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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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Pink-footed Shearwater Ardenna creatopus Pink-footed Shearwater Ardenna creatopus

The Pink-footed Shearwater’s life history is tied to the Humboldt and California upwelling currents in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. It is larger than other shearwaters in its range, other than Flesh-footed Shearwater Ardenna carneipes. It is also distinct in appearance with pinkish bill and feet, pale underparts, and brown to grayish upperparts. It is known to breed on the Juan Fernández...
Authors
Ryan D. Carle, Valentina Colodro, Jonathan J. Felis, Josh Adams, Peter J. Hodum

Early career researchers have questions about peer review—we asked the ASLO editors for answers Early career researchers have questions about peer review—we asked the ASLO editors for answers

Peer review is the formal means by which the scientific community assesses the originality, reproducibility, validity, and quality of a research study (Bakker and Traniello 2019). As such, peer review assures nonexperts that they can trust a study's findings (Jamieson et al. 2019). Despite the critical importance of peer review, graduate students, postdocs, and other early career...
Authors
Mary R. Gradoville, Bridget R. Deemer

Environmental drivers of biseasonal anthrax outbreak dynamics in two multihost savanna systems Environmental drivers of biseasonal anthrax outbreak dynamics in two multihost savanna systems

Environmental factors are common forces driving infectious disease dynamics. We compared interannual and seasonal patterns of anthrax infections in two multihost systems in southern Africa: Etosha National Park, Namibia, and Kruger National Park, South Africa. Using several decades of mortality data from each system, we assessed possible transmission mechanisms behind anthrax dynamics...
Authors
Yen-Hua Huang, Kyrre Kausrud, Ayesha Hassim, Sunday O. Ochai, O. Louis van Schalkwyk, Edgar H. Dekker, Alexander Buyantuev, Claudine C. Cloete, J. Werner Kilian, John K.E. Mfune, Pauline L. Kamath, Henriette van Heerden, Wendy Christine Turner

Taming the temperature: Sagebrush songbirds modulate microclimate via nest-site selection Taming the temperature: Sagebrush songbirds modulate microclimate via nest-site selection

Understanding species’ responses to temperature via behavior, and the factors affecting the extent of behavioral responses, is a critical and timely endeavor given the rapid pace at which the climate is changing. The young of altricial songbirds are particularly sensitive to temperature, and parents may modulate temperatures at nests via selection of nest sites, albeit to a largely...
Authors
Tayler M. Scherr, Anna D. Chalfoun

Adaptation strategies and approaches for managing fire in a changing climate Adaptation strategies and approaches for managing fire in a changing climate

As the effects of climate change accumulate and intensify, resource managers juggle existing goals and new mandates to operationalize adaptation. Fire managers contend with the direct effects of climate change on resources in addition to climate-induced disruptions to fire regimes and subsequent ecosystem effects. In systems stressed by warming and drying, increased fire activity...
Authors
Martha Sample, Andrea E. Thode, Courtney Peterson, Michael Gallagher, William T. Flatley, Megan Friggens, Alexander Evans, Rachel A. Loehman, Shaula Hedwall, Leslie A. Brandt, Maria Janowiak, Christopher W. Swanston

Using physiological conditions to assess current and future habitat use of a Subarctic frog Using physiological conditions to assess current and future habitat use of a Subarctic frog

Species with especially close dependence on the environment to meet physiological requirements, such as ectotherms, are highly susceptible to the impacts of climate change. Climate change is occurring rapidly in the Subarctic and Arctic, but there is limited knowledge on ectotherm physiology in these landscapes. We investigated how environmental conditions and habitat characteristics...
Authors
T. Hastings, Blake R. Hossack, L. Fishback, J. M. Davenport

Olivine and glass chemistry record cycles of plumbing system recovery after summit collapse events at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i Olivine and glass chemistry record cycles of plumbing system recovery after summit collapse events at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i

The eruptive activity of Kīlauea Volcano (Hawai‘i) in the past 2500 years has alternated between centuries-long periods dominated either by explosive or effusive eruptions. The onset of explosive periods appears to be marked by caldera collapse events at the volcano's summit accompanied by draining of Kīlauea's magmatic plumbing system. Here we leverage >1800 olivine forsterite (Fo)...
Authors
Kendra J. Lynn, Donald A. Swanson

High-resolution observations of submarine groundwater discharge reveal the fine spatial and temporal scales of nutrient exposure on a coral reef: Faga'alu, AS High-resolution observations of submarine groundwater discharge reveal the fine spatial and temporal scales of nutrient exposure on a coral reef: Faga'alu, AS

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) can deliver substantial nutrient and contaminant loads to nearshore coral reefs. Correctly scaling SGD rates from a point source to a reef is generally a linear process involving simplified assumptions on the hydrogeology, bathymetry, and nearshore hydrodynamics that are essential to properly assess SGD scale and impact to individual coral heads...
Authors
Ferdinand K.J. Oberle, Nancy G. Prouty, Segun B. Adebayo, Curt D. Storlazzi

A comparison of monitoring designs to assess wildlife community parameters across spatial scales A comparison of monitoring designs to assess wildlife community parameters across spatial scales

Dedicated long-term monitoring at appropriate spatial and temporal scales is necessary to understand biodiversity losses and develop effective conservation plans. Wildlife monitoring is often achieved by obtaining data at a combination of spatial scales, ranging from local to broad, to understand the status, trends, and drivers of individual species or whole communities and their...
Authors
Alexander Wright, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Elise F. Zipkin

Phoretic sharksuckers (Echeneis naucrates) associated with an elasmobranch host occupy higher relative trophic positions Phoretic sharksuckers (Echeneis naucrates) associated with an elasmobranch host occupy higher relative trophic positions

The relationship between phoretic diskfishes and their hosts is a classic example of marine symbiosis, yet surprisingly few studies have quantified this trophic relationship. We investigated the hypothesis that by consuming host parasites and prey scraps phoretic diskfishes (Echeneidae) feed at a higher relative trophic position than free-living individuals through expanded foraging...
Authors
Cheston T. Peterson, Beverly A. Bachman, Richard Kraus, R. Dean Grubbs

Integrating growth and survival models for flexible estimation of size-dependent survival in a cryptic, endangered snake Integrating growth and survival models for flexible estimation of size-dependent survival in a cryptic, endangered snake

Estimates of demographic rates for animal populations and individuals have many applications for ecological and conservation research. In many animals, survival is size-dependent, but estimating the form of the size–survival relationship presents challenges. For elusive species with low recapture rates, individuals’ size will be unknown at many points in time. Integrating growth and...
Authors
Jonathan P. Rose, Richard Kim, Elliot J. Schoenig, Patrick C. Lien, Brian J. Halstead

Importance of local weather and environmental gradients on demography of a broadly distributed temperate frog Importance of local weather and environmental gradients on demography of a broadly distributed temperate frog

Amphibian populations are sensitive to environmental temperatures and moisture, which vary with local weather conditions and may reach new norms and extremes as contemporary climate change progresses. Using long-term (11–16 years) mark-recapture data from 10 populations of the Columbia spotted frog (Rana luteiventris) from across its U.S. range, we addressed hypotheses about how...
Authors
David S. Pilliod, Rebecca M. McCaffery, Robert S. Arkle, Rick D. Scherer, Jacqueline B. Cupples, Lisa A. Eby, Blake R. Hossack, Hallie Lingo, Kristin N. Lohr, Bryce A. Maxell, Megan J. McGuire, Chad Mellison, Marisa K. Meyer, James C. Munger, Teri Slatauski, Rachel Van Horne
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