Publications
Read publications and other informational products to learn more about USGS science occurring in the Mississippi Basin.
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Genetic connectivity of the West Indian manatee in the southern range and limited evidence of hybridization with Amazonian manatees Genetic connectivity of the West Indian manatee in the southern range and limited evidence of hybridization with Amazonian manatees
The Antillean subspecies of the West Indian manatee is classified as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. In Brazil, the manatee population is listed as endangered with an estimated population size of 500–1,000. Historic hunting, recent habitat degradation, and fisheries bycatch have decreased the population size. The Amazonian manatee is...
Authors
Fabia O. Luna, Caitlin Beaver, Coralie Nourisson, Robert Bonde, Fernanda L. N. Attademo, Adriana V. Miranda, Juan P. Torres-Florez, Glaucia P. de Sousa, Jose Z. Passavate, Margaret Hunter
Drivers of realized satellite tracking duration in marine turtles Drivers of realized satellite tracking duration in marine turtles
BackgroundSatellite tags have revolutionized our understanding of marine animal movements. However, tags may stop transmitting for many reasons and little research has rigorously examined tag failure. Using a long-term, large-scale, multi-species dataset, we evaluated factors influencing tracking duration of satellite tags to inform study design for future tracking studies.MethodsWe...
Authors
Kristen Hart, Jacquelyn C. Guzy, Brian J. Smith
Accelerometry to study fine-scale activity of invasive Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) in the wild Accelerometry to study fine-scale activity of invasive Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) in the wild
The establishment of Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) in Everglades National Park, Florida, USA, has been connected to a > 90% decline in the mesomammal population in the park and is a major threat to native reptile and bird populations. Efforts to control this population are underway, but are hampered by a lack of information about fine-scale activity cycles and ecology of these...
Authors
Nicholas M. Whitney, Connor F. White, Brian Smith, Michael Cherkiss, Frank J. Mazzotti, Kristen Hart
Precipitation-driven flood-inundation mapping of the Little Blue River at Grandview, Missouri Precipitation-driven flood-inundation mapping of the Little Blue River at Grandview, Missouri
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the City of Grandview, Missouri, assessed flooding of the Little Blue River at Grandview resulting from varying precipitation magnitudes and durations and expected land-cover changes. The precipitation scenarios were used to develop a library of flood-inundation maps that included a 3.5-mile reach of the Little Blue River and...
Authors
David C. Heimann, Jonathon D. Voss, Paul H. Rydlund
Genetic and morphological characterization of the freshwater mussel clubshell species complex (Pleurobema clava and Pleurobema oviforme) to inform conservation planning Genetic and morphological characterization of the freshwater mussel clubshell species complex (Pleurobema clava and Pleurobema oviforme) to inform conservation planning
The shell morphologies of the freshwater mussel species Pleurobema clava (federally endangered) and Pleurobema oviforme (species of concern) are similar, causing considerable taxonomic confusion between the two species over the last 100 years. While P. clava was historically widespread throughout the Ohio River basin and tributaries to the lower Laurentian Great Lakes, P. oviforme was...
Authors
Cheryl Morrison, Nathan A. Johnson, Jess W Jones, Michael S. Eackles, Aaron Aunins, Daniel Bruce Fitzgerald, Eric M. Hallerman, Timothy L. King
Diving and foraging behaviors Diving and foraging behaviors
Manatees and dugongs live in tropical and semi-tropical regions around the world. Their preferred habitats are seagrass beds, rivers, lakes, and estuaries. Manatees live in both freshwater and marine systems although habitat preferences vary across the three species, while the dugong is entirely marine. Sirenians are shallow water divers, and their dive durations are short compared to...
Authors
Lucy W Keith-Diagne, Margaret E Barlas, James P. Reid, Amanda J Hodgson, Helene Marsh
Improved wetland soil organic carbon stocks of the conterminous U.S. through data harmonization Improved wetland soil organic carbon stocks of the conterminous U.S. through data harmonization
Wetland soil stocks are important global repositories of carbon (C) but are difficult to quantify and model due to varying sampling protocols, and geomorphic/spatio-temporal discontinuity. Merging scales of soil-survey spatial extents with wetland-specific point-based data offers an explicit, empirical and updatable improvement for regional and continental scale soil C stock assessments...
Authors
Bergit Rose Uhran, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Norman B. Bliss, Amanda M. Nahlik, Eric T. Sundquist, Camille L. Stagg
Evaluating the effects of replacing septic systems with municipal sewers on groundwater quality in a densely developed coastal neighborhood, Falmouth, Massachusetts, 2016–19 Evaluating the effects of replacing septic systems with municipal sewers on groundwater quality in a densely developed coastal neighborhood, Falmouth, Massachusetts, 2016–19
Land disposal of sewage wastewater through septic systems and cesspools is a major cause of elevated concentrations of nitrogen in the shallow coastal aquifers of southern New England. The discharge of nitrogen from these sources at the coast is affecting the environmental health of coastal saltwater bodies. In response, local, State, and Federal agencies are considering expensive...
Authors
Timothy D. McCobb, Jeffrey R. Barbaro, Denis R. LeBlanc, Marcel Belaval
Council monitoring and assessment program (CMAP): Common monitoring program attributes and methodologies for the Gulf of Mexico Region Council monitoring and assessment program (CMAP): Common monitoring program attributes and methodologies for the Gulf of Mexico Region
Executive Summary Under the Resources and Ecosystem Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act), the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council or Council) is required to report on the progress of funded projects and programs. Systematic monitoring of restoration at the project-specific and programmatic...
Authors
Julie Bosch, Heidi B Burkart, Bogdan Chivoiu, Randy Clark, Chris Clement, Nicholas Enwright, Steve Giordano, Chris Jeffrey, Ed Johnson, Rheannon Hart, Sarah D Hile, Jacob S Howell, Claudia Laurenzano, Michael Lee, Terrance McCloskey, Terry McTigue, Michelle B Meyers, Katie E Miller, Scott Mize, Mark E. Monaco, Kevin Owen, Richard Rebich, Samuel H. Rendon, Ali Robertson, Thomas Sample, Kelly Marie Sanks, Gregory Steyer, Kevin Suir, Christopher M. Swarzenski, Hana Rose Thurman
Biology characterization breakout report Biology characterization breakout report
The primary goal of the biology characterization breakout group was to identify the strategies, tools, data priorities, and key partnerships needed to conduct baseline biological characterizations of deep-sea benthic environments across the U.S. EEZ in the Pacific. Discussions focused primarily on priorities for the characterization of deep-water (>200-meter depths) benthic biological...
Authors
Amanda Demopoulos, Daniel Wagner, Amy Baco-Taylor, David Itano, Diva Amon, Erik E. Cordes, Lisa Levin, Peter H. Edwards, Randall Kosaki, Shirley Pomponi, Steve Gittings
Biological and practical tradeoffs in planting techniques for submerged aquatic vegetation Biological and practical tradeoffs in planting techniques for submerged aquatic vegetation
Global loss of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and associated ecosystem function has prompted an interest in SAV revegetation, particularly where underlying stressors such as nutrient enrichment are mitigated, yet natural recruitment remains low. Typically, SAV is hand-planted, but alternative reliable and practically scalable SAV planting techniques are needed. In mesocosms, we...
Authors
C.B. Rohal, L.K. Reynolds, C.R. Adams, C.W. Martin, E. Latimer, Stephen Walsh, J. Slater
Introduction of the Oriental Weatherfish, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Cantor, 1842) in the United States Introduction of the Oriental Weatherfish, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Cantor, 1842) in the United States
Although this fish had been present in the then United States (US) territory of Hawaii since the late 19th century, a growing number of collections in the contiguous US over a century later in the 2000s is noteworthy. The Oriental Weatherfish, also often referred to as the weather loach or dojo, is native to eastern Asia from Siberia to Vietnam thus covering a wide climatic range from...
Authors
Amy J. Benson