Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Publications

These publications showcase the significant science conducted in our Science Centers.

Filter Total Items: 16784

Simulated and observed 2010 floodwater elevations in selected river reaches in the Pawtuxet River Basin, Rhode Island

Heavy, persistent rains from late February through March 2010 caused severe flooding that set, or nearly set, peaks of record for streamflows and water levels at many long-term streamgages in Rhode Island. In response to this event, hydraulic models were updated for selected reaches covering about 56 river miles in the Pawtuxet River Basin to simulate water-surface elevations (WSEs) at specified f
Authors
Phillip J. Zarriello, Scott A. Olson, Robert H. Flynn, Kellan R. Strauch, Elizabeth A. Murphy

Evaluating CO2 and CH4 dynamics of Alaskan ecosystems during the Holocene Thermal Maximum

The Arctic has experienced much greater warming than the global average in recent decades due to polar amplification. Warming has induced ecological changes that have impacted climate carbon-cycle feedbacks, making it important to understand the climate and vegetation controls on carbon (C) dynamics. Here we used the Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM, 11–9 ka BP, 1 ka BP = 1000 cal yr before present)
Authors
Yujie He, Miriam C. Jones, Qianlai Zhuang, Christopher Bochicchio, B. S. Felzer, Erik Mason, Zicheng Yu

An investigation of the bactericidal activity of selected essential oils to Aeromonas spp.

Diseases of fishes caused by Aeromonas spp. are common, have broad host ranges and may cause high mortality. Treatments of captive-reared populations using antimicrobials are limited with concerns for bacterial resistance development and environmental dissemination. This study was done to determine whether selected plant-derived essential oils were bactericidal to Aeromonas spp. Initially, twelve
Authors
Clifford E. Starliper, H. George Ketola, Andrew D. Noyes, William B. Schill, Fred G. Henson, Marc A. Chalupnicki, Dawn E. Dittman

Inferences about population dynamics from count data using multi-state models: A comparison to capture-recapture approaches

Wildlife populations consist of individuals that contribute disproportionately to growth and viability. Understanding a population's spatial and temporal dynamics requires estimates of abundance and demographic rates that account for this heterogeneity. Estimating these quantities can be difficult, requiring years of intensive data collection. Often, this is accomplished through the capture and re
Authors
Evan H. Campbell Grant, Elise Zipkin, Sillett T. Scott, Richard Chandler, J. Andrew Royle

Transgenic zebrafish reveal tissue-specific differences in estrogen signaling in response to environmental water samples

Background: Environmental endocrine disruptors (EED) are exogenous chemicals that mimic endogenous hormones, such as estrogens. Previous studies using a zebrafish transgenic reporter demonstrated that the EEDs bisphenol A and genistein preferentially activate estrogen receptors (ER) in the larval heart compared to the liver. However, it was not known whether the transgenic zebrafish reporter was s
Authors
Daniel A. Gorelick, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Alice L. Hung, Vicki Blazer, Marnie E. Halpern

Streamflow, water quality, and constituent loads and yields, Scituate Reservoir drainage area, Rhode Island, water year 2012

Streamflow and concentrations of sodium and chloride estimated from records of specific conductance were used to calculate loads of sodium and chloride during water year (WY) 2012 (October 1, 2011, through September 30, 2012), for tributaries to the Scituate Reservoir, Rhode Island. Streamflow and water-quality data used in the study were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) or the Provi
Authors
Kirk P. Smith

In-situ sediment oxygen demand rates in Hammonton Creek, Hammonton, New Jersey, and Crosswicks Creek, near New Egypt, New Jersey, August-October 2009

Sediment oxygen demand rates were measured in Hammonton Creek, Hammonton, New Jersey, and Crosswicks Creek, near New Egypt, New Jersey, during August through October 2009. These rates were measured as part of an ongoing water-quality monitoring program being conducted in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Oxygen depletion rates were measured using in-situ test
Authors
Timothy P. Wilson

Island history affects faunal composition: the treeshrews (Mammalia: Scandentia: Tupaiidae) from the Mentawai and Batu Islands, Indonesia

The Mentawai and Batu Island groups off the west coast of Sumatra have a complicated geological and biogeographical history. The Batu Islands have shared a connection with the Sumatran ‘mainland’ during periods of lowered sea level, whereas the Mentawai Islands, despite being a similar distance from Sumatra, have remained isolated from Sumatra, and probably from the Batu Islands as well. These con
Authors
Eric J. Sargis, Neal Woodman, Natalie C. Morningstar, Aspen T. Reese, Link E. Olson

The lifecycle of silver in the United States in 2009

Because silver is highly sought after for its properties, which make it eminently suitable for new technology applications, a clear understanding of the flow of materials in the economy, the historical context, and trends for the future can help project the future of silver in the economy of the United States. Silver has many properties that are desired in today’s economy. It has superior electric
Authors
Thomas G. Goonan

Seabed fluid expulsion along the upper slope and outer shelf of the U.S. Atlantic continental margin

Identifying the spatial distribution of seabed fluid expulsion features is crucial for understanding the substrate plumbing system of any continental margin. A 1100 km stretch of the U.S. Atlantic margin contains more than 5000 pockmarks at water depths of 120 m (shelf edge) to 700 m (upper slope), mostly updip of the contemporary gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ). Advanced attribute analyses of h
Authors
D.S. Brothers, C. Ruppel, J.W. Kluesner, Uri S. ten Brink, J.D. Chaytor, J. C. Hill, B.D. Andrews, C. Flores

Utilizing thin-film solid-phase extraction to assess the effect of organic carbon amendments on the bioavailability of DDT and dieldrin to earthworms

Improved approaches are needed to assess bioavailability of hydrophobic organic compounds in contaminated soils. Performance of thin-film solid-phase extraction (TF-SPE) using vials coated with ethylene vinyl acetate was compared to earthworm bioassay (Lumbricus terrestris). A DDT and dieldrin contaminated soil was amended with four organic carbon materials to assess the change in bioavailability.
Authors
Natasha A. Andrade, Tiziana Centofanti, Laura L. McConnell, Cathleen J. Hapeman, Alba Torrents, Nguyen Anh, W. Nelson Beyer, Rufus L. Chaney, Jeffrey M. Novak, Marya O. Anderson, Keri B. Cantrell

Thresholds for conservation and management: structured decision making as a conceptual framework

A conceptual framework is provided for considering the threshold concept in natural resource management and conservation. We define three kinds of thresholds relevant to management and conservation. Ecological thresholds are values of system state variables at which small changes bring about substantial or specified changes in system dynamics. They are frequently incorporated into ecological model
Authors
James D. Nichols, Mitchell J. Eaton, Julien Martin