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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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Amphibian richness, rarity, threats, and conservation prospects across the U.S. National Park System Amphibian richness, rarity, threats, and conservation prospects across the U.S. National Park System
We assessed amphibian diversity, rarity, and threats across the National Park System (U.S.A.), which covers 3.5% of the country and 12% of federal lands. At least 230 of 354 (65%) amphibian species documented in the country occur on National Park Service lands. Of species in parks, 17% are at-risk globally and 20% are uncategorized, reflecting still-widespread data deficiencies. National...
Authors
Benjamin J. LaFrance, Andrew M. Ray, Michael T. Tercek, Robert N. Fisher, Blake R. Hossack
Comparing microbiological and molecular diagnostic tools for the surveillance of anthrax Comparing microbiological and molecular diagnostic tools for the surveillance of anthrax
The diagnosis of anthrax, a zoonotic disease caused by Bacillus anthracis can be complicated by detection of closely related species. Conventional diagnosis of anthrax involves microscopy, culture identification of bacterial colonies and molecular detection. Genetic markers used are often virulence gene targets such as B. anthracis protective antigen (pagA, also called BAPA, occurring on...
Authors
Sunday O. Ochai, Ayesha Hassim, Edgar H. Dekker, Thuto Magome, Kgaugelo E. Lekota, S. Marcus Makgabo, Lin‑Mari de Klerk‑Loris, O. Louis van Schalkwyk, Pauline L. Kamath, Wendy Christine Turner, Henriette van Heerden
Projections of multiple climate-related coastal hazards for the US Southeast Atlantic Projections of multiple climate-related coastal hazards for the US Southeast Atlantic
Faced with accelerating sea level rise and changing ocean storm conditions, coastal communities require comprehensive assessments of climate-driven hazard impacts to inform adaptation measures. Previous studies have focused on flooding but rarely on other climate-related coastal hazards, such as subsidence, beach erosion and groundwater. Here, we project societal exposure to multiple...
Authors
Patrick L. Barnard, Kevin M. Befus, Jeffrey J. Danielson, Anita C Engelstad, Li H. Erikson, Amy C. Foxgrover, Maya Kumari Hayden, Daniel J. Hoover, Tim Leijnse, Chris Massey, Robert T. McCall, Norberto Nadal-Caraballo, Kees Nederhoff, Andrea C. O'Neill, Kai Alexander Parker, Manoochehr Shirzaei, Leonard O. Ohenhen, Peter W Swarzenski, Jennifer Anne Thomas, Maarten van Ormondt, Sean Vitousek, Killian Vos, Nathan J. Wood, Jeanne M. Jones, Jamie Jones
Database of surface water diversion sites and daily withdrawals for the upper Colorado River Basin, 1980–2022 Database of surface water diversion sites and daily withdrawals for the upper Colorado River Basin, 1980–2022
The Colorado River drains about 8% of the conterminous United States, provides water for 40 million people, and is one of the most overallocated rivers in the world. As the upper Colorado River Basin (UCOL) contributes an estimated 92% of the total basin natural streamflow, knowledge of the location and amount of surface water withdrawals in the UCOL is important for managing the...
Authors
Samuel Francisco Lopez, Jacob E. Knight, Fred D. Tillman, Melissa D. Masbruch, Daniel R. Wise, Casey J.R. Jones, Matthew P. Miller
A transferable approach for quantifying benthic fish sizes and densities in annotated underwater images A transferable approach for quantifying benthic fish sizes and densities in annotated underwater images
1. Benthic fishes are a common target of scientific monitoring but are difficult to quantify because of their close association to bottom habitats that are hard to access. Advances in image-acquisition technologies, machine vision, and deep learning have made capturing and quantifying fishes with cameras increasingly feasible. We present a method and open-source software called...
Authors
Peter C. Esselman, Shadi Moradi, Joseph K. Geisz, Christopher Roussi
Potentially toxic elements in wild Agassiz’s desert tortoises: Tissue concentrations and association with disease Potentially toxic elements in wild Agassiz’s desert tortoises: Tissue concentrations and association with disease
Background: Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) populations have continued to decline due to infectious and other diseases, predation, and habitat alteration. The potential contribution of minerals and heavy metals to tortoise health and susceptibility to disease remains uncertain. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the results of elemental analysis of trace minerals...
Authors
Kristin H. Berry, Mary M. Christopher, Elliiott Jacobson
River herring influence perch morphology, physiology, and life history River herring influence perch morphology, physiology, and life history
Anadromous fishes play important roles in nutrient dynamics for freshwater ecosystems; however, the trophic pathways have been less documented for iteroparous species like river herring (Alosa pseudoharengus and A. aestivalis) compared to semelparous species like Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.). Given recent increases in restoration activities to improve connectivity, an understanding...
Authors
Steven Mattocks, Steven Bittner, Vasili Luzanau, Habibollah Mohammadi, Allison H. Roy, Michelle D. Staudinger, Adrian Jordaan
Resource selection of the southern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger niger) in the coastal plain of Virginia Resource selection of the southern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger niger) in the coastal plain of Virginia
The southern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger niger) is a subspecies of fox squirrel that ranges from southeastern Virginia to northern Florida. Throughout its Southeastern range, southern fox squirrel habitat of natural mixed pine-hardwood forests has been fragmented by agriculture and short-rotation pine plantations. In Virginia, remaining habitat has been transformed by fire suppression on...
Authors
Marissa H. Guill, Jesse L. De La Cruz, K. Marc Puckett, W. Mark Ford
Increased mercury concentrations in walleye and yellow perch in lakes invaded by zebra mussels Increased mercury concentrations in walleye and yellow perch in lakes invaded by zebra mussels
Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) are invasive species that alter ecosystems and food webs with the potential to affect aquatic mercury cycling and bioaccumulation in fishes, although the effect of zebra mussels on fish tissue mercury has not been tested in inland lakes. We assessed differences in fish tissue mercury concentrations and food webs in Minnesota lakes with and without...
Authors
Naomi S. Blinick, Denver Link, Tyler D. Ahrenstoroff, Bethany J. Bethke, Abram B. Fleishman, Sarah E. Janssen, David P. Krabbenhoft, Jenna K.R. Nelson, Heidi M. Rantala, Claire L. Rude, Gretchen J.A. Hansen
Themed social networking groups as effective sources of data: A country-wide survey on invasive bigheaded carp (Hipophthalmichthys molitrix and H. nobilis) detection and distribution Themed social networking groups as effective sources of data: A country-wide survey on invasive bigheaded carp (Hipophthalmichthys molitrix and H. nobilis) detection and distribution
Citizen science commonly uses social networking platforms because they provide the easiest way to contact people. Social networking platforms can also be especially effective in that they gather people by interest and region. By sharing questionnaires and collecting photographs in angling-themed Facebook groups, we assessed the applicability of social networking groups in citizen science...
Authors
Zoltán Vitál, Duane Chapman, Béla Halasi-Kovács, Attila Mozsár
Surveying waterfowl broods in wetlands using aerial drones Surveying waterfowl broods in wetlands using aerial drones
Effective waterfowl management relies on the collection of relevant demographic data to inform land management decisions; however, some types of data are difficult to obtain. For waterfowl, brood surveys are difficult to conduct because wetland habitats often obscure ducklings from being visually assessed. Here, we used Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS) to assess what wetland habitat...
Authors
Desmond Alexander Mackell, Michael L. Casazza, Cory T. Overton, Kevin J. Buffington, Chase M. Freeman, Joshua T. Ackerman, Karen M. Thorne
Evaluation of a carbon dioxide fish barrier through numerical modelling Evaluation of a carbon dioxide fish barrier through numerical modelling
The Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) is a potential route for the migration of aquatic invasive species from the Mississippi River Basin into the Great Lakes. Electric dispersal barriers were installed in the Chicago Sanitary Ship Canal, within CAWS, to prevent invasive fish from reaching the Great Lakes. Despite the high efficiency of these barriers, occasional maintenance events...
Authors
Marcela Politano, Aaron R. Cupp, David Smith, Avery Schemmel, P. Ryan Jackson, Jeff Zuercher