A. Keith Miles (Former Employee)
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 111
Mercury in birds of San Francisco Bay-Delta, California: trophic pathways, bioaccumulation, and ecotoxicological risk to avian reproduction
San Francisco Bay Estuary in northern California has a legacy of mercury contamination, which could reduce the health and reproductive success of waterbirds in the estuary. The goal of this study was to use an integrated field and laboratory approach to evaluate the risks of mercury exposure to birds in the estuary. We examined mercury bioaccumulation, and other contaminants of concern, in five wa
Authors
Joshua T. Ackerman, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Gary Heinz, Susan E.W. De La Cruz, John Y. Takekawa, A. Keith Miles, Terrence L. Adelsbach, Mark P. Herzog, Jill D. Bluso-Demers, Scott A. Demers, Garth Herring, David J. Hoffman, Christopher A. Hartman, James J. Willacker, Thomas H. Suchanek, Steven E. Schwarzbach, Thomas C. Maurer
Climatic and density influences on recruitment in an irruptive population of Roosevelt elk
Current paradigms of ungulate population ecology recognize that density-dependent and independent mechanisms are not always mutually exclusive. Long-term data sets are necessary to assess the relative strength of each mechanism, especially when populations display irruptive dynamics. Using an 18-year time series of population abundances of Roosevelt elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) inhabiting Redwo
Authors
Heath D. Starns, Mark A. Ricca, Adam Duarte, Floyd W. Weckerly
Irruptive dynamics of introduced caribou on Adak Island, Alaska: an evaluation of Riney-Caughley model predictions
Large mammalian herbivores introduced to islands without predators are predicted to undergo irruptive population and spatial dynamics, but only a few well-documented case studies support this paradigm. We used the Riney-Caughley model as a framework to test predictions of irruptive population growth and spatial expansion of caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) introduced to Adak Island in the Aleuti
Authors
Mark A. Ricca, Dirk H. Van Vuren, Floyd W. Weckerly, Jeffrey C. Williams, A. Keith Miles
Effects of wildfire on sea otter (Enhydra lutris) gene transcript profiles
Wildfires have been shown to impact terrestrial species over a range of temporal scales. Little is known, however, about the more subtle toxicological effects of wildfires, particularly in downstream marine or downwind locations from the wildfire perimeter. These down-current effects may be just as substantial as those effects within the perimeter. We used gene transcription technology, a sensitiv
Authors
Lizabeth Bowen, A. Keith Miles, Crystal A. Kolden, Justin A. Saarinen, James L. Bodkin, Michael J. Murray, M. Tim Tinker
Effects of wetland management on carrying capacity of diving ducks and shorebirds in a coastal estuary
With global loss of natural wetlands, managed wetlands increasingly support energy requirements for wintering shorebirds and waterfowl. Despite numerous studies of avian bioenergetics in freshwater systems, less is known of the energetic capacity of estuarine systems. In San Francisco Bay, managed saline ponds converted from former commercial salt evaporation ponds form part of the largest wetland
Authors
L. Arriana Brand, John Y. Takekawa, Joel Shinn, Tanya Graham, Kevin Buffington, K. Benjamin Gustafson, Lacy M. Smith, Sarah E. Spring, A. Keith Miles
2013 update on sea otter studies to assess recovery from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, Prince William Sound, Alaska
On March 24, 1989, the tanker vessel Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, Alaska, spilling an estimated 42 million liters of Prudhoe Bay crude oil. Oil spread in a southwesterly direction and was deposited on shores and waters in western Prince William Sound (WPWS). The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) was one of more than 20 nearshore species considered to have been injured by the spill. S
Authors
Brenda E. Ballachey, Daniel H. Monson, George G. Esslinger, Kimberly A. Kloecker, James L. Bodkin, Lizabeth Bowen, A. Keith Miles
Resource selection and space use by sea ducks during the non-breeding season: Implications for habitat conservation planning in urbanized estuaries
Wide-ranging marine birds rely on multiple habitats for wintering, breeding, and migrating, and their conservation may be dependent on protecting networks of key areas. Urbanized estuaries are critical wintering and stopover areas for many declining sea ducks in North America; however, conservation measures within estuaries are difficult to establish given lack of knowledge about habitat use by th
Authors
Susan E. W. De La Cruz, John M. Eadie, A. Keith Miles, Julie Yee, Kyle A. Spragens, Eric C. Palm, John Y. Takekawa
Chronic hydrocarbon exposure of harlequin ducks in areas affected by the Selendang Ayu oil spill at Unalaska Island, Alaska
We evaluated chronic exposure of harlequin ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) to hydrocarbons associated with the 2004 M/V Selendang Ayu oil spill at Unalaska Island, Alaska. We measured levels of hepatic 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity (EROD) in liver biopsy samples as an indicator of hydrocarbon exposure in three oiled bays and one reference bay in 2005, 2006, and 2008. Median EROD activi
Authors
Paul L. Flint, J.L. Schamber, K.A. Trust, A.K. Miles, J.D. Henderson, B.W. Wilson
Variations of transcript profiles between sea otters Enhydra lutris from Prince William Sound, Alaska, and clinically normal reference otters
Development of blood leukocyte gene transcript profiles has the potential to expand condition assessments beyond those currently available to evaluate wildlife health, including sea otters Enhydra lutris, both individually and as populations. The 10 genes targeted in our study represent multiple physiological systems that play a role in immuno-modulation, inflammation, cell protection, tumor suppr
Authors
A. Keith Miles, Lizabeth Bowen, Brenda E. Ballachey, James L. Bodkin, M. Murray, J.L. Estes, Robin A. Keister, J.L. Stott
Gene transcription in sea otters (Enhydra lutris); development of a diagnostic tool for sea otter and ecosystem health
Gene transcription analysis for diagnosing or monitoring wildlife health requires the ability to distinguish pathophysiological change from natural variation. Herein, we describe methodology for the development of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays to measure differential transcript levels of multiple immune function genes in the sea otter (Enhydra lutris); sea otter-sp
Authors
Lizabeth Bowen, A. Keith Miles, Michael Murray, Martin Haulena, Judy Tuttle, William van Bonn, Lance Adams, James L. Bodkin, Brenda E. Ballachey, James A. Estes, M. Tim Tinker, Robin Keister, Jeffrey L. Stott
Effects of fire on spotted owl site occupancy in a late-successional forest
The spotted owl (Strix occidentalis) is a late-successional forest dependent species that is sensitive to forest management practices throughout its range. An increase in the frequency and spatial extent of stand-replacing fires in western North America has prompted concern for the persistence of spotted owls and other sensitive late-successional forest associated species. However, there is sparse
Authors
Susan L. Roberts, Jan W. van Wagtendonk, A. Keith Miles, Douglas A. Kelt
Cytochrome P4501A biomarker indication of the timeline of chronic exposure of Barrow’s goldeneyes to residual Exxon Valdez oil
We examined hepatic EROD activity, as an indicator of CYP1A induction, in Barrow’s goldeneyes captured in areas oiled during the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill and those from nearby unoiled areas. We found that average EROD activity differed between areas during 2005, although the magnitude of the difference was reduced relative to a previous study from 1996/1997, and we found that areas did not differ b
Authors
Daniel Esler, Brenda E. Ballachey, Kimberly A. Trust, Samuel A. Iverson, John A. Reed, A. Keith Miles, John D. Henderson, Bruce R. Woodin, John J. Stegeman, Malcolm McAdie, Daniel M. Mulcahy, Barry W. Wilson
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 111
Mercury in birds of San Francisco Bay-Delta, California: trophic pathways, bioaccumulation, and ecotoxicological risk to avian reproduction
San Francisco Bay Estuary in northern California has a legacy of mercury contamination, which could reduce the health and reproductive success of waterbirds in the estuary. The goal of this study was to use an integrated field and laboratory approach to evaluate the risks of mercury exposure to birds in the estuary. We examined mercury bioaccumulation, and other contaminants of concern, in five wa
Authors
Joshua T. Ackerman, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Gary Heinz, Susan E.W. De La Cruz, John Y. Takekawa, A. Keith Miles, Terrence L. Adelsbach, Mark P. Herzog, Jill D. Bluso-Demers, Scott A. Demers, Garth Herring, David J. Hoffman, Christopher A. Hartman, James J. Willacker, Thomas H. Suchanek, Steven E. Schwarzbach, Thomas C. Maurer
Climatic and density influences on recruitment in an irruptive population of Roosevelt elk
Current paradigms of ungulate population ecology recognize that density-dependent and independent mechanisms are not always mutually exclusive. Long-term data sets are necessary to assess the relative strength of each mechanism, especially when populations display irruptive dynamics. Using an 18-year time series of population abundances of Roosevelt elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) inhabiting Redwo
Authors
Heath D. Starns, Mark A. Ricca, Adam Duarte, Floyd W. Weckerly
Irruptive dynamics of introduced caribou on Adak Island, Alaska: an evaluation of Riney-Caughley model predictions
Large mammalian herbivores introduced to islands without predators are predicted to undergo irruptive population and spatial dynamics, but only a few well-documented case studies support this paradigm. We used the Riney-Caughley model as a framework to test predictions of irruptive population growth and spatial expansion of caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) introduced to Adak Island in the Aleuti
Authors
Mark A. Ricca, Dirk H. Van Vuren, Floyd W. Weckerly, Jeffrey C. Williams, A. Keith Miles
Effects of wildfire on sea otter (Enhydra lutris) gene transcript profiles
Wildfires have been shown to impact terrestrial species over a range of temporal scales. Little is known, however, about the more subtle toxicological effects of wildfires, particularly in downstream marine or downwind locations from the wildfire perimeter. These down-current effects may be just as substantial as those effects within the perimeter. We used gene transcription technology, a sensitiv
Authors
Lizabeth Bowen, A. Keith Miles, Crystal A. Kolden, Justin A. Saarinen, James L. Bodkin, Michael J. Murray, M. Tim Tinker
Effects of wetland management on carrying capacity of diving ducks and shorebirds in a coastal estuary
With global loss of natural wetlands, managed wetlands increasingly support energy requirements for wintering shorebirds and waterfowl. Despite numerous studies of avian bioenergetics in freshwater systems, less is known of the energetic capacity of estuarine systems. In San Francisco Bay, managed saline ponds converted from former commercial salt evaporation ponds form part of the largest wetland
Authors
L. Arriana Brand, John Y. Takekawa, Joel Shinn, Tanya Graham, Kevin Buffington, K. Benjamin Gustafson, Lacy M. Smith, Sarah E. Spring, A. Keith Miles
2013 update on sea otter studies to assess recovery from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, Prince William Sound, Alaska
On March 24, 1989, the tanker vessel Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, Alaska, spilling an estimated 42 million liters of Prudhoe Bay crude oil. Oil spread in a southwesterly direction and was deposited on shores and waters in western Prince William Sound (WPWS). The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) was one of more than 20 nearshore species considered to have been injured by the spill. S
Authors
Brenda E. Ballachey, Daniel H. Monson, George G. Esslinger, Kimberly A. Kloecker, James L. Bodkin, Lizabeth Bowen, A. Keith Miles
Resource selection and space use by sea ducks during the non-breeding season: Implications for habitat conservation planning in urbanized estuaries
Wide-ranging marine birds rely on multiple habitats for wintering, breeding, and migrating, and their conservation may be dependent on protecting networks of key areas. Urbanized estuaries are critical wintering and stopover areas for many declining sea ducks in North America; however, conservation measures within estuaries are difficult to establish given lack of knowledge about habitat use by th
Authors
Susan E. W. De La Cruz, John M. Eadie, A. Keith Miles, Julie Yee, Kyle A. Spragens, Eric C. Palm, John Y. Takekawa
Chronic hydrocarbon exposure of harlequin ducks in areas affected by the Selendang Ayu oil spill at Unalaska Island, Alaska
We evaluated chronic exposure of harlequin ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) to hydrocarbons associated with the 2004 M/V Selendang Ayu oil spill at Unalaska Island, Alaska. We measured levels of hepatic 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity (EROD) in liver biopsy samples as an indicator of hydrocarbon exposure in three oiled bays and one reference bay in 2005, 2006, and 2008. Median EROD activi
Authors
Paul L. Flint, J.L. Schamber, K.A. Trust, A.K. Miles, J.D. Henderson, B.W. Wilson
Variations of transcript profiles between sea otters Enhydra lutris from Prince William Sound, Alaska, and clinically normal reference otters
Development of blood leukocyte gene transcript profiles has the potential to expand condition assessments beyond those currently available to evaluate wildlife health, including sea otters Enhydra lutris, both individually and as populations. The 10 genes targeted in our study represent multiple physiological systems that play a role in immuno-modulation, inflammation, cell protection, tumor suppr
Authors
A. Keith Miles, Lizabeth Bowen, Brenda E. Ballachey, James L. Bodkin, M. Murray, J.L. Estes, Robin A. Keister, J.L. Stott
Gene transcription in sea otters (Enhydra lutris); development of a diagnostic tool for sea otter and ecosystem health
Gene transcription analysis for diagnosing or monitoring wildlife health requires the ability to distinguish pathophysiological change from natural variation. Herein, we describe methodology for the development of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays to measure differential transcript levels of multiple immune function genes in the sea otter (Enhydra lutris); sea otter-sp
Authors
Lizabeth Bowen, A. Keith Miles, Michael Murray, Martin Haulena, Judy Tuttle, William van Bonn, Lance Adams, James L. Bodkin, Brenda E. Ballachey, James A. Estes, M. Tim Tinker, Robin Keister, Jeffrey L. Stott
Effects of fire on spotted owl site occupancy in a late-successional forest
The spotted owl (Strix occidentalis) is a late-successional forest dependent species that is sensitive to forest management practices throughout its range. An increase in the frequency and spatial extent of stand-replacing fires in western North America has prompted concern for the persistence of spotted owls and other sensitive late-successional forest associated species. However, there is sparse
Authors
Susan L. Roberts, Jan W. van Wagtendonk, A. Keith Miles, Douglas A. Kelt
Cytochrome P4501A biomarker indication of the timeline of chronic exposure of Barrow’s goldeneyes to residual Exxon Valdez oil
We examined hepatic EROD activity, as an indicator of CYP1A induction, in Barrow’s goldeneyes captured in areas oiled during the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill and those from nearby unoiled areas. We found that average EROD activity differed between areas during 2005, although the magnitude of the difference was reduced relative to a previous study from 1996/1997, and we found that areas did not differ b
Authors
Daniel Esler, Brenda E. Ballachey, Kimberly A. Trust, Samuel A. Iverson, John A. Reed, A. Keith Miles, John D. Henderson, Bruce R. Woodin, John J. Stegeman, Malcolm McAdie, Daniel M. Mulcahy, Barry W. Wilson
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government