USGS NRDAR Experience and Expertise
USGS scientists conduct research and provide technical expertise, at the request of the NRDAR program, to determine the extent to which natural resources have been impaired as the result of hazardous substance releases and support restoration activities for the recovery of those resources.
To learn more about how USGS science can support the NRDAR program contact Jo Ellen Hinck, the USGS NRDAR Coordinator or reach out to the individuals below to learn more about their NRDAR experience and expertise.
Return to USGS Science for DOI Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Program
Chemical Characterization of Abiotic and Biotic Matrices
- Danielle Cleveland - inorganic chemistry
- Sarah Janssen -environmental mercury contamination
- David Alvarez - organic chemistry and passive samplers
- Erin Pulster - per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemistry

Toxicity Testing
- Bethany Kunz - amphibian toxicity testing
- David Soucek - sediment and invertebrate toxicity testing
- Jeff Steevens - sediment, invertebrate, and fish toxicity testing
Aquatic Injury Determination
- Vicki Blazer - intersex expertise
- Amanda Demopoulos - coral reef ecosystems expertise
- Teresa Newton - native freshwater mussel conservation
- Kristen Hart - sea turtle expertise
- Daniel Slone - manatee expertise
- Michael Randall - gulf sturgeon expertise
- Freya Rowland - Invertebrate and fish expertise
Histopathology Analysis
- Vicki Blazer - fish expertise
- Julia Lankton - vertebrate expertise

Avian Injury Determination
- Josh Ackerman - avian exposure to mercury
- Josh Adams – ecology and restoration of seabirds
- Susan De La Cruz - ecology and restoration of species along the Pacific and Central Flyways
- Thea Edwards - egg injection studies
- Daniel Esler - population biology and effects of oil spills
- Natalie Karouna-Renier - avian biomarker assays, egg injection studies
- Barbara Kus – ecology and restoration of endangered birds
- Barnett Rattner - d-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) for lead exposure
Habitat Assessments
- Brandon Sansom - engineering/geomorphology, mussel habitat assessment
Pathway Injury Determination
- Christopher Kotalik - aquatic-terrestrial contaminant linkages
- Johanna Kraus - aquatic-terrestrial contaminant linkages
- David Walters - aquatic-terrestrial contaminant linkages
Population Modeling
- Josh Ackerman - birds
- Blake Hossack- amphibians
- Wayne Thogmartin – birds
Restoration
- Brady Couvillion - submerged aquatic vegetation/coastal restoration
- Keith Grabner – grassland restoration
- James Flocks - barrier island restoration
- Katy Klymus - Environmental DNA as restoration tool
- Cathy Richter - Environmental DNA as restoration tool
- Matthew Struckhoff - vegetation surveys and UAS
Remote Sensing Methodology
- Raymond Kokaly - remote sensing and imaging spectroscopy
- Gregg Swayze - remote sensing and imaging spectroscopy
Subject Matter Experts
- Richard Erikson – statistics, population modeling
- Jo Ellen Hinck - uranium mining
- Chris Mebane - biotic ligand models
- Barnett Rattner - avian toxicology
- Erin Pulster - per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
Return to USGS Science for DOI Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Program
USGS scientists conduct research and provide technical expertise, at the request of the NRDAR program, to determine the extent to which natural resources have been impaired as the result of hazardous substance releases and support restoration activities for the recovery of those resources.
To learn more about how USGS science can support the NRDAR program contact Jo Ellen Hinck, the USGS NRDAR Coordinator or reach out to the individuals below to learn more about their NRDAR experience and expertise.
Return to USGS Science for DOI Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Program
Chemical Characterization of Abiotic and Biotic Matrices
- Danielle Cleveland - inorganic chemistry
- Sarah Janssen -environmental mercury contamination
- David Alvarez - organic chemistry and passive samplers
- Erin Pulster - per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemistry

Toxicity Testing
- Bethany Kunz - amphibian toxicity testing
- David Soucek - sediment and invertebrate toxicity testing
- Jeff Steevens - sediment, invertebrate, and fish toxicity testing
Aquatic Injury Determination
- Vicki Blazer - intersex expertise
- Amanda Demopoulos - coral reef ecosystems expertise
- Teresa Newton - native freshwater mussel conservation
- Kristen Hart - sea turtle expertise
- Daniel Slone - manatee expertise
- Michael Randall - gulf sturgeon expertise
- Freya Rowland - Invertebrate and fish expertise
Histopathology Analysis
- Vicki Blazer - fish expertise
- Julia Lankton - vertebrate expertise

Avian Injury Determination
- Josh Ackerman - avian exposure to mercury
- Josh Adams – ecology and restoration of seabirds
- Susan De La Cruz - ecology and restoration of species along the Pacific and Central Flyways
- Thea Edwards - egg injection studies
- Daniel Esler - population biology and effects of oil spills
- Natalie Karouna-Renier - avian biomarker assays, egg injection studies
- Barbara Kus – ecology and restoration of endangered birds
- Barnett Rattner - d-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) for lead exposure
Habitat Assessments
- Brandon Sansom - engineering/geomorphology, mussel habitat assessment
Pathway Injury Determination
- Christopher Kotalik - aquatic-terrestrial contaminant linkages
- Johanna Kraus - aquatic-terrestrial contaminant linkages
- David Walters - aquatic-terrestrial contaminant linkages
Population Modeling
- Josh Ackerman - birds
- Blake Hossack- amphibians
- Wayne Thogmartin – birds
Restoration
- Brady Couvillion - submerged aquatic vegetation/coastal restoration
- Keith Grabner – grassland restoration
- James Flocks - barrier island restoration
- Katy Klymus - Environmental DNA as restoration tool
- Cathy Richter - Environmental DNA as restoration tool
- Matthew Struckhoff - vegetation surveys and UAS
Remote Sensing Methodology
- Raymond Kokaly - remote sensing and imaging spectroscopy
- Gregg Swayze - remote sensing and imaging spectroscopy
Subject Matter Experts
- Richard Erikson – statistics, population modeling
- Jo Ellen Hinck - uranium mining
- Chris Mebane - biotic ligand models
- Barnett Rattner - avian toxicology
- Erin Pulster - per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
Return to USGS Science for DOI Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Program