Publications
Publications from USGS science centers throughout the Southeast Region.
Filter Total Items: 9969
Novel ecological and climatic conditions drive rapid adaptation in invasive Florida Burmese pythons
Invasive species provide powerful in situ experimental systems for studying evolution in response to selective pressures in novel habitats. While research has shown that phenotypic evolution can occur rapidly in nature, few examples exist of genome‐wide adaptation on short ‘ecological’ timescales. Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) have become a successful and impactful invasive species i
Authors
Daren C. Card, Blair W. Perry, Richard H. Adams, Drew R. Schield, Acacia S. Young, Audra L. Andrew, Tereza Jezkova, Giulia I.M. Pasquesi, Nicole R. Hales, Matthew R. Walsh, Michael R. Rochford, Frank J. Mazzotti, Kristen M. Hart, Margaret Hunter, Todd A. Castoe
Potential responses of the Lower Missouri River Shovelnose Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) population to a commercial fishing ban
We developed an age‐structured population matrix model to perform population viability analysis for Lower Missouri River (LMR) shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus). We investigated potential effects of the commercial fishing moratorium put in place to help protect the similar‐appearing pallid sturgeon (S. albus). The model applies different components of total variance in life history
Authors
Nicholas S. Green, Mark L. Wildhaber, Janice L. Albers
Trends in nonindigenous aquatic species richness in the United States reveal shifting spatial and temporal patterns of species introductions
Understanding the spatial and temporal dynamics underlying the introduction and spread of nonindigenous aquatic species (NAS) can provide important insights into the historical drivers of biological invasions and aid in forecasting future patterns of nonindigenous species arrival and spread. Increasingly, public databases of species observation records are being used to quantify changes in NAS dis
Authors
Michael J. Mangiante, Amy J. S. Davis, Stephanie Panlasigui, Matthew E. Neilson, Ian Pfingsten, Pam Fuller, John A. Darling
Nearshore single-beam bathymetry data collected in 2015, Dauphin Island, Alabama
Dauphin Island, Alabama, is a barrier island located in the northern Gulf of Mexico that supports local residences, tourism, commercial infrastructure, and historic Fort Gaines. During the past decade, Dauphin Island was affected by several major hurricanes—Hurricanes Ivan (2004), Katrina (2005), and Isaac (2012)—and storms, along with sea-level rise, continue to present a threat to island stabili
Authors
Nancy T. DeWitt, Chelsea A. Stalk, James G. Flocks, Julie Bernier, Kyle W. Kelso, Jake J. Fredericks, Thomas M. Tuten
Field observations of alongshore runup variability under dissipative conditions in presence of a shoreline sandwave
Video measurements of runup were collected at low tide along several profiles covering an alongshore distance of 500 m. The morphology displayed a complex shape with a shoreline sandwave in the lower beach face of about 250 m long mirrored in the inner sandbar. Wave conditions were stationary and moderate (offshore height of 2 m and peak period of nearly 13 s) but yet dissipative. Runup energy was
Authors
Nadia Senechal, Giovanni Coco, Nathaniel G. Plant, Karin R. Bryan, Jennifer Brown, Jamie MacMahan
Distribution of mining-related trace elements in streambed and flood-plain sediment along the middle Big River and tributaries in the Southeast Missouri Barite District, 2012–15
Lead mining first began in the Big River watershed during the 1700s. Lead was the primary metal mined throughout most of the 1700s and early 1800s and it continued to be mined until the mid-1900s. Barite mining began in the middle part of the watershed in the mid- to late 1800s. Although considerable attention has been given to concentrations of miningrelated trace elements (mostly cadmium, lead,
Authors
David C. Smith, John G. Schumacher
Assessment of chronic low‐dose elemental and radiological exposures of biota at the Kanab North uranium mine site in the Grand Canyon watershed
High‐grade U ore deposits are in various stages of exploitation across the Grand Canyon watershed, yet the effects of U mining on ecological and cultural resources are largely unknown. We characterized the concentrations of Al, As, Bi, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Pb, Hg, Mo, Ni, Se, Ag, Tl, Th, U, and Zn, gross alpha and beta activities, and U and Th radioisotopes in soil, vegetation (Hesperostipa comata, Art
Authors
Danielle M. Cleveland, Jo Ellen Hinck, Julia S. Lankton
Thiamine deficiency in fishes: Causes, consequences, and potential solutions
Thiamine deficiency complex (TDC) is a disorder resulting from the inability to acquire or retain thiamine (vitamin B1) and has been documented in organisms in aquatic ecosystems ranging from the Baltic Sea to the Laurentian Great Lakes. The biological mechanisms leading to TDC emergence may vary among systems, but in fishes, one common outcome is high mortality among early life stages. Here, we r
Authors
Avril M. Harder, William R. Ardren, Allison N. Evans, Matthew H. Futia, Clifford E. Kraft, J. Ellen Marsden, Catherine A. Richter, Jacques Rinchard, Donald E. Tillitt, Mark R. Christie
Embryonic effects of an environmentally relevant PCB mixture in the domestic chicken
Studies were conducted to develop methods to assess the effects of a complex mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the domestic chicken (Gallus domesticus). Treatments were administered by egg injection to compare embryonic effects of an environmentally relevant PCB congener mixture in the domestic chicken over a range of doses. Chicken eggs were injected with the PCB mixture with a profi
Authors
Mary Ann Ottinger, Emma T. Lavoie, Mary E. B. Bohannon, Allegra M. Marcel, Anna E. Tschiffely, Kara B. Duffy, Moira A. McKernan, Nichola Thompson, H. Kasen Whitehouse, Kimya Davani, Marci Strauss, Donald E. Tillitt, Joshua Lipton, Karen M. Dean
Chronic toxicity of 4-nonylphenol to two unionid mussels in water-only exposures
Limited studies indicate that mussels are generally insensitive to organic chemicals; however, these studies were conducted in acute or short-term exposures, and little is known about the chronic sensitivity of mussels to organic chemicals. We evaluated the chronic (28 days) toxicity of 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) to two commonly tested species of mussels: fatmucket (Lampsilis siliquoidea) and rainbow mu
Authors
Chris D. Ivey, Ning Wang, David Alvarez, Edward J. Hammer, Candice R. Bauer
2018 hurricane and wildfire supplemental funding: USGS recovery activities
The Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-123), was signed by the President on February 9, 2018. This funding provided $42.2 million to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for equipment repair and replacement, high-resolution elevation data collection in both hurricane- and wildfire-impacted areas, and scientific studies and assessments that will
Authors
Jo Ellen Hinck, Joseph Stachyra
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities, Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, Wildland Fire Science
Informing research priorities for immature sea turtles through expert elicitation
Although sea turtles have received substantial focus worldwide, research on the immature life stages is still relatively limited. The latter is of particular importance, given that a large proportion of sea turtle populations comprises immature individuals. We set out to identify knowledge gaps and identify the main barriers hindering research in this field. We analyzed the perceptions of sea turt
Authors
Natalie E. Wildermann, Christian Gredzens, Larisa Avens, Hector A. Barrios-Garrido, Ian Bell, Janice Blumenthal, Alan B. Bolten, Joanne Braun McNeill, Paolo Casale, Maikon Di Domenico, Camila A. Domit, Sheryan P. Epperly, Matthew H. Godfrey, Brendan J. Godley, Victoria González-Carman, Mark Hamann, Kristen M. Hart, Takashi Ishihara, Kate Mansfield, Tasha L. Metz, Jeffrey D. Miller, Nicolas J. Pilcher, Mark A. Read, Christopher Sasso, Jeffrey A. Seminoff, Erin E. Seney, Amanda Southwood Williard, Jesús Tomás, Gabriela M. Vélez-Rubio, Matthew Ware, Jessica L. Williams, Jeanette Wyneken, Mariana M. P. B. Fuentes