Ecologically-Driven Exposure Pathways Science Team Active
The Team Determines Factors That Influence Fish and Wildlife Exposure
to toxicants such as mercury in the environment
Scientists Can Sample Tissues and Blood in Small Birds Without Harm
to understand factors such as maternal transfer of contaminants to offspring
The Team Studies Factors that Influence Exposure Risk in Mammals
such as foraging and fasting behavior in elephant seals
Factors that Influence Pathogen Transmission are Identified
Advanced Techniques are used to Understand Contaminant Sources
The Ecologically-Driven Exposure Pathways Integrated Science Team identifies how ecological pathways and physiological processes within a single organism can alter exposure and toxicity of contaminants and pathogens and seek to understand outcomes at different scales from individuals to populations and ecosystems.
Contaminant and pathogen exposure alone does not necessarily result in adverse health outcomes in fish, wildlife, or humans. There are numerous pathways and processes that can alter the toxicity of naturally occurring and human-made contaminants in the environment.
The team uses their broad scientific expertise in hydrology, geochemistry, biology, and ecotoxicology to understand the complexities associated with the movement of toxicants and pathogens through the environment and within individual organisms. That information is used to determine how, where, and when exposure occurs and if exposure results in health risks to wildlife and humans.
Current Science Questions and Activities
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What are the various ecological factors, such as habitats and foraging strategies, that influence the pathways of contaminant exposure, health risks to fish and wildlife?
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What are the pathways of antimicrobial resistance in the environment?
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What are the major intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of mercury exposure and risk to humans, fish, and wildlife at a global scale?
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What are the internal physiological determinants such as metababolism, transfer of mercury to offspring, changes in body mass, and molting that influence exposure and health risks in fish and wildlife?
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How do the internal factors differ among species and life stages?
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What are the Influences of landscape alterations, perturbations, and restoration on pathways and movement of contaminants through ecosystems and bioaccumulation into the food web of aquatic biota?
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Do multiple types and chemical mixtures have additive, synergistic, or antagonistic effects that influence the health of fish and wildlife?
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What are the internal and external drivers and regulators of human exposure to mercury?
- What is the risk of pathogen exposure and transmission among wildlife, livestock, and humans?
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What are the key environmental factors that control the viability of avian influenza virus shed by wild birds and what are the key environmental pathways of exposure and transmission of the virus?
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What is the role of soil, water, and vegetation in disease transmission such as Chronic Wasting Disease?
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How do invasive species influence the timing of contaminant uptake and bioaccumulation in fish and wildlife?
USGS science related to this science team’s activities.
The following are the data releases from this science team’s research activities.
Below are publications associated with this science team.
Anticoagulant rodenticides in Strix owls indicate widespread exposure in west coast forests
Current state of knowledge on biological effects from contaminants on arctic wildlife and fish
Epidemic growth rates and host movement patterns shape management performance for pathogen spillover at the wildlife-livestock interface
Confronting models with data: The challenges of estimating disease spillover
Chemical and physical controls on mercury source signatures in stream fish from the northeastern United States
Toward sustainable environmental quality: Priority research questions for North America
Wetland management strategy to reduce mercury export in water and bioaccumulation in fish
Timber harvest alters mercury bioaccumulation and food web structure in headwater streams
Seasonal occurrence and abundance of dabbling ducks across the continental United States: Joint spatio-temporal modelling for the Genus Anas
Nonlinearities in transmission dynamics and efficient management of vector-borne pathogens
Managing the trifecta of disease, climate, and contaminants: Searching for robust choices under multiple sources of uncertainty
San Francisco Bay triennial bird egg monitoring program for contaminants, California—2018
- Overview
The Ecologically-Driven Exposure Pathways Integrated Science Team identifies how ecological pathways and physiological processes within a single organism can alter exposure and toxicity of contaminants and pathogens and seek to understand outcomes at different scales from individuals to populations and ecosystems.
Contaminant and pathogen exposure alone does not necessarily result in adverse health outcomes in fish, wildlife, or humans. There are numerous pathways and processes that can alter the toxicity of naturally occurring and human-made contaminants in the environment.
The team uses their broad scientific expertise in hydrology, geochemistry, biology, and ecotoxicology to understand the complexities associated with the movement of toxicants and pathogens through the environment and within individual organisms. That information is used to determine how, where, and when exposure occurs and if exposure results in health risks to wildlife and humans.
Current Science Questions and Activities
-
What are the various ecological factors, such as habitats and foraging strategies, that influence the pathways of contaminant exposure, health risks to fish and wildlife?
-
What are the pathways of antimicrobial resistance in the environment?
-
What are the major intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of mercury exposure and risk to humans, fish, and wildlife at a global scale?
-
What are the internal physiological determinants such as metababolism, transfer of mercury to offspring, changes in body mass, and molting that influence exposure and health risks in fish and wildlife?
-
How do the internal factors differ among species and life stages?
-
What are the Influences of landscape alterations, perturbations, and restoration on pathways and movement of contaminants through ecosystems and bioaccumulation into the food web of aquatic biota?
-
Do multiple types and chemical mixtures have additive, synergistic, or antagonistic effects that influence the health of fish and wildlife?
-
What are the internal and external drivers and regulators of human exposure to mercury?
- What is the risk of pathogen exposure and transmission among wildlife, livestock, and humans?
-
What are the key environmental factors that control the viability of avian influenza virus shed by wild birds and what are the key environmental pathways of exposure and transmission of the virus?
-
What is the role of soil, water, and vegetation in disease transmission such as Chronic Wasting Disease?
-
How do invasive species influence the timing of contaminant uptake and bioaccumulation in fish and wildlife?
-
- Science
USGS science related to this science team’s activities.
Filter Total Items: 25 - Data
The following are the data releases from this science team’s research activities.
Filter Total Items: 38No Result Found - Publications
Below are publications associated with this science team.
Filter Total Items: 135Anticoagulant rodenticides in Strix owls indicate widespread exposure in west coast forests
Exposure of nontarget wildlife to anticoagulant rodenticides (AR) is a global conservation concern typically centered around urban or agricultural areas. Recently, however, the illegal use of ARs in remote forests of California, USA, has exposed sensitive predators, including the federally threatened northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina). We used congeneric barred owls (S. varia) as aAuthorsDavid Wiens, Krista E. Dilione, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Garth Herring, Damon B. Lesmeister, Mourad W. Gabriel, Greta Wengert, David C. SimonCurrent state of knowledge on biological effects from contaminants on arctic wildlife and fish
Since the last Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) effort to review biological effects of the exposure to organohalogen compounds (OHCs) in Arctic biota, there has been a considerable number of new Arctic effect studies. Here, we provide an update on the state of the knowledge of OHC, and also include mercury, exposure and/or associated effects in key Arctic marine and terrestrial maAuthorsRune Dietz, Robert J. Letcher, Jean-Pierre Desforges, Igor Eulaers, Christian Sonne, Simon Wilson, Emilie Andersen-Ranberg, Niladri Basu, Benjamin D. Barst, Jan Ove Bustnes, Jenny Bytingsvik, Tomasz M. Ciesielski, Paul E. Drevnick, Geir W. Gabrielsen, Ane Haarr, Ketil Hylland, Bjørn Munro Jenssen, Milton Levin, Melissa A. McKinney, Rasmus Dyrmose Nørregaard, Kathrine E. Pedersen, Jennifer Provencher, Bjarne Styrishave, Sabrina Tartu, Jon Aars, Joshua T. Ackerman, Aqqalu Rosing-Asvid, Rob Barrett, Anders Bignert, Erik W. Born, Marsha Branigan, Birgit Braune, Colleen E. Bryan, Maria Dam, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Marlene S. Evans, Thomas J. Evans, Aaron T. Fisk, Mary Gamberg, Kim Gustavson, C. Alex Hartman, Björn Helander, Mark P. Herzog, Paul F. Hoekstra, Magali Houde, Katrin Hoydal, Allyson K. Jackson, John Kucklick, Elisabeth Lie, Lisa Loseto, Mark L. Mallory, Cecilie Miljeteig, Anders Mosbech, Derek C.G. Muir, Sanna Túni Nielsen, Elizabeth Peacock, Sara Pedro, Sarah H. Peterson, Anuschka Polder, Frank F. Rigét, Pat Roach, Halvor Saunes, Mikkel-Holger S. Sinding, Janneche U. Skaare, Jens Søndergaard, Garry Stenson, Gary Stern, Gabriele Treu, Stacy S. Schuur, Gísli VíkingssonEpidemic growth rates and host movement patterns shape management performance for pathogen spillover at the wildlife-livestock interface
Managing pathogen spillover at the wildlife–livestock interface is a key step towards improving global animal health, food security and wildlife conservation. However, predicting the effectiveness of management actions across host–pathogen systems with different life histories is an on-going challenge since data on intervention effectiveness are expensive to collect and results are system-specificAuthorsK.R. Manlove, L. Sam, B. Borremans, E. Frances Cassirer, R. S. Miller, K. Pepin, T. E. Besser, Paul CrossConfronting models with data: The challenges of estimating disease spillover
For pathogens known to transmit across host species, strategic investment in disease control requires knowledge about where and when spillover transmission is likely. One approach to estimating spillover is to directly correlate observed spillover events with covariates. An alternative is to mechanistically combine information on host density, distribution, and pathogen prevalence to predict whereAuthorsPaul C. Cross, Diann Prosser, Andrew M. Ramey, Ephraim M. Hanks, Kim M. PepinChemical and physical controls on mercury source signatures in stream fish from the northeastern United States
Streams in the northeastern U.S. receive mercury (Hg) in varying proportions from atmospheric deposition and legacy point sources, making it difficult to attribute shifts in fish concentrations directly back to changes in Hg source management. Mercury stable isotope tracers were utilized to relate sources of Hg to co-located fish and bed sediments from 23 streams across a forested to urban-industrAuthorsSarah E. Janssen, Karen Riva-Murray, John F. DeWild, Jacob M. Ogorek, Michael T. Tate, Peter C. Van Metre, David P. Krabbenhoft, James F. ColesToward sustainable environmental quality: Priority research questions for North America
Anticipating, identifying, and prioritizing strategic needs represent essential activities by research organizations. Decided benefits emerge when these pursuits engage globally important environment and health goals, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. To this end, horizon scanning efforts can facilitate identification of specific research needs to address grand challengesAuthorsAnne Fairbrother, Derek Muir, Keith R. Solomon, Gerald T. Ankley, Murray A. Rudd, Alistair B. A. Boxall, William J. Adams, Jennifer N. Apell, Kevin L. Armbrust, Bonnie J. Blalock, Sarah R. Bowman, Linda M. Campbell, George P. Cobb, Kristin A. Connors, David A. Dreier, Marlene S. Evans, Carol J. Henry, Robert A. Hoke, Magali Houde, Stephen J. Klaine, Rebecca D. Klaper, Sigrun A. Kullik, Roman P. Lanno, Charles Meyer, Mary Ann Ottinger, Elias Oziolor, Elijah J. Petersen, Helen C. Poynton, Pamela J. Rice, Gabriela Rodriguez-Fuentes, Alan Samel, Joseph R. Shaw, Jeffery Steevens, Tim A. Verslycke, Doris E. Vidal-Dorsch, Scott M. Weir, Peter Wilson, Bryan W. BrooksWetland management strategy to reduce mercury export in water and bioaccumulation in fish
Wetland environments provide numerous ecosystem services but also facilitate methylmercury (MeHg) production and bioaccumulation. We developed a wetland‐management technique to reduce MeHg concentrations in wetland fish and water. We physically modified seasonal wetlands by constructing open‐ and deep‐water treatment cells at the downstream end of seasonal wetlands to promote naturally occurring MAuthorsJoshua T. Ackerman, Jacob Fleck, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Mark P. Herzog, Harry L. McQuillenTimber harvest alters mercury bioaccumulation and food web structure in headwater streams
Timber harvest has many effects on aquatic ecosystems, including changes in hydrological, biogeochemical, and ecological processes that can influence mercury (Hg) cycling. Although timber harvest’s influence on aqueous Hg transformation and transport are well studied, the effects on Hg bioaccumulation are not. We evaluated Hg bioaccumulation, biomagnification, and food web structure in 10 paired cAuthorsJames Willacker, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Brandon M Kowalski, Robert J Danehy, Allyson K. Jackson, Evan M. Adams, David C. Evers, Chris S. Eckley, Michael T. Tate, David P. KrabbenhoftSeasonal occurrence and abundance of dabbling ducks across the continental United States: Joint spatio-temporal modelling for the Genus Anas
Estimating the distribution and abundance of wildlife is an essential task in species conservation, wildlife management and habitat prioritization. Although a host of methods and tools have been proposed to accomplish this undertaking, several challenges remain in accurately forecasting occurrence and abundance for highly mobile species. Exhibiting extensive geographic ranges with seasonally varyiAuthorsJohn M. Humphreys, Jennifer L. Murrow, Jeffery D. Sullivan, Diann ProsserNonlinearities in transmission dynamics and efficient management of vector-borne pathogens
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an approach to minimizing economic and environmental harm caused by pests, and Integrated Vector Management (IVM) uses similar methods to minimize pathogen transmission by vectors. The risk of acquiring a vector-borne infection is often quantified using the density of infected vectors. The relationship between vector numbers and risk of human infection is moreAuthorsHoward S. Ginsberg, Jannelle CouretManaging the trifecta of disease, climate, and contaminants: Searching for robust choices under multiple sources of uncertainty
Wood frogs, like other amphibian species worldwide, are experiencing population declines due to multiple stressors. In the northeastern United States, wood frog declines are thought to result from a reduction in successful metamorphosis in part due to climate change, disease (specifically ranavirus) and contaminant exposure. The presence of multiple stressors can increase uncertainty in characteriAuthorsKelly Smalling, Collin Eagles-Smith, Rachel A. Katz, Evan GrantSan Francisco Bay triennial bird egg monitoring program for contaminants, California—2018
The Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay (RMP), administered by the San Francisco Estuary Institute, is a large-scale effort to monitor contaminant trends in water, sediment, fish, and birds throughout San Francisco Bay (San Francisco Estuary Institute, 2016). As part of the RMP and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) long-term Wildlife Contaminants Program, the USGS saAuthorsJoshua T. Ackerman, C. Alex Hartman, Mark P. Herzog, Matthew Toney - Web Tools
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