Kelly Maloney is a Research Ecologist at Eastern Ecological Science Center located at Kearneysville, WV.
Dr. Kelly O. Maloney is an ecologist whose research focuses on the effects of anthropogenic activities on the quantity and quality of freshwater resources with a goal to synthesize scientific findings into tools to aid in the monitoring, assessment and management of these precious resources. Dr. Maloney conducts and coordinates a highly diverse range of research to address the informational needs of the DOI, its partners, state agencies and NGOs. Dr. Maloney has centered his research program on two areas: 1) ecological flow requirements of aquatic systems, and 2) effects of anthropogenic activities on aquatic ecosystem structure and function. Within each focal area he conducts research to answer questions at multiple scales, employing a combination of field surveys, statistical analyses, computer simulations and meta-analyses.
Science and Products
Observed monitoring data and predictive modelling help understand ongoing and future vulnerability of Chesapeake Bay watershed stream fish communities to climate and land-use change
Issue: The Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW) is experiencing effects of climate (warming temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns) and land-use/land-cover (LULC; transition from forest or agriculture to developed lands) change, and these trends are likely to continue under future scenarios of warming and population growth. Stream biodiversity may be vulnerable to ongoing and future climate...
Chesapeake Bay Aquatic Habitat Assessments
Eastern Ecological Science Center research ecologists are working with state and local partners to develop multiple biological assessments of non-tidal stream and river conditions in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Assessing the habitat conditions to support freshwater fisheries in the Chesapeake Watershed
Issue: The Chesapeake Bay Program partners are striving to improve habitat conditions for recreational fisheries and other native fishes in the Bay and its watershed. While national fish habitat assessments have been conducted, resource managers need more local information to focus restoration and protection efforts in Chesapeake Bay watershed. Conducting the fish-habitat assessments are...
Tracking Status and Trends in Seven Key Indicators of River and Stream Condition in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Identifying and tracking the status of, and trends in, stream health within the Chesapeake Bay watershed is essential to understanding the past, present, and future trajectory of the watershed’s resources and ecological condition. A team of USGS ecosystem scientists is meeting this need with an initiative to track the status of, and trends in, key indicators of the health of non-tidal freshwater...
Time marches on, but do factors driving instream habitat and biology remain consistent?
Issue: Stream ecosystems are affected by a complex set of interacting terrestrial and aquatic stressors. With many streams experiencing degraded conditions that often correspond with increased anthropogenic activities, an important outcome of the Chesapeake Bay Program is to improve stream health. The USGS is conducting research to better understand the complex factors affecting stream health...
Altered flow affects the biological health of streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed
Issue: The natural cycle of water flow, known as the flow regime, is one of the primary habitat conditions needed for healthy biological communities in streams. However, human activities have drastically altered the natural flow regime of most of the world’s rivers and streams, including those in the Chesapeake watershed, which has resulted in changes not only to the natural habitat but also...
Projecting stream conditions under future land-use and climate scenarios
Issue: Global change, particularly changes in land use and climate, is dramatically altering stream conditions throughout the world. Healthy streams are important for freshwater fisheries, wildlife, and public recreation. The Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) has a goal of improving the health of streams throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which includes an outcome of improving the condition of 10...
Mapping riverine habitats of the Delaware River using bathymetric LiDAR
Ecosystem management and assessment of rivers requires detailed data on bathymetry before estimates of aquatic habitats can be determined. However, mapping bathymetry in shallow rivers is challenging due to river depth limitations for watercraft.
Assessing stream health and fish habitat in streams of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Streams and rivers provide habitat for a diverse array of aquatic and semi-aquatic species. However, human alteration to landscapes and riverscapes has affected this habitat resulting in its degradation and thus loss of habitat and associated sensitive aquatic species. While this relationship has been known for many years, only recently has the availability of data and analytical capabilities...
Exploring the potential effects of shale oil and gas development on freshwaters
Widespread shale oil and gas (unconventional oil and gas, UOG) has only recently begun and many gaps in our knowledge of its potential effects to freshwaters exist.
Warm Freshwater Ecosystems
These systems are characterized as 4th order and larger nontidal riverine systems, which includes many of the intermediate and larger size rivers, such as the Penobscot, Connecticut, Hudson, Delaware, and Susquehanna Rivers and their larger tributaries of the northeastern U.S. Fish passage, thermal stress, and ecological flows are likely important issues in these systems. Fish health issues and...
Science and Products
- Science
Observed monitoring data and predictive modelling help understand ongoing and future vulnerability of Chesapeake Bay watershed stream fish communities to climate and land-use change
Issue: The Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW) is experiencing effects of climate (warming temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns) and land-use/land-cover (LULC; transition from forest or agriculture to developed lands) change, and these trends are likely to continue under future scenarios of warming and population growth. Stream biodiversity may be vulnerable to ongoing and future climate...Chesapeake Bay Aquatic Habitat Assessments
Eastern Ecological Science Center research ecologists are working with state and local partners to develop multiple biological assessments of non-tidal stream and river conditions in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.Assessing the habitat conditions to support freshwater fisheries in the Chesapeake Watershed
Issue: The Chesapeake Bay Program partners are striving to improve habitat conditions for recreational fisheries and other native fishes in the Bay and its watershed. While national fish habitat assessments have been conducted, resource managers need more local information to focus restoration and protection efforts in Chesapeake Bay watershed. Conducting the fish-habitat assessments are...Tracking Status and Trends in Seven Key Indicators of River and Stream Condition in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Identifying and tracking the status of, and trends in, stream health within the Chesapeake Bay watershed is essential to understanding the past, present, and future trajectory of the watershed’s resources and ecological condition. A team of USGS ecosystem scientists is meeting this need with an initiative to track the status of, and trends in, key indicators of the health of non-tidal freshwater...Time marches on, but do factors driving instream habitat and biology remain consistent?
Issue: Stream ecosystems are affected by a complex set of interacting terrestrial and aquatic stressors. With many streams experiencing degraded conditions that often correspond with increased anthropogenic activities, an important outcome of the Chesapeake Bay Program is to improve stream health. The USGS is conducting research to better understand the complex factors affecting stream health...Altered flow affects the biological health of streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed
Issue: The natural cycle of water flow, known as the flow regime, is one of the primary habitat conditions needed for healthy biological communities in streams. However, human activities have drastically altered the natural flow regime of most of the world’s rivers and streams, including those in the Chesapeake watershed, which has resulted in changes not only to the natural habitat but also...Projecting stream conditions under future land-use and climate scenarios
Issue: Global change, particularly changes in land use and climate, is dramatically altering stream conditions throughout the world. Healthy streams are important for freshwater fisheries, wildlife, and public recreation. The Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) has a goal of improving the health of streams throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which includes an outcome of improving the condition of 10...Mapping riverine habitats of the Delaware River using bathymetric LiDAR
Ecosystem management and assessment of rivers requires detailed data on bathymetry before estimates of aquatic habitats can be determined. However, mapping bathymetry in shallow rivers is challenging due to river depth limitations for watercraft.Assessing stream health and fish habitat in streams of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Streams and rivers provide habitat for a diverse array of aquatic and semi-aquatic species. However, human alteration to landscapes and riverscapes has affected this habitat resulting in its degradation and thus loss of habitat and associated sensitive aquatic species. While this relationship has been known for many years, only recently has the availability of data and analytical capabilities...Exploring the potential effects of shale oil and gas development on freshwaters
Widespread shale oil and gas (unconventional oil and gas, UOG) has only recently begun and many gaps in our knowledge of its potential effects to freshwaters exist.Warm Freshwater Ecosystems
These systems are characterized as 4th order and larger nontidal riverine systems, which includes many of the intermediate and larger size rivers, such as the Penobscot, Connecticut, Hudson, Delaware, and Susquehanna Rivers and their larger tributaries of the northeastern U.S. Fish passage, thermal stress, and ecological flows are likely important issues in these systems. Fish health issues and... - Data
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