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Monitoring population-level foraging distribution of a marine migratory species from land: Strengths and weaknesses of the isotopic approach on the Northwest Atlantic loggerhead turtle aggregation
Assessing the linkage between breeding and non-breeding areas has important implications for understanding the fundamental biology of and conserving animal species. This is a challenging task for marine species, and in sea turtles a combination of stable isotope analysis (SIA) and satellite telemetry has been increasingly used. The Northwest Atlantic (NWA) loggerhead (Caretta caretta) Regional Man
Authors
Simona A. Ceriani, Susan Murasko, David S. Addison, David Anderson, Greg Curry, Nicole A. Desjardin, Scott F. Eastman, Daniel R. Evans, Nancy Evou, Mariana M.P.B. Fuentes, Matthew H. Godfrey, Kristen Hart, Paul Hillbrand, Sarah E. Hirsch, Cody R. Mott, Katherine L. Mansfield, Kristen T. Mazzarella, Sarah V. Norris, S. Michelle Pate, Katrina F. Phillips, Kirt W. Rusenko, Brian M. Shamblin, Amber Stevenson, Kelly A. Sloan, Anton D. Tucker, Ryan C. Welsh, Paolo Casale
Multiple-well monitoring site adjacent to the Elk Hills Oil Field, Kern County, California
IntroductionThe Elk Hills Oil Field is one of the many fields selected for regional groundwater mapping and monitoring by the California State Water Resources Control Board as part of the Oil and Gas Regional Monitoring Program (California State Water Resources Control Board, 2015, 2022b; U.S. Geological Survey, 2022a). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the California State Wa
Authors
Rhett R. Everett, Janice M. Gillespie, Mackenzie M. Shepherd, Andrew Y. Morita, Maryanne Bobbitt, Christopher A. Kohel, John G. Warden
Bathymetric, hydrodynamic, biological, and water-quality characteristics of a nearshore area of the Laguna Madre near South Padre Island, Texas, 2021–22
A variety of data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of South Padre Island, to better understand the physical and biological habitat in Tompkins Channel and adjacent seagrass beds in the lower Laguna Madre, Texas, where the construction of berms has been proposed in the City of South Padre Island’s Shoreline Master Plan. These berms would be used to create l
Authors
Stephen P. Opsahl, Julio Ines Beltran, Darwin J. Ockerman
Tourist perceptions of climate change impacts on mountain ecotourism in southern Mexico
Climate change impacts on tourism are well documented, with most studies focusing on challenges facing ski or beach tourism. While non-ski, mountain tourism accounts for almost one fifth of tourism worldwide, there is a dearth of research on tourists’ perceptions of climate change impacts and their effects on tourism demand in these areas. This study, conducted at the ecotourism destination of the
Authors
Ginger Deason, Erin Seekamp, Adam Terando, Camila Rojas
Effects of noise from oil and gas development on ungulates and small mammals—A science synthesis to inform National Environmental Policy Act analyses
The U.S. Geological Survey is working with Federal land management agencies to develop a series of science syntheses to support environmental effects analyses that agencies conduct to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This report synthesizes science information about the potential effects of noise from oil and gas development on North American ungulates and small mammals, i
Authors
Tait K. Rutherford, Logan M. Maxwell, Nathan J. Kleist, Elisabeth C. Teige, Richard J. Lehrter, Megan A. Gilbert, David J.A. Wood, Aaron N. Johnston, Claudia Mengelt, John C. Tull, Travis S. Haby, Sarah K. Carter
Construction and modification of debris-flow alluvial fans as captured in the geomorphic and sedimentary record: Examples from the western Sangre de Cristo Mountains, south-central Colorado
Debris-flow alluvial fans are iconic features of dynamic landscapes and are hypothesized to record tectonic and climatic change. Here, we highlight their complex formation and evolution through an exemplary suite of Quaternary debris-flow alluvial fans emanating from the western range front of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in south-central Colorado, USA. To evaluate the constructive and modifying
Authors
Sylvia Nicovich, James Schmitt, Harrison J. Gray, Ralph E. Klinger, Shannon A. Mahan
Stony coral tissue loss disease accelerated shifts in coral composition and declines in reef accretion potential in the Florida Keys
Outbreaks of coral disease have been a dominant force shaping western Atlantic coral-reef assemblages since the late 1970s. Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) is nonetheless having an unprecedented impact in the region. Whereas numerous studies over the last decade have worked to characterize this novel pathogen and its impacts on coral populations, few have quantified its functional effects
Authors
Lauren Toth, Travis A. Courtney, Michael A. Colella, Robert R. Ruzicka
Factors influencing autumn–winter movements of midcontinent Mallards and consequences for harvest and habitat management
Annual phenology and distributions of migratory wildlife have been noticeably influenced by climate change, leading to concerns about sustainable populations. Recent studies exploring conditions influencing autumn migration departure have provided conflicting insights regarding factors influencing the movements of Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), a popular game species. We determined factors affecti
Authors
Aaron T. Pearse, M. Szymanski, Cynthia A. Anchor, Michael J. Anteau, Rocco Murano, David A. Brandt, Joshua D. Stafford
Spatial distribution and diet of Lake Michigan juvenile lake trout
Most studies of Lake Michigan lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) have focused on adults, with scant attention to juveniles (<400 mm). We explored the spatial distribution and diet of juvenile lake trout using U.S. Geological Survey September bottom trawl data (2015–2022) and stomach content information opportunistically collected since 2012 by various agencies using multiple gear types. Most juveni
Authors
Benjamin Scott Leonhardt, Ralph W. Tingley, Charles P. Madenjian, Lynn M. Ogilvie, Brian Roth, Jory L. Jonas, Jason B. Smith
High pathogenicity avian influenza represents an unprecedented conservation challenge for globally declining seabird populations. Response to: Editorial, Protect wildlife from livestock diseases (Thijs Kuiken & Ruth Cromie)
No abstract available.
Authors
Michelle Wille, Stephanie Avery-Gomm, Valentina Caliendo, Kees Camphuysen, E. Humphreys, Andrew Lang, Emma Philip, Andrew M. Ramey, Jolianne M. Rijks, Gregory Robertson, Laura Robertson
Isothermal recombinant polymerase amplification and CRIPSR (CAS12A) assay detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum as an example for wildlife pathogen detection in environmental DNA samples
Improving rapid detection methods for pathogens is important for research as we collectively aim to improve the health of ecosystems globally. In the northern hemisphere, the success of salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) populations is vitally important to the larger marine, aquatic, and terrestrial ecosystems they inhabit. This has led to managers cultivating salmon in hatcheries and aquaculture to bolst
Authors
Erin D’Agnese, Dorothy M. Chase, Elizabeth Andruszkiewicz-Allan
A watershed moment for western U.S. dams
The summer of 2023 is a notable time for water-resource management in the western United States: Glen Canyon Dam, on the Colorado River, turns 60 years old while the largest dam-removal project in history is beginning on the Klamath River. This commentary discusses these events in the context of a changing paradigm for dam and reservoir management in this region. Since the era of large dam buildin
Authors
Amy E. East, Gordon E. Grant