Publications
Browse more than 160,000 publications authored by our scientists over the past 100+ year history of the USGS. Publications available are: USGS-authored journal articles, series reports, book chapters, other government publications, and more.
Mission Area Publications
Mission Area Publications
We are focused on some of the most significant issues society faces, and our science is making a substantial contribution to the well-being of the Nation and the world. Learn more about the major topics our research covers and the programs focused on those topics.
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Postrelease movements of captive-reared adult Atlantic Salmon in two Maine rivers Postrelease movements of captive-reared adult Atlantic Salmon in two Maine rivers
Objective Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar remain at critically low levels in the United States, with the last remaining populations located in the state of Maine. In 2021, a pilot captive-rearing program, similar to a smolt-to-adult supplementation, was implemented to boost naturally spawning adults in support of recovery goals.Methods We conducted a 2-year acoustic telemetry study to track...
Authors
Carolyn A. Merriam, Danielle Frechette, Joseph D. Zydlewski
Confocal laser-scanning microscopy (CLSM)-based thermal maturity of Tasmanites and progress in standardization of fluorescence microspectrometry Confocal laser-scanning microscopy (CLSM)-based thermal maturity of Tasmanites and progress in standardization of fluorescence microspectrometry
Evaluation of thermal maturity in vitrinite-free or vitrinite-deficient sediments via fluorescence microspectrometry can provide relevant information related to petroleum exploration and thermal history assessment. However, variation in spectral fluorescence properties of alginite macerals with increasing thermal maturity is largely underexplored. Here, authors of this study have applied...
Authors
Jolanta Kus, Paul C. Hackley
Longevity, age-specific survival, and mean generation time of Rana muscosa: Implications for conservation of possibly the longest lived Ranid frog Longevity, age-specific survival, and mean generation time of Rana muscosa: Implications for conservation of possibly the longest lived Ranid frog
Life history strategies vary widely among species and play a vital role in extinction risk, especially in a rapidly changing environment. For many taxa, information on life history such as longevity, lifespan, and generation time is incomplete. This is especially true for amphibians, which have experienced large-scale declines in recent decades. The mountain yellow-legged frog (Rana...
Authors
Cynthia Joan Hitchcock, Adam R. Backlin, Amanda Renee Goldberg, Sarah Kay Thomsen, Erin L. Muths, Elizabeth Gallegos, Robert D. Fisher
Tree swallows as indicators of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance exposure and effects at select Department of Defense sites along the East Coast and at sites with different sources in the Upper Midwest, United States Tree swallows as indicators of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance exposure and effects at select Department of Defense sites along the East Coast and at sites with different sources in the Upper Midwest, United States
Questions remain about the distribution of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment, the sources and movement within and between ecosystems, and whether there are effects from such exposure. Information from the Upper Midwest and the mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, which have different PFAS sources, were investigated. Concentrations of Total40 (sum of 40...
Authors
Christine M. Custer, Paul M. Dummer, Sandra L. Schultz, Natalie Karouna-Renier, Cole W. Matson
Experimental warming alters free-living nitrogen fixation in a humid tropical forest Experimental warming alters free-living nitrogen fixation in a humid tropical forest
Microbial nitrogen (N) fixation accounts for c. 97% of natural N inputs to terrestrial ecosystems. These microbes can be free-living in the soil and leaf litter (asymbiotic) or in symbiosis with plants. Warming is expected to increase N-fixation rates because warmer temperatures favor the growth and activity of N-fixing microbes. We investigated the effects of warming on asymbiotic...
Authors
Parker M. Bartz, Iana F. Grullón-Penkova, Molly A. Cavaleri, Sasha C. Reed, Saima Shahid, Tana E. Wood, Benedicte Bachelot
Genetic and environmental factors associated with survival of a rare songbird in a fragmented urban landscape Genetic and environmental factors associated with survival of a rare songbird in a fragmented urban landscape
The coastal Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus) persists in small and fragmented populations throughout southern California that are subject to genetic drift and inbreeding. We combined individual banding and resighting data and genotyped individuals at 22 microsatellite loci to assess whether heterozygosity was associated with survival across three regional Cactus Wren...
Authors
Amy G. Vandergast, Anna Mitelberg, Barbara E. Kus, Kristine L. Preston, Suellen Lynn, Alexandra Houston, Robert C. Klinger
SURF: An automated method for building nonplanar 3D fault models from earthquake hypocenters SURF: An automated method for building nonplanar 3D fault models from earthquake hypocenters
Accurately characterizing 3D fault geometry is vital for improving our understanding of earthquake behavior and informing the development of seismic hazard models. Despite their importance, subsurface fault structures tend to be poorly constrained because of limitations in observational data. Improvements to the seismic networks and earthquake detection algorithms have increased the...
Authors
Travis Vincent Alongi, Austin J. Elliott, Robert J. Skoumal, David R. Shelly, Alexandra Elise Hatem
Sea-level driven isolation of glacial plant refugia revealed by submerged lake sediment from the Bering Land Bridge and St. Matthew Island Sea-level driven isolation of glacial plant refugia revealed by submerged lake sediment from the Bering Land Bridge and St. Matthew Island
Bering Land Bridge (BLB) climate and vegetation during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) remains largely understudied, given challenges associated with collecting records from the submerged BLB. Previous records, confined to the margins of the modern land area and adjacent shelf, reveal conflicting interpretations of Beringian vegetation during the LGM. Here, we reconstruct LGM vegetation
Authors
Miriam C. Jones, Lesleigh Anderson, Beth Elaine Caissie, David J. Harning, Thomas A. Ager
New maps of natural radioactivity reveal critical minerals and more New maps of natural radioactivity reveal critical minerals and more
High-resolution airborne radiometric surveys are covering more ground than ever to provide insights into unseen geology, mineral resource potential, and possible health hazards.
Authors
Anjana K. Shah, Daniel H. Doctor, Chloe Danielle Gustafson, Alan D Pitts
Estimating recruitment of Largemouth Bass to exceptional weights using angler-reported catches Estimating recruitment of Largemouth Bass to exceptional weights using angler-reported catches
ABSTRACTObjective Although most facets of Largemouth Bass Micropterus nigricans ecology have been researched, the upper tiers of weight distributions (i.e., ≥3.6 kg; herein, “lunkers”) have received little attention due to the challenges of collecting sufficient sample sizes. Our aim was to estimate Largemouth Bass recruitment to higher weights after reaching 3.6 kg and to identify...
Authors
Leandro E. Miranda, Frank Griffin, Natalie Goldstrohm, J. Wesley Neal, Thomas J. Lang
Near real-time indicators of burn severity in the western U.S. from active fire tracking Near real-time indicators of burn severity in the western U.S. from active fire tracking
Background Timely information on wildfire burn severity is critical to assess and mitigate potential post-fire impacts on soils, vegetation, and hillslope stability. Tracking individual fire spread and intensity using satellite active fire data provides a pathway to near real-time (NRT) information. Here, we generated a large database (n = 2177) of wildfire events in the western United...
Authors
Elijah Orland, Tempest McCabe, Yang Chen, Rebecca C. Scholten, Zeb Becker, Rachel A. Loehman, James T. Randerson, Shane R. Coffield, Tianjia Liu, Alexey N. Shiklomanov, Kurtis Nelson, Birgit Peterson, Melanie B. Follette-Cook, Douglas C. Morton
Host responses and viral traits interact to shape the impacts of climate warming on highly pathogenic avian influenza in migratory waterfowl Host responses and viral traits interact to shape the impacts of climate warming on highly pathogenic avian influenza in migratory waterfowl
Emerging infectious diseases pose threats to wildlife populations, as exemplified by recent outbreaks of avian influenza viruses in wild birds. Climate change can affect infection dynamics in wildlife through direct effects on pathogens (e.g., environmental decay rates) and changes to host ecology, including shifting migration patterns. Here, we adapt an existing mechanistic model that...
Authors
Claire Stewart Teitelbaum, Michael L. Casazza, Cory T. Overton, Elliott Matchett, Diann J. Prosser