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The USGS provides unbiased, objective, and impartial scientific information upon which our audiences, including resource managers, planners, and other entities, rely.
Browse more than 65,000 articles authored by our scientists over the past 100+ year history of the USGS and refine search by topic, location, year, and advanced search.
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The Center for the Advancement of Population Assessment Methodology (CAPAM): A perspective on the first 10 years The Center for the Advancement of Population Assessment Methodology (CAPAM): A perspective on the first 10 years
The Center for the Advancement of Population Assessment Methodology (CAPAM) was established in 2013, envisioned as an institute that could conduct, organize, and communicate stock assessment research with the aim of benefiting fisheries assessment efforts internationally. CAPAM’s activities have focused on its workshop series and consequent special issues in Fisheries Research. The...
Authors
Mark N. Maunder, Paul R. Crone, Brice X. Semmens, Juan L. Valero, Lynn Waterhouse, Richard D. Methot, Andre E. Punt
Endemic and invasive species: A history of distributional trends in the fish fauna of the lower New River drainage Endemic and invasive species: A history of distributional trends in the fish fauna of the lower New River drainage
Invasive species are often central to conservation efforts, particularly when concerns involve potential impacts on rare, endemic native species. The lower New River drainage of the eastern United States is a watershed that warrants conservation assessment, as the system is naturally depauperate of native fish species and it is nearly saturated with non-native fish species: there are 31...
Authors
Stuart A. Welsh, Daniel A. Cincotta, Nathaniel V. Owens, Jay R. Stauffer
Emotions and political identity predict public acceptance of urban deer management Emotions and political identity predict public acceptance of urban deer management
Addressing public preferences can enhance wildlife management effectiveness and reduce backlash. We conducted novel research on public acceptance of wildlife management by accounting for the role of underexplored drivers including emotion and political identity across an urban-to-rural gradient. Using data from a 2022 survey about white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Durham...
Authors
Hannah M. Desrochers, M. Nils Peterson, Lincoln R. Larson, Christopher E. Moorman, Elizabeth M. Kierepka, John C. Kilgo, Nathan J. Hostetter
Ecosystem drivers of freshwater mercury bioaccumulation are context-dependent: Insights from continental-scale modeling Ecosystem drivers of freshwater mercury bioaccumulation are context-dependent: Insights from continental-scale modeling
Significant variation in mercury (Hg) bioaccumulation is observed across the diversity of freshwater ecosystems in North America. While there is support for the major drivers of Hg bioaccumulation, the relative influence of different external factors can vary widely among waterbodies, which makes predicting Hg risk across large spatial scales particularly challenging. We modeled Hg...
Authors
Christopher James Kotalik, James Willacker, Jeff S. Wesner, Branden L. Johnson, Colleen M. Flanagan Pritz, Sarah J. Nelson, David M. Walters, Collin A. Eagles-Smith
Wave ripples formed in ancient, ice-free lakes in Gale crater, Mars Wave ripples formed in ancient, ice-free lakes in Gale crater, Mars
Symmetrical wave ripples identified with NASA’s Curiosity rover in ancient lake deposits at Gale crater provide a key paleoclimate constraint for early Mars: At the time of ripple formation, climate conditions must have supported ice-free liquid water on the surface of Mars. These features are the most definitive examples of wave ripples on another planet. The ripples occur in two...
Authors
C.A. Mondro, C.M. Fedo, J.P. Grotzinger, Michael P. Lamb, S. Gupta, W.E. Dietrich, S. G. Banham, C.M. Weitz, P. Gasda, Lauren A. Edgar, D. Rubin, A.B. Bryk, E.S. Kite, G. Caravaca, J. Schieber, A.R. Vasavada
Hybrid coral reef restoration can be a cost-effective nature-based solution to provide protection to vulnerable coastal populations Hybrid coral reef restoration can be a cost-effective nature-based solution to provide protection to vulnerable coastal populations
Coral reefs can mitigate flood damages by providing protection to tropical coastal communities whose populations are dense, growing fast, and have predominantly lower-middle income. This study provides the first fine-scale, regionally modeled valuations of how flood risk reductions associated with hybrid coral reef restoration could benefit people, property, and economic activity along...
Authors
Curt D. Storlazzi, Borja Reguero, Kristen C. Alkins, James B. Shope, Aaron Cole, Camila Gaido-Lassarre, Shay Viehman, Michael W. Beck
A Colorado Front Range grassland exhibits decreasing dominance of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) over time A Colorado Front Range grassland exhibits decreasing dominance of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) over time
Causes, consequences, and potentials for recovery from invasions by the invasive annual grass, cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), in western North America have been extensively documented. The vast majority of these studies have come from regions where yearly precipitation is dominated by “winter-wet” patterns, but this species has also demonstrated its ability to invade plant communities in...
Authors
Janet S. Prevey, Timothy R. Seastedt
Local perceptions of marine conservation aquaculture for the restoration of native Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Downeast, Maine Local perceptions of marine conservation aquaculture for the restoration of native Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Downeast, Maine
The entities responsible for the management of the endangered Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) have partnered with a commercial aquaculture company to apply a novel conservation aquaculture program. This effort marks a major shift in management and has garnered mixed public reactions. Recent expansion of aquaculture in Maine has been a point of...
Authors
Melissa. E. Flye, Carly C. Sponarski, Joseph D. Zydlewski
Enhanced hydrologic monitoring and characterization of groundwater drainage features Enhanced hydrologic monitoring and characterization of groundwater drainage features
Groundwater drains to the land surface, generating the baseflow of streams, lakes, and wetlands. The hydrologic resilience of baseflow during prolonged dry periods and after disturbance can be assessed with evolving remote sensing analysis paired with localized monitoring of groundwater drainage features and creative model calibration strategies.
Authors
Martin A. Briggs
How can we sea change? Audience subgroups and psychological cognitions to target in action-oriented ocean change communication How can we sea change? Audience subgroups and psychological cognitions to target in action-oriented ocean change communication
Climate change’s impacts on the oceans (“ocean change”) threaten people globally. Climate action is needed at multiple scales, from individual to collective action, and yet there is limited research on what motivates this action in response to ocean change. In this study, we conducted an online survey of residents of the state of Oregon, United States (n = 1414), to assess concerns...
Authors
Jennifer L. Waldo, Mark D. Needham, Megan Siobhan Jones
Relatedness of white-tailed deer from culling efforts within chronic wasting disease management zones in Minnesota Relatedness of white-tailed deer from culling efforts within chronic wasting disease management zones in Minnesota
In white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), closely related females form social groups, avoiding other social groups. Consequently, females infected with chronic wasting disease (CWD) are more likely to infect social group members. Culling has been used to reduce CWD transmission in high-risk areas; however, its effectiveness in removing related individuals has not been assessed. We...
Authors
Alberto F. Fameli, Christopher S. Jennelle, Jessie Edson, Erik C. Hildebrand, Michelle Carstensen, W. David Walter
Microbial ecology of permafrost soils: Populations, processes, and perspectives Microbial ecology of permafrost soils: Populations, processes, and perspectives
Permafrost microbial research has flourished in the past decades, due in part to improvements in sampling and molecular techniques, but also the increased focus on the permafrost greenhouse gas feedback to climate change and other ecological processes in high latitude and alpine permafrost soils. Permafrost microorganisms are adapted to these extreme environments and remain active at low
Authors
Mark Waldrop, Jessica Ernakovich, Tatiana A. Vishnivetskaya, Sean Schaefer, Rachel Mackelprang, Jiri Barta, Joy O’Brien, Matthias Winkel, Robyn A. Barbato, Liam Heffernan, Mary-Cathrine Leewis, Rebecca E. Hewitt, Jenni Hultman, Yanchen Sun, Christina Biasi, James A. Bradley, Susanne Liebner, Michael P. Ricketts, Mario Muscarella, Ursel Schuette, Fumnanya Abuah, Emily Whalen, Ina Timling, Carolina Voigt, Neslihan Tas, Karen G. Lloyd, Henri M.P. Siljanen, Elizaveta M. Rivkina, Jana Voriskova, Jing Tao, Renxing Liang, Zhen Li, Jay T. Lennon, T.C. Onstott