Publications
Publications from USGS science centers throughout the Southeast Region.
Filter Total Items: 10350
Are behavioural ecotoxicity endpoints relevant at the population level? Evidence-based insights for environmental protection Are behavioural ecotoxicity endpoints relevant at the population level? Evidence-based insights for environmental protection
A substantial body of evidence exists demonstrating that exposure to environmental contaminants can alter animal behavior. Moreover, methodological and technological advancements, as well as increasing standardization, mean that behavioral ecotoxicity studies are more rigorous and reliable than ever before. Despite this, behavioral data are still seldom used in the risk assessment and...
Authors
Michael G. Bertram, Marlene Ågerstrand, Jack A. Brand, Bryan W. Brooks, ZhiChao Dang, Alex T. Ford, Henner Hollert, Matthew K. LeFauve, Jack L. Manera, Jake M. Martin, Marcus Michelangeli, Maria Moiron, Eleanor R. Moore, Holly J. Puglis, Andrew Sih, Jeffery A. Steevens, Eli S.J. Thoré, Bob B.M. Wong, Lauren Zink, Tomas Bodin
Shallow geologic framework of the Mississippi Sound and the potential for sediment resources Shallow geologic framework of the Mississippi Sound and the potential for sediment resources
The Mississippi Sound, an estuarine environment located between the mainland and barrier islands bordering the northern Gulf of America (formerly the Gulf of Mexico), serves as a vital ecosystem for the States of Mississippi and Alabama. Spanning approximately 100 kilometers from east to west and covering 1,400 square kilometers, the sound is home to marine industry and ports, and its...
Authors
James Flocks, Arnell Forde
Phytoplankton biomass dynamics in wet (2019) and dry (2023) years in Lake Pontchartrain estuary, Louisiana from Sentinel 2-MSI and PACE-OCI observations Phytoplankton biomass dynamics in wet (2019) and dry (2023) years in Lake Pontchartrain estuary, Louisiana from Sentinel 2-MSI and PACE-OCI observations
This study provides a comprehensive assessment of phytoplankton biomass dynamics in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, by combining monthly water quality data with multispectral and hyperspectral satellite observations using a machine learning algorithm. A machine learning model based on Variational Autoencoder (VAE), globally applicable, was used to estimate phytoplankton biomass via...
Authors
Shiwani Shrestha, Bingqing Liu, Jiang Li, Wei Huang, Melissa Millman Baustian, Eurico J. D'Sa, Sibel Bargu, Francesca Messina, Ioannis Y. Georgiou, Abhishek Kumar, Angelina Freeman, Scott Mize
Assessing streams in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to guide conservation and restoration activities Assessing streams in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to guide conservation and restoration activities
Freshwater streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are home to numerous aquatic organisms (like fish, amphibians, mussels, and insects) and provide drinking water and recreational opportunities to people living in or visiting the watershed. Land-use changes, such as urban development and increased activities in certain agricultural sectors, have degraded water quality and altered...
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, Rosemary M. Fanelli, Matthew J. Cashman, Lindsey J. Boyle, Stephanie E. Gordon, Benjamin P. Gressler, Michelle P. Katoski, Alexander H. Kiser, Marina J. Metes, Gregory E. Noe, Andrew J. Sekellick, Allison Sussman, John A. Young
Biologging to identify nesting and non-nesting emergences for four species of imperiled sea turtles Biologging to identify nesting and non-nesting emergences for four species of imperiled sea turtles
Quantifying sea turtle nesting behavior is essential for recovery planning and evaluating management actions. Traditional monitoring approaches, based on nest counts from beach surveys, can misclassify non-nesting emergences, obscure true fecundity, and underestimate clutch frequency, metrics that directly influence population models and regulatory decisions. Here, we demonstrate that...
Authors
Kristen Hart, Connor F. White, Donna J. Shaver, Margaret Lamont, Michael Cherkiss, Andrew G. Crowder, Nicholas M. Whitney
Early season tropical cyclones affect birds breeding on a barrier island Early season tropical cyclones affect birds breeding on a barrier island
Animal populations often experience acute natural disturbances, most of which are connected to short—term weather events. Occurrences of early—season tropical cyclones during the peak of the avian breeding season are likely to increase with climate change, which can substantially impact populations of coastal breeding birds at multiple scales. To understand the acute impacts of severe...
Authors
Theodore J. Zenzal, Amanda Nicole Anderson, Brock Geary, Jessica Schulz, Robert C. Dobbs, Wylie C. Barrow, Hardin Waddle
Simulation of groundwater flow in Wake County, North Carolina, 2000 through 2070 Simulation of groundwater flow in Wake County, North Carolina, 2000 through 2070
In 2019, the U.S. Geological Survey and Wake County Environmental Services began a collaborative study to evaluate groundwater resources and long-term groundwater availability in the county’s fractured-rock groundwater system. Wake County, in central North Carolina, is experiencing rapid population growth, associated land development, and changing water use. Hydrogeologic data including
Authors
Dominick J. Antolino, Gerard J. Gonthier, Georgina M. Sanchez
Projecting management-relevant change of undeveloped coastal barriers with the Mesoscale Explicit Ecogeomorphic Barrier model (MEEB) v1.0 Projecting management-relevant change of undeveloped coastal barriers with the Mesoscale Explicit Ecogeomorphic Barrier model (MEEB) v1.0
Models of coastal barrier geomorphic and ecologic change are valuable tools for understanding and predicting when, where, and how barriers evolve and transition between ecogeomorphic states. Few existing models of barrier systems are designed to operate over spatiotemporal scales congruous with effective management practices (i.e., decades/kilometers, referred to herein as “mesoscales”)
Authors
Ian Robert Reeves, Andrew D. Ashton, Erika E. Lentz, Christopher R. Sherwood, Davina Passeri, Sara Zeigler
Restoring the Florida Everglades: Insights on integrating sea level rise into decision-support tools Restoring the Florida Everglades: Insights on integrating sea level rise into decision-support tools
Although coastal ecosystems are impacted by climate change and sea-level rise, many ecological and hydrological models do not yet incorporate sea-level rise projections in their modeling outputs. Therefore, this research examined the various challenges that may prevent sea-level rise from being effectively incorporated in modeling and decision-support tools. We conducted semi-structured...
Authors
Stephanie Castellano, Mysha Clarke, Laura D’Acunto, Stephanie Romanach, Stephanie Cadaval
STREAMS guidelines: Standards for technical reporting in environmental and host-associated microbiome studies STREAMS guidelines: Standards for technical reporting in environmental and host-associated microbiome studies
The interdisciplinary nature of microbiome research, coupled with the generation of complex multi-omics data, makes knowledge sharing challenging. The Strengthening the Organization and Reporting of Microbiome Studies (STORMS) guidelines provide a checklist for the reporting of study information, experimental design and analytical methods within a scientific manuscript on human...
Authors
Julia Kelliher, Chloe Mirzayi, Sarah R. Bordenstein, Aaron Oliver, Christina A. Kellogg, Eneida L. Hatcher, Maureen Berg, Petr Baldrian, Mashael Aljumaah, Cassandra Maria Miller, Christopher Mungall, Vlastimil Novak, Alexis Palucki, Ethan Smith, Nazifa Tabassum, Gregory Bonito, J. Rodney Brister, Patrick S. Chain, Jose Pablo Dundore-Arias, Joanne B. Emerson, Vanessa Moreira Fernandes, Roberto Flores, Antonio Gonzalez, Zoe A. Hansen, Scott A. Jackson, Ahmed M. Moustafa, Trent R. Northen, Nonia Pariente, Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Sydne Record, Linta Reji, Anna-Louise Reysenbach, Virginia I. Rich, Lorna Richardson, Simon Roux, Lynn M. Schriml, Reed S. Shabman, Maria A. Sierra, Matthew B. Sullivan, Punithavathi Sundaramurthy, Katherine M. Thibault, Luke R. Thompson, Scott W. Tighe, Ethell Vereen, Emiley A. Eloe-Fadrosh
Environmental DNA monitoring of invasive Central American boas in St. Croix at Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve (SARI) Environmental DNA monitoring of invasive Central American boas in St. Croix at Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve (SARI)
Invasive Central American boas (Boa imperator) have established a reproducing population on the western side of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands but prevalence throughout the island is largely unknown. The large snakes threaten endemic and endangered species through competition and predation, jeopardizing island biodiversity. Environmental DNA (eDNA) methods were used to investigate...
Authors
Caitlin Beaver, Alexis B. Tays, Wilfre Fuentes Santos, Madison E.A. Harman, Kristen A. Ewen, Evan L. Gwilliam, Margaret Hunter