated for 11 bridges that had piers. Vertical contraction (pres
Authors
Robin A. Beebee, Karenth L. Dworsky, Schyler J. Knopp
Zirconium and hafnium
Zirconium and hafnium are corrosion-resistant metals that are widely used in the chemical and nuclear industries. Most zirconium is consumed in the form of the main ore mineral zircon (ZrSiO4, or as zirconium oxide or other zirconium chemicals. Zirconium and hafnium are both refractory lithophile elements that have nearly identical charge, ionic radii, and ionic potentials. As a result, their geoc
Authors
James V. Jones, Nadine M. Piatak, George M. Bedinger
Lithium
Lithium, the lightest of all metals, is used in air treatment, batteries, ceramics, glass, metallurgy, pharmaceuticals, and polymers. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are particularly important in efforts to reduce global warming because they make it possible to power cars and trucks from renewable sources of energy (for example, hydroelectric, solar, or wind) instead of by burning fossil fuels.
Authors
Dwight Bradley, Lisa L. Stillings, Brian W. Jaskula, LeeAnn Munk, Andrew D. McCauley
Evaluating methods to assess the body condition of female polar bears
An animal's body condition provides insight into its health, foraging success, and overall fitness. Measures of body composition including proportional fat content are useful indicators of condition. Isotopic dilution is a reliable non-destructive method for estimating the body composition of live mammals, but can require prolonged handling times. Alternatively, bioelectrical impedance analysis (B
Authors
Anthony M. Pagano, Karyn D. Rode, Stephen N. Atkinson
Tectonic evolution of the Central Andean Plateau and implications for the growth of plateaus
Current end-member models for the geodynamic evolution of orogenic plateaus predict (a) slow and steady rise during crustal shortening and ablative subduction (i.e., continuous removal) of the lower lithosphere or (b) rapid surface uplift following shortening, which is associated with punctuated removal of dense lower lithosphere and/or lower crustal flow. This review integrates results from recen
Authors
Carmala N. Garzione, Nadine McQuarrie, Nicholas D. Perez, Todd A. Ehlers, Susan L. Beck, Nandini Kar, Nathan Eichelberger, Alan D. Chapman, Kevin M. Ward, Mihai N. Ducea, Richard O. Lease, Christopher J. Poulsen, Lara S. Wagner, Joel E. Saylor, George Zandt, Brian K. Horton
Genomics of Arctic cod
The Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) is an abundant marine fish that plays a vital role in the marine food web. To better understand the population genetic structure and the role of natural selection acting on the maternally-inherited mitochondrial genome (mitogenome), a molecule often associated with adaptations to temperature, we analyzed genetic data collected from 11 biparentally-inherited nuclea
Authors
Robert E. Wilson, George K. Sage, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Megan C. Gravley, Damian M. Menning, Sandra L. Talbot
Possible behavioural, energetic and demographic effects of displacement of red-throated divers
This report comprises the main points of discussion and agreement during a workshop, held in Edinburgh in May 2017, to discuss how displacement might affect individuals and the Red-throated diver population; with additional information added by the scientists following the workshop.
Authors
Volker Dierschke, Robert W. Furness, Carrie E. Gray, Ib Krag Petersen, Joel A. Schmutz, Ramunas Zydelis, Francis Daunt
Normalized difference vegetation index as an estimator for abundance and quality of avian herbivore forage in arctic Alaska
Tools that can monitor biomass and nutritional quality of forage plants are needed to understand how arctic herbivores may respond to the rapidly changing environment at high latitudes. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) has been widely used to assess changes in abundance and distribution of terrestrial vegetative communities. However, the efficacy of NDVI to measure seasonal change
Authors
Kyle R. Hogrefe, Vijay P. Patil, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Brandt W. Meixell, Michael E. Budde, Jerry W. Hupp, David H. Ward
Genetic implications of bottleneck effects of differing severities on genetic diversity in naturally recovering populations: An example from Hawaiian coot and Hawaiian gallinule
The evolutionary trajectory of populations through time is influenced by the interplay of forces (biological, evolutionary, and anthropogenic) acting on the standing genetic variation. We used microsatellite and mitochondrial loci to examine the influence of population declines, of varying severity, on genetic diversity within two Hawaiian endemic waterbirds, the Hawaiian coot and Hawaiian gallinu
Authors
Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Robert E. Wilson, Jared G. Underwood
Vectors, hosts, and control measures for Zika virus in the Americas
We examine Zika virus (ZIKV) from an ecological perspective and with a focus on the Americas. We assess (1) the role of wildlife in ZIKV disease ecology, (2) how mosquito behavior and biology influence disease dynamics, and (3) how nontarget species and ecosystems may be impacted by vector control programs. Our review suggests that free-ranging, non-human primates may be involved in ZIKV transmiss
Authors
Sarah J. Thompson, John M. Pearce, Andrew M. Ramey