Publications
This list of publications includes peer-review journal articles, official USGS publications series, reports and more authored by scientists in the Ecosystems Mission Area. A database of all USGS publications, with advanced search features, can be accessed at the USGS Publications Warehouse.
Filter Total Items: 42876
Contemporary and historic dynamics of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) eggs, larvae, and juveniles suggest recruitment bottleneck during first growing season Contemporary and historic dynamics of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) eggs, larvae, and juveniles suggest recruitment bottleneck during first growing season
To determine if a survival bottleneck occurs in Lake Erie's lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) population and explore possible mechanisms responsible, we examined contemporary and historical dynamics of lake whitefish eggs, larvae and juveniles. Widespread spawning and low overwinter egg retention were observed in 2016–2018, however subsequent larval CPUE remained consistent with...
Authors
Z. Amidon, Robin DeBruyne, Edward F. Roseman, Christine Mayer
Extreme precipitation and flooding contribute to sudden vegetation dieback in a coastal salt marsh Extreme precipitation and flooding contribute to sudden vegetation dieback in a coastal salt marsh
Climate extremes are becoming more frequent with global climate change and have the potential to cause major ecological regime shifts. Along the northern Gulf of Mexico, a coastal wetland in Texas suffered sudden vegetation dieback following an extreme precipitation and flooding event associated with Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Historical salt marsh dieback events have been linked to...
Authors
Camille Stagg, Michael Osland, Jena A. Moon, Laura Feher, Claudia Laurenzano, Tiffany C. Lane, William Jones, Stephen Hartley
Towards building a sustainable future: Positioning ecological modelling for impact in ecosystems management Towards building a sustainable future: Positioning ecological modelling for impact in ecosystems management
As many ecosystems worldwide are in peril, efforts to manage them sustainably require scientific advice. While numerous researchers around the world use a great variety of models to understand ecological dynamics and their responses to disturbances, only a small fraction of these models are ever used to inform ecosystem management. There seems to be a perception that ecological models...
Authors
Don DeAngelis, Daniel Franco, Alan Hastings, Frank M. Hilker, Suzanne Lenhart, Frithjof Lutscher, Natalia Petrovskaya, Sergei Petrovskii, Rebecca C. Tyson
Demographic modeling informs functional connectivity and management interventions in Graham’s beardtongue Demographic modeling informs functional connectivity and management interventions in Graham’s beardtongue
Functional connectivity (i.e., the movement of individuals across a landscape) is essential for the maintenance of genetic variation and persistence of rare species. However, illuminating the processes influencing functional connectivity and ultimately translating this knowledge into management practice remains a fundamental challenge. Here, we combine various population structure...
Authors
Matthew Richard Jones, Daniel E. Winkler, Robert Massatti
Growth of greater white-fronted goose goslings relates to population dynamics at multiple scales Growth of greater white-fronted goose goslings relates to population dynamics at multiple scales
The abundance of greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons frontalis) on the Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) of northern Alaska, USA, has more than tripled since the late 1990s; however, recent rate of annual population growth has declined as population size increased, which may indicate white-fronted geese on the ACP are approaching carrying capacity. We examined rates of gosling growth...
Authors
Thomas F Fondell, Brandt W. Meixell, Paul L. Flint
Gut microbiota associated with different sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) life stages Gut microbiota associated with different sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) life stages
Sea lamprey (SL; Petromyzon marinus), one of the oldest living vertebrates, have a complex metamorphic life cycle. Following hatching, SL transition into a microphagous, sediment burrowing larval stage, and after 2–10+ years, the larvae undergo a dramatic metamorphosis, transforming into parasitic juveniles that feed on blood and bodily fluids of fishes; adult lamprey cease feeding...
Authors
P Mathai, Muruleedhara Byappanahalli, Nicholas S. Johnson, Michael J. Sadowsky
First documentation of long-distance travel by a Florida manatee to the Mexican Caribbean First documentation of long-distance travel by a Florida manatee to the Mexican Caribbean
West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) are separated into two allopatric subspecies: the Florida manatee (T. m. latirostris) and the Antillean manatee (T. m. manatus). In the winter of 2020–2021, an adult manatee was sighted off the coast of Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico, in areas where Antillean manatees are not typically seen. The individual had distinct watercraft scars on its body...
Authors
Nataly Castelblanco-Martinez, Anmari Álvarez-Alemán, Raul Torres, Amy L. Teague, Sheri Barton, Kari A Rood, Eric A Ramos, Antonio A. Mignucci-Giannoni
Labeling poststorm coastal imagery for machine learning: Measurement of interrater agreement Labeling poststorm coastal imagery for machine learning: Measurement of interrater agreement
Classifying images using supervised machine learning (ML) relies on labeled training data—classes or text descriptions, for example, associated with each image. Data-driven models are only as good as the data used for training, and this points to the importance of high-quality labeled data for developing a ML model that has predictive skill. Labeling data is typically a time-consuming...
Authors
Evan B. Goldstein, Daniel D. Buscombe, Eli D. Lazarus, Somya Mohanty, Shah N. Rafique, K A Anarde, Andrew D Ashton, Tomas Beuzen, Katherine A. Castagno, Nicholas Cohn, Matthew P. Conlin, Ashley Ellenson, Megan Gillen, Paige A. Hovenga, Jin-Si R. Over, Rose V. Palermo, Katherine Ratlif, Ian R Reeves, Lily H. Sanborn, Jessamin A. Straub, Luke A. Taylor, Elizabeth J. Wallace, Jonathan A. Warrick, Phillipe Alan Wernette, Hannah E Williams
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities, Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Isaias, Hurricane Michael, Hurricanes
Non-native poeciliids in hot water: The role of thermal springs in facilitating invasion of tropical species Non-native poeciliids in hot water: The role of thermal springs in facilitating invasion of tropical species
Livebearers in the family Poeciliidae are some of the most widely introduced fishes. Native poeciliid translocations within the U.S. are mostly due to deliberate stocking for mosquito control. Introductions of exotic poeciliids, those not native to the U.S., are more likely to be due to release from aquaria or escape from farms. Many of these non-natives originate from warm climate...
Authors
Quenton M. Tuckett, Katelyn M. Lawson, Taylor N. Lipscomb, Jeffrey E. Hill, Wesley M. Daniel, Zachary A. Siders
Koch’s postulates: Confirming Nannizziopsis guarroi as the cause of yellow fungal disease in Pogona vitticeps Koch’s postulates: Confirming Nannizziopsis guarroi as the cause of yellow fungal disease in Pogona vitticeps
Nannizziopsis guarroi is an ascomycete fungus associated with a necrotizing dermatitis in captive green iguanas (Iguana iguana) and bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) across both Europe and North America. Clinical signs of the disease include swelling and lesion formation. Lesions develop from white raised bumps on the skin and progress into crusty, yellow, discolored scales, eventually...
Authors
Savannah L Gentry, Jeffrey M. Lorch, Julia S. Lankton, Anne Pringle
Diel patterns of pheromone release by male sea lamprey Diel patterns of pheromone release by male sea lamprey
Costs to producing sexual signals can create selective pressures on males to invest signaling effort in particular contexts. When the benefits of signaling vary consistently across time, males can optimize signal investment to specific temporal contexts using biological rhythms. Sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, have a semelparous life history, are primarily nocturnal, and rely on...
Authors
Skye D. Fissette, Ugo Bussy, Belinda Huerta, Cory O. Brant, Ke Li, Nicholas S. Johnson, Weiming Li
Individual variation in temporal dynamics of post-release habitat selection Individual variation in temporal dynamics of post-release habitat selection
Translocated animals undergo a phase of behavioral adjustment after being released in a novel environment, initially prioritizing exploration and gradually shifting toward resource exploitation. This transition has been termed post-release behavioral modification. Post-release behavioral modification may also manifest as changes in habitat selection through time, and these temporal...
Authors
Simona Picardi, Nathan Ranc, Brian J. Smith, Peter S. Coates, Steven R. Mathews, David K. Dahlgren