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Publications

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

Filter Total Items: 16783

Occurrence and spatiotemporal dynamics of pharmaceuticals in a temperate-region wastewater effluent-dominated stream: Variable inputs and differential attenuation yield evolving complex exposure mixtures

Effluent-dominated streams are becoming increasingly common in temperate regions and generate complex pharmaceutical mixture exposure conditions that may impact aquatic organisms via drug–drug interactions. Here, we quantified spatiotemporal pharmaceutical exposure concentrations and composition mixture dynamics during baseflow conditions at four sites in a temperate-region effluent-dominated stre
Authors
Hui Zhi, Dana W. Kolpin, R. D. Klaper, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Shannon M. Meppelink, Gregory H. LeFevre

Modeling occupancy of rare stream fish species in the upper Cumberland and Kentucky River Basins

Biological conservation often requires an understanding of how environmental conditions affect species occurrence and detection probabilities. We used a hierarchical framework to evaluate these effects for several Appalachian stream fish species of conservation concern: Chrosomus cumberlandensis (BSD; blackside dace), Etheostoma sagitta (CAD; Cumberland arrow darter), and Etheostoma spilotum (KAD;
Authors
Nathaniel P. Hitt, Karli M. Rogers, Karmann Kessler, Hannah E. Macmillan

Seasonality of acarological risk of exposure to Borrelia miyamotoi from questing life stages of Ixodes scapularis collected from Wisconsin and Massachusetts, USA

Measures of acarological risk of exposure to Ixodes scapularis-borne disease agents typically focus on nymphs; however, the relapsing fever group spirochete, Borrelia miyamotoi can be transmitted transovarially, and I. scapularis larvae are capable of transmitting B. miyamotoi to their hosts. To quantify the larval contribution to acarological risk, relative to nymphs and adults, we collected ques
Authors
Seungeun Han, Graham J. Hickling, Nicholas H. Ogden, Howard S. Ginsberg, Vishvapali Kobbekaduwa, Eric L. Rulison, Lorenza Beati, Jean I. Tsao

Endocrine and physiological responses of hatchling American kestrels (Falco sparverius) following embryonic exposure to technical short-chain chlorinated paraffins (C10-13)

Short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are complex mixtures of polychlorinated n-alkanes, shown to bioaccumulate but with unknown effects in wild birds. The present study examined development-related effects of SCCPs on captive American kestrels (Falco sparverius) treated in ovo on embryonic day (ED) 5 by injection with technical Chloroparaffin® (C10-13, 55.5% Cl) at environmentally relevant no
Authors
Kim J. Fernie, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier, R. J. Letcher, Sandra L. Schultz, L. E. Peters, V. Palace, Paula F. P. Henry

How and why is the timing and occurrence of seasonal migrants in the Gulf of Maine changing due to climate?

Plants and animals undergo certain recurring life-cycle events, such as migrations between summer and winter habitats or the annual blooming of plants. Known as phenology, the timing of these events is very sensitive to changes in climate (and changes in one species’ phenology can impact entire food webs and ecosystems). Shifts in phenology have been described as a “fingerprint” of the temporal an
Authors
Adrian Jordaan, Daniel Pendleton, Chris Sutherland, Michelle Staudinger

How plants influence resilience of salt marsh and mangrove wetlands to sea-level rise

This review evaluates the importance of plants and associated biological processes in determining the vulnerability of coastal wetlands to sea-level rise. Coastal wetlands occur across a broad sedimentary continuum from minerogenic to biogenic, providing an opportunity to examine the relative importance of biological processes in wetland resilience to sea-level rise. We explore how plants influenc
Authors
Donald R. Cahoon, Karen L. McKee, James Morris

Modeling the spatial dynamics of marsh ponds in New England salt marshes

Ponds are common features on salt marshes, yet it is unclear how they affect large-scale marsh evolution. We developed a spatially explicit model that combines cellular automata for pond formation, expansion, and drainage, and partial differential equations for elevation dynamics. We use the mesotidal Barnstable marsh (MA, USA) as a case study, for which we measured pond expansion rate by remote s
Authors
G. Mariotti, A. Spivak, S.Y. Luk, G. Ceccherini, M. Tyrrell, Meagan Gonneea Eagle

A manipulative thermal challenge protocol for adult salmonids in remote field settings

Manipulative experiments provide stronger evidence for identifying cause-and-effect relationships than correlative studies, but protocols for implementing temperature manipulations are lacking for large species in remote settings. We developed an experimental protocol for holding adult Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and exposing them to elevated temperature treatments. The goal of the e
Authors
Daniel S. Donnelly, Vanessa R. von Biela, Stephen D. McCormick, Sarah M. Laske, Michael P. Carey, Shannon C. Waters, Lizabeth Bowen, Randy J Brown, Sean Larson, Christian E. Zimmerman

Comparison of anadromous and landlocked Atlantic salmon genomes reveals signatures of parallel and relaxed selection across the northern hemisphere

Most Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) populations follow an anadromous life cycle, spending early life in freshwater, migrating to the sea for feeding and returning to rivers to spawn. At the end of the last ice age ~10,000 years ago, several populations of Atlantic salmon became landlocked. Comparing their genomes to their anadromous counterparts can help identify genetic variation related to eit
Authors
Erik Kjaerner-Semb, Rolf B Edvardsen, Fernando Ayllon, Petra Vogelsang, Tomasz Furmanek, Carl Johan Rubin, Alexey E. Vaselov, Tom Ole Nilsen, Stephen D. McCormick, Craig R Primmer, Anna Wargelius

Transcriptomic response to elevated water temperatures in adult migrating Yukon River Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) declines are widespread and may be attributed, at least in part, to warming river temperatures. Water temperatures in the Yukon River and tributaries often exceed 18°C, a threshold commonly associated with heat stress and elevated mortality in Pacific salmon. Untangling the complex web of direct and indirect physiological effects of heat stress on salmon i
Authors
Lizabeth Bowen, Vanessa R. von Biela, Stephen D. McCormick, Amy M. Regish, Shannon C. Waters, Blythe Durbin-Johnson, Monica Britton, Matt Settles, Daniel S. Donnelly, Sarah M. Laske, Michael P. Carey, Randy J Brown, Christian E. Zimmerman

Habitat use by tiger prey in Thailand’s Western Forest Complex: What will it take to fill a half-full tiger landscape?

Tiger populations are declining globally, and depletion of major ungulate prey is an important contributing factor. To better understand factors affecting prey distribution in Thailand’s Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM), we conducted sign surveys for gaur (Bos gaurus), banteng (Bos javanicus), and sambar (Rusa unicolor) along 3517 1-km transects and used occupancy models to identify important covar
Authors
Pornkamol Jornburom, Somphot Duangchantrasiri, Sitthichai Jinamoy, Anak Pattanavibool, James E. Hines, Todd W. Arnold, John Fieberg, James L D Smith

Coastal marsh degradation into ponds induces irreversible elevation loss relative to sea level

Coastal marshes and their valuable ecosystem services are feared to be lost by sea level rise, yet the mechanisms of marsh degradation into ponds and potential recovery are poorly understood. We quantified and analyzed elevations of marsh surfaces and pond bottoms along a marsh loss gradient (Blackwater River, Maryland, USA). Our analyses show that ponds deepen with increasing tidal channel width
Authors
Lennert Schepers, Patrick Brennand, Matthew L. Kirwan, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Stijn Temmerman