Publications
At the Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC), we strive to provide world-class science to inform natural resource decisions that preserve and enhance our quality of life. Our team conducts a wide array of research to address the science needs of our partners.
Use the map above or the search bar below to find EESC publications by year, location, author or keyword.
Filter Total Items: 11080
Multi-model comparison of salt marsh longevity under relative sea-level rise Multi-model comparison of salt marsh longevity under relative sea-level rise
Understanding salt marsh resilience under increasing sea levels can inform for management decisions. We compared temporal projections from various wetland process-based models and a geospatially derived metric (i.e., marsh lifespan) to understand key considerations and uncertainties about salt marsh resilience when using these products for decision-making. The influences of lidar...
Authors
Melinda Martinez, Kevin Buffington, Neil K. Ganju, Zafer Defne, Kate Ackerman, Karen M. Thorne, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Joel A. Carr
U.S. Geological Survey Pollinator Science Strategy, 2025–35—A Review and Look Forward U.S. Geological Survey Pollinator Science Strategy, 2025–35—A Review and Look Forward
This “U.S. Geological Survey Pollinator Science Strategy, 2025–35—A Review and Look Forward” (“Pollinator Science Strategy”) describes the science vision of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to support management, conservation, and policy decisions on animal pollinators and their habitats. As the science arm of the Department of the Interior (DOI), the USGS has a primary role in...
Authors
Clint R.V. Otto, Tabitha A. Graves, Desi Robertson-Thompson, Ian Pearse, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Caroline Murphy, Lisa Webb, Sam Droege, Melanie Steinkamp, Ralph Grundel
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Fort Collins Science Center, Great Lakes Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center, National Geospatial Technical Operations Center
U.S. Geological Survey science strategy to address highly pathogenic avian influenza and its effects on wildlife health 2025–29 U.S. Geological Survey science strategy to address highly pathogenic avian influenza and its effects on wildlife health 2025–29
Executive SummaryHighly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is an ecologically and economically important animal disease that can also directly affect humans (a “zoonotic” disease). HPAI was once limited almost exclusively to domestic poultry but has rapidly adapted to diverse animal hosts. Viruses causing HPAI now appear to be maintained and dispersed by wild birds largely independent of...
Authors
Andrew M. Ramey, Diann J. Prosser, Laura E. Hubbard, Guelaguetza Vazquez-Meves, Amy George, M. Camille Hopkins
A multistate capture-recapture model to estimate reproduction of North Atlantic right whales A multistate capture-recapture model to estimate reproduction of North Atlantic right whales
The recent steep decline of the endangered North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena glacialis can be attributed to high mortality combined with low reproduction. While the former is a clear result of anthropogenic activity, the latter involves more complexity. Evidence suggests that both short-term fluctuations in prey availability and long-term decline in health are responsible for...
Authors
Daniel W. Linden, Richard M Pace, Lance P. Garrison, Jeffrey A. Hostetler, Amy R. Knowlton, Veronique Lesage, Robert A. Williams, Michael C. Runge
Fomites could determine severity of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in low-density white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations Fomites could determine severity of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in low-density white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations
The establishment of a reservoir species for zoonotic diseases is concerning for both animal and human health. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2, the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, has been detected in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the United States. Since its initial detection, various studies have documented circulation and...
Authors
Elias Rosenblatt, Jonathan D. Cook, Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Michael C. Runge, Brittany Mosher
Combining acoustic telemetry and side-scan sonar to estimate abundance of endangered shortnose sturgeon in the Hudson River, New York Combining acoustic telemetry and side-scan sonar to estimate abundance of endangered shortnose sturgeon in the Hudson River, New York
For endangered shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum), the ability to estimate and monitor population size is critical for tracking species’ recovery. Yet, contemporary abundance estimates have not been completed for many shortnose sturgeon populations, largely owing to the difficulty in using traditional abundance estimators for sturgeons. Here, we estimate the adult shortnose...
Authors
Amanda Higgs, Shannon L. White, John Madsen, David C. Kazyak, Dewayne Fox, Richard Pendleton, Adam Bonemery, Tomasz Smolinski, Amanda Simmonds, Patrick Sullivan
Cultivating reciprocity and supporting Indigenous lifeways through the cultural transformation of natural resource management in North America Cultivating reciprocity and supporting Indigenous lifeways through the cultural transformation of natural resource management in North America
Recent decades have seen increasing calls for implementing Indigenous Knowledges (IK) in natural resource management (NRM). However, efforts have been limited by the cultural incommensurabilities between (1) NRM institutions, which are rooted in worldviews that prioritize extraction for dominant cultures and assume dominance over nature and (2) Indigenous worldviews that prioritize...
Authors
Jonathan Fisk, Richard E.W. Berl, Jonathan W. Long, Jacobs. Lara, Lily van Eeden, Melinda Adams, Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares, Jazmin Murphy, Michael C. Gavin, Chris K Williams, Jonathan Salerno, Bas Verschuuren, Nathan Bennett, Rodrigue Idohou, Alexander Mawyer
Independent and interactive effects of disease and methylmercury on demographic rates across multiple amphibian populations Independent and interactive effects of disease and methylmercury on demographic rates across multiple amphibian populations
Disease, alone or combined with other stressors such as habitat loss and contaminants, affects wildlife populations worldwide. However, interactions among stressors and how they affect demography and populations remain poorly understood. The amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis; Bd) is a sometimes-lethal pathogen linked with population declines and extirpations of...
Authors
Morgan P. Kain, Blake R. Hossack, Kelly Smalling, Brian J. Halstead, Daniel A. Grear, David A. Miller, Michael J. Adams, Adam R. Backlin, William Barichivich, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Colleen Emery, Jillian Elizabeth Fleming, Robert N. Fisher, Elizabeth Gallegos, Duoa J. Lor, Patrick M. Kleeman, Erin L. Muths, Ty Pan, Christopher Pearl, Charles W. Robinson, Caitlin Teresa Rumrill, Brian J. Tornabene, J. Hardin Waddle, Susan Walls, Evan H. Campbell Grant
Observation of unusual neonate-clustering behavior on maternal Cambarus chasmodactylus (New River Crayfish) after molting Observation of unusual neonate-clustering behavior on maternal Cambarus chasmodactylus (New River Crayfish) after molting
Cambarus chasmodactylus (New River Crayfish) is one of the largest crayfish species occurring in the Appalachian Mountains and occupies a niche similar to several highly imperiled crayfishes within the same region. While conducting a controlled mesocosm study assessing the impacts of contaminants on crayfish growth, development, and reproductive status, we recorded an observation where...
Authors
Anna Marie Welsh, Zachary J. Loughman, Zackary A. Graham, Paula F.P. Henry
Bridging social and ecological science to create spatially-explicit models of human-caused mortality of carnivores Bridging social and ecological science to create spatially-explicit models of human-caused mortality of carnivores
Research indicates that human-caused mortality (HCM) is a key factor limiting numerous large carnivore populations. However, efforts to represent HCM in spatially explicit models have generally been limited in scope—often relying on proxies, such as road or human density. Yet such efforts fail to distinguish different sources of HCM, which can arise from different antecedent processes...
Authors
Jeremy T. Bruskotter, Neil H. Carter, Richard E.W. Berl, Joseph W. Hinton, Jazmin Murphy, L. Mark Elbroch, John A. Vucetich
Stressor-driven changes in freshwater biological indicators inform spatial management strategies using expert knowledge, observational data, and hierarchical models Stressor-driven changes in freshwater biological indicators inform spatial management strategies using expert knowledge, observational data, and hierarchical models
Stream ecosystems face continuous pressures from multiple anthropogenic stressors that reshape biological communities and impact ecosystem health and services. Managers can encounter challenges in stewarding ecosystems threatened by multiple stressors, in part because most multiple stressor studies are experimental and, while valuable, offer limited management relevance in targeting...
Authors
Sean Cassian Emmons, Matthew J. Cashman, Rosemary M. Fanelli, Greg Pond, Gregory Noe, Taylor E Woods, Kelly O. Maloney
Development of species-specific primers for the identification of Atlantic and shortnose sturgeons Development of species-specific primers for the identification of Atlantic and shortnose sturgeons
Atlantic (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) and shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) are broadly distributed along the Atlantic Coast of North America, where they use rivers, estuaries, and coastal habitats. In order to support management under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, it is important to understand when and where these fish occur. However, this presents a challenge as the...
Authors
Miluska Olivera Hyde, David C. Kazyak