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.
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Mission Area Publications
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Biologging to identify nesting and non-nesting emergences for four species of imperiled sea turtles Biologging to identify nesting and non-nesting emergences for four species of imperiled sea turtles
Quantifying sea turtle nesting behavior is essential for recovery planning and evaluating management actions. Traditional monitoring approaches, based on nest counts from beach surveys, can misclassify non-nesting emergences, obscure true fecundity, and underestimate clutch frequency, metrics that directly influence population models and regulatory decisions. Here, we demonstrate that...
Authors
Kristen Hart, Connor White, Donna Shaver, Margaret Lamont, Michael Cherkiss, Andrew Crowder, Nicholas Whitney
Growth of a passive lava lake during the 2020–2021 eruption of Kīlauea volcano, Hawaii Growth of a passive lava lake during the 2020–2021 eruption of Kīlauea volcano, Hawaii
We investigate the growth of a passive lava lake in Halemaʻumaʻu crater during the December 2020 to May 2021 eruption of Kīlauea volcano, Hawaii. Fed by vents above their surfaces, the formation of passive lava lakes in topographic lows is an important process in the growth of basaltic volcanoes. We captured visible and thermal images during 17 helicopter overflights and applied...
Authors
Brett Carr, Matthew Patrick, Hannah R. Dietterich, Michael Zoeller, Carolyn Parcheta, Drew Downs, Patricia Nadeau, Christoper Hamilton
Environmental tradeoffs of urban stream restoration in Fairfax County, Virginia Environmental tradeoffs of urban stream restoration in Fairfax County, Virginia
Regulatory mandates to improve water quality and stream health have driven substantial investment in stream restoration. Most projects aim to improve channel-floodplain connectivity, reduce sediment erosion, and enhance habitat for aquatic organisms, yet few include adequate pre- and post-restoration monitoring to assess outcomes. Since 2007, Fairfax County, Virginia, and the U.S...
Authors
Aaron Porter, Christopher Ruck, Spencer Tassone
Exploring atmospheric deposition chemistry data across the United States Exploring atmospheric deposition chemistry data across the United States
The National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) collects atmospheric data to monitor air pollution effects on the quality of United States water supplies and ecosystems. The NADP requires consistent data collection at fixed locations and is governed by a committee with participation by many Federal and State agencies, universities, Tribes, and private companies. NADP conducts a spring...
Authors
Ryan McCammon, Noel Deyette, Gregory Wetherbee
A summary of grizzly bear distribution in the lower-48 US states in 2024 A summary of grizzly bear distribution in the lower-48 US states in 2024
Understanding the distribution of grizzly bear populations in the lower-48 states, is important for their conservation and management, and for public safety. Previously, our research teams working in grizzly bear ecosystems in the lower-48 states used varying methods to estimate distribution of grizzly bear populations. In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) and Northern Continental...
Authors
Cecily Costello, Justin Dellinger, Jennifer Fortin-Noreus, Mark Haroldson, Bryn Karabensh, Wayne Kasworm, Lori Roberts, Justin Teisberg, Frank van Manen, Tyler Vent
Early season tropical cyclones affect birds breeding on a barrier island Early season tropical cyclones affect birds breeding on a barrier island
Animal populations often experience acute natural disturbances, most of which are connected to short—term weather events. Occurrences of early—season tropical cyclones during the peak of the avian breeding season are likely to increase with climate change, which can substantially impact populations of coastal breeding birds at multiple scales. To understand the acute impacts of severe...
Authors
Theodore Zenzal, Amanda Anderson, Brock Geary, Jessica Schulz, Robert Dobbs, Wylie Barrow, Hardin Waddle
Land use and soil characteristics are associated with increased risk of treponeme-associated hoof disease in elk Land use and soil characteristics are associated with increased risk of treponeme-associated hoof disease in elk
Environments can shape the occurrence and extent of disease outbreaks in wildlife. We studied the effects of environmental features on the occurrence of treponeme-associated hoof disease (TAHD), an emerging infectious disease of free-ranging elk (Cervus canadensis), in southwestern Washington, USA. During the 2016–2022 harvest seasons, successful elk hunters returned mandatory harvest...
Authors
Steven Winter, Glen A. Sargeant, Margaret Wild, Erin Clancey, Kathryn Huyvaert, Kyle Garrison, Pilar Fernandez
A transdisciplinary approach to growing an applied science of cultural evolution for a sustainable future A transdisciplinary approach to growing an applied science of cultural evolution for a sustainable future
Addressing sustainability challenges requires an integrative approach that bridges scientific research with practical application. The field of cultural evolution (CE) offers a perspective that may guide transitions and cultural transformations for a sustainable future. However, there have been few efforts to apply this field to sustainability challenges. This study explores how CE can...
Authors
Jeremy Brooks, Rebecca Koomen, Peter Søgaard-Jørgensen, Richard Berl, Wendy Chavez-Paez, Dustin Eirdosh, Moh Hakim, Susan Hanisch, Christine Lindell, James Liu, Minh Nguyễn, Anne Pisor, Douglas Rogers, Rainer Romero-Canyas, Erik Thulin, Tim Waring
Foundational principles of an applied cultural evolutionary science for natural resource management and conservation Foundational principles of an applied cultural evolutionary science for natural resource management and conservation
Culture, as the filter through which people view the world and a key determinant of human behaviour, is central to the practice of natural resource management and conservation. Conservation is intended to moderate the impacts of human cultural modification of the environment, exists as an endeavour because it is culturally valued, and acts largely through policies to encourage or...
Authors
Richard Berl, Jonathan Fisk, Lily van Eeden, Jonathan Salerno, Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares, Kirsten Leong, Jonathan Long, G. Boomer, Christopher Williams, Ugo Arbieu, Lisa Lehnen, Adam Landon, Erle Ellis, Bas Verschuuren, Lincoln R. Larson, Michael Gavin
Toward co-designed Earth System Models: Reflecting end-user priorities in local applications from a modeler's perspective Toward co-designed Earth System Models: Reflecting end-user priorities in local applications from a modeler's perspective
Earth System Models (ESM) are crucial for quantifying climate impacts across Earth's interconnected systems and supporting science-based adaptation and mitigation. However, not including end-users, especially decision-makers representing communities vulnerable to climate change, can limit model utility, increase epistemic risks, and lead to information misuse in decision-making. While...
Authors
Yifan Cheng, Nicole Herman-Mercer, Andrew Newman, Keith Musselman, Cleo Woelfle-Hazard, Dylan Blaskey, Cassandra Brooks, Tvetene Carlson, Joshua Koch, Monica Morrison, Edda A. Mutter, Daniel Sarna-Wojcicki, Peyton Thomas, Jenessa Tlen, Ryan Toohey
Imidacloprid in United States rivers, 2013–2022: Persistent presence and emerging chronic hazard Imidacloprid in United States rivers, 2013–2022: Persistent presence and emerging chronic hazard
Imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide, is used for agricultural and nonagricultural purposes and is toxic to nontarget organisms at low concentrations in aquatic ecosystems. A total of 12,547 water samples were collected from 2013 to 2022 from 77 rivers across the United States (U.S.) and were analyzed to evaluate detections and temporal trends in imidacloprid concentrations...
Authors
Samuel Miller, Travis Schmidt, Larry B. Barber, Michelle Hladik, Dana W. Kolpin, Megan Shoda, Sarah Stackpoole
Power source, data retrieval method, and attachment type affect success of dorsally mounted tracking tag deployments in 37 species of shorebirds Power source, data retrieval method, and attachment type affect success of dorsally mounted tracking tag deployments in 37 species of shorebirds
Animal-borne trackers are commonly used to study bird movements, including in long-distance migrants such as shorebirds. Selecting a tracker and attachment method can be daunting, and methodological advancements often have been made by trial and error and conveyed by word of mouth. We synthesized tracking outcomes across 2745 dorsally mounted trackers on 37 shorebird species around the...
Authors
Emily Weiser, Richard Lanctot, Daniel Ruthrauff, Sarah Saalfeld, Lee Tibbitts, José Abad-Gómez, Joaquin Aldabe, Juliana de Almeida, José A. Alves, Guy Anderson, Phil Battley, Heinrich Belting, Joël Bêty, Kristin Bianchini, Mary Bishop, Roeland Bom, Katharine Bowgen, Glen Brown, Stephen Brown, Leandro Bugoni, Niall Burton, David Bybee, Camilo Carneiro, Gabriel Castresana, Ying-Chi Chan, Chi-Yeung Choi, Katherine Christie, Nigel A. Clark, Jesse Conklin, Medardo Cruz-López, Stephen J. Dinsmore, Steve Dodd, David C. Douglas, Luke Eberhart-Hertel, Willow English, Harry Ewing, Fernando Faria, Samantha Franks, Richard A. Fuller, Robert E. Gill, Marie-Andrée Giroux, Cheri Gratto-Trevor, David Green, Rhys Green, Ros Green, Tómas Gunnarsson, Jorge Gutiérrez, Autumn-Lynn Harrison, C. Hartman, Chris J. Hassell, Sarah Hoepfner, Jos Hooijmeijer, James Johnson, Oscar Johnson, Bart Kempenaers, Marcel Klaassen, Eva Kok, Johannes Krietsch, Clemens Küpper, Andy Kwarteng, Eunbi Kwon, Jean-Francois Lamarre, Christopher Latty, Nicolas Lecomte, A.H. Loonstra, Zhijun Ma, Lucas Mander, Christopher Marlow, Peter P. Marra, Jose Masero, Laura McDuffie, Rebecca L McGuire, Johannes Melter, David Melville, Verónica Méndez, Tyler Michels, Christy Morrissey, Tong Mu, David Newstead, Gary W. Page, Allison Pierce, Theunis Piersma, Márcio Repenning, Brian Robinson, Afonso Rocha, Danny Rogers, Amy L. Scarpignato, Shiloh Schulte, Emily Scragg, Nathan Senner, Paul Smith, Audrey Taylor, Rachel Taylor, Böðvar Þórisson, Mihai Valcu, Mo Verhoeven, Lena Ware, Nils Warnock, Michael Weber, Lucy J. Wright, Michael Wunder