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Book Chapters

Browse more than 5,500 book chapters authored by our scientists over the past 100+ year history of the USGS and refine search by topic, location, year, and advanced search.

Filter Total Items: 6184

Culturing emerging, imperiled, and poorly understood fishes Culturing emerging, imperiled, and poorly understood fishes

Most fish hatcheries and farms raise fish for food, to supply the bait and ornamental fish trades, or to create or enhance recreational and commercial fishing opportunities. Culture methods for these species are well established and are described in various chapters of this book. However, a growing number of facilities are responsible for cultivation of emerging, imperiled, or lesser...
Authors
James Candrl, Theo Smith

Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction to assess phytoplankton and indicate eutrophication in freshwater rivers: A multiyear nationwide study across the United States Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction to assess phytoplankton and indicate eutrophication in freshwater rivers: A multiyear nationwide study across the United States

Phytoplankton are essential primary producers in fresh surface water that are critical to the health of ecosystems. However, phytoplankton overgrowth due to eutrophication threatens ecological, economic, and public health. Therefore, assessing phytoplankton is fundamental for understanding the productivity, health, and trophic status of freshwater ecosystems. Light microscopy and...
Authors
Chiqian Zhang, Kyle D. McIntosh, Nathan Sienkiewicz, Erin Stelzer, Jennifer L. Graham, Jingrang Lu

Cumulative effects of multiple stressors on marine mammals: Elephant seals as a model system Cumulative effects of multiple stressors on marine mammals: Elephant seals as a model system

Noise exposure is a potential stressor for free-ranging marine mammals and is often studied in the absence of other environmental factors. Here, a multi-investigator, interdisciplinary effort was undertaken to examine the response of elephant seals to multiple stressors. An integrated physiological and ecological approach was taken, including immunology, stress physiology, toxicology...
Authors
Daniel P. Costa, Rachel R. Holser, Garrett T. Shipway, Arina B. Favilla, Birgitte I. McDonald, Daphne M. Shen, Amber R. Diluzio, Sarah H. Peterson, Joshua T. Ackerman, Daniel E. Crocker

When is a parasite a problem? When is a parasite a problem?

A parasite’s perceived societal impact depends on the disease it causes and the perception of the affected host species. For instance, doctors and veterinarians have a mission to treat parasites that infect humans or that impact host species that have some utilitarian or aesthetic value for society. Marine scientists have different concerns than doctors. Although the number of parasites...
Authors
Kevin D. Lafferty

Events during migration and winter Events during migration and winter

No abstract available.
Authors
Aaron T. Pearse, Courtney L. Amundson, Mark P. Vrtiska

Glaciers in Alaska and western North America Glaciers in Alaska and western North America

This chapter summarizes the location, status, and projections of glaciers in Alaska and western North America. Recent events, including the 2021 surge of Muldrow Glacier in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, are summarized. The implications of glacier loss for ecosystems, water resources, and mountain hazards are discussed.
Authors
Caitlyn Florentine

Geologic map of the Sierra Nevada, California and western Nevada Geologic map of the Sierra Nevada, California and western Nevada

THE GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE SIERRA NEVADA is a core component of the Sierra Nevada Earth Science Atlas, which also includes geophysical, neotectonic, economic, and geochronologic data. The map illustrates the distribution of geologic units across the Sierra Nevada and related adjacent areas. Geologic units are grouped by type and age into three categories: Principally Paleozoic and Mesozoic
Authors
Russell Graymer, M. D. O'Neal

Weather, water, and precipitation Weather, water, and precipitation

No abstract available.
Authors
James W. Cain, Madelon van de Kerk

Seasonal migrations and other movements Seasonal migrations and other movements

In the past 25 years new information has been obtained on the migrations and movements of mountain sheep (bighorn [Ovis canadensis], thinhorn [Ovis dalli]). This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of mountain sheep migration and other movements across their broad distribution in western North America. Across the range of mountain sheep, migrations and other seasonal movements...
Authors
Blake Lowrey

Frameworks for assessing tsunami hazard and risk Frameworks for assessing tsunami hazard and risk

Tsunamis are multiscale phenomena resulting from a water column displacement that may be induced by multiple sources, and range from local scale inundation processes to ocean-wide scale wave propagation. Different strategies may be required to model tsunami evolution at different scales and to characterize various intensity measures. Research in tsunami hazard and risk has focused mostly...
Authors
Natalia Zamora, Anita Grezio, Maria Papathoma-Kohle, Fatemeh Jalayer, Dimitra Salmanidou, Thomas E. Parsons, Eric L. Geist, Jacopo Selva, Mathilde B. Sørensen, Irina Rafliana

Archean to Mesozoic–Cenozoic seismic crustal structure: Implications for geological and biological evolution Archean to Mesozoic–Cenozoic seismic crustal structure: Implications for geological and biological evolution

We use >4500 measurements of crustal structure to investigate the seismic structure of continental crust, Archean to Mesozoic–Cenozoic. The mean crustal thickness of continents, including their margins, is 36.5 km. We find that Archean, Paleoproterozoic, and Mesoproterozoic crust have similar mean crustal thickness (41 km), seismic velocities, Vp/Vs ratio, and density. Crusts of these...
Authors
Walter D. Mooney, P. Barrera-Lopez, Maria Gabriela Suarez

Complexity and integration of recreational fisheries Complexity and integration of recreational fisheries

Recreational fisheries are interconnected, complex, adaptive systems characterized by multiple direct and indirect interactions among ecological and human subsystems. This is important for many reasons, including that feedbacks between the social and ecological dimensions lead to difficult-to-predict, often entirely unexpected, outcomes and because many management and governance systems...
Authors
Abigail J. Lynch, Len M. Hunt, A. Ben Beardmore, Brett T. van Poorten, Kevin L. Pope, Robert Arlinghaus
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