Rebecca M Gorney, Ph.D.
Rebecca is a Biologist at the New York Water Science Center in Troy, NY.
Rebecca started working for USGS in 2023. Her research focuses primarily on cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms (HABs) and other toxic contaminants of concern in freshwater ecosystems. She leads collaborative projects that address HABs and the study of tire wear particles (6PPD-quinone) in New York State and nationally. Her work spans a range of disciplines from methods development, algal community composition, fate and transport of cyanotoxins, monitoring program development, public health, and more.
Science and Products
Evaluating the Risks of Tire-Derived Compounds to Fish in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Tires contain a chemical known as 6PPD which prevents them from quickly breaking down. Microscopic tire particles, generated mainly from the friction of tires on roads, release 6PPD-quinone (6PPDQ) when they come into contact with oxygen. During precipitation events, 6PPDQ can be washed off roads, harming fish in nearby waterways. In response to requests from fishery managers, the USGS is studying...
Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms in Central Park, New York
Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) can produce cyanotoxins that pose health risks to humans, pets, and wildlife that use freshwater lakes and ponds. While not often used for swimming or drinking water, human and animal contact with urban lakes can include boating, fishing, or use of shoreline walking paths. CyanoHABs are a persistent, annually recurring problem in several Central Park...
Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring in the Finger Lakes Region, New York
Background: Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasingly a global concern because they pose a threat to human and aquatic ecosystem health and cause economic damages. Cyanobacterial HABs (CyanoHABs) represent a substantial threat to drinking-water supplies, aquatic ecosystem health, and safe recreational uses of freshwater resources in New York. Toxins produced by some types of...
Science and Products
Evaluating the Risks of Tire-Derived Compounds to Fish in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Tires contain a chemical known as 6PPD which prevents them from quickly breaking down. Microscopic tire particles, generated mainly from the friction of tires on roads, release 6PPD-quinone (6PPDQ) when they come into contact with oxygen. During precipitation events, 6PPDQ can be washed off roads, harming fish in nearby waterways. In response to requests from fishery managers, the USGS is studying...
Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms in Central Park, New York
Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) can produce cyanotoxins that pose health risks to humans, pets, and wildlife that use freshwater lakes and ponds. While not often used for swimming or drinking water, human and animal contact with urban lakes can include boating, fishing, or use of shoreline walking paths. CyanoHABs are a persistent, annually recurring problem in several Central Park...
Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring in the Finger Lakes Region, New York
Background: Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasingly a global concern because they pose a threat to human and aquatic ecosystem health and cause economic damages. Cyanobacterial HABs (CyanoHABs) represent a substantial threat to drinking-water supplies, aquatic ecosystem health, and safe recreational uses of freshwater resources in New York. Toxins produced by some types of...