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Publications

Browse publications authored by our scientists.  Publications available are: USGS-authored journal articles, series reports, book chapters, other government publications, and more. 

 

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

Filter Total Items: 5123

The global status of freshwater fish age validation studies and a prioritization framework for future research The global status of freshwater fish age validation studies and a prioritization framework for future research

Age information derived from calcified structures is commonly used to estimate recruitment, growth, and mortality for fish populations. Validation of daily or annual marks on age structures is often assumed, presumably due to a lack of general knowledge concerning the status of age validation studies. Therefore, the current status of freshwater fish age validation studies was summarized...
Authors
Kevin L. Pope, Martin J. Hamel, Mark A. Pegg, Jonathan J. Spurgeon

Assessing dorsal scute microchemistry for reconstruction of shortnose sturgeon life histories Assessing dorsal scute microchemistry for reconstruction of shortnose sturgeon life histories

The imperiled status of sturgeons worldwide places priority on the identification and protection of critical habitats. We assessed the micro-structural and micro-chemical scope for a novel calcified structure, dorsal scutes, to be used for reconstruction of past habitat use and group separation in shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum). Dorsal scutes contained a dual-layered...
Authors
Matthew E. Altenritter, Michael T. Kinnison, Gayle B. Zydlewski, David H. Secor, Joseph D. Zydlewski

Growth and contribution of stocked channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque, 1818): the importance of measuring post-stocking performance Growth and contribution of stocked channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque, 1818): the importance of measuring post-stocking performance

In this study it was sought to quantify post-stocking growth, survival, and contribution of advanced size (178 mm total length [TL]) channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus fingerlings, something rarely done. Channel catfish populations were evaluated before (May 2010) and after (May to August 2011 and 2012) stocking. Relative abundance, stocking contribution, and growth were different (P
Authors
David R. Stewart, James M. Long

Spotted bass Micropterus punctulatus (Rafinesque 1819) Spotted bass Micropterus punctulatus (Rafinesque 1819)

Three subspecies of Spotted Bass Micropterus punctulatus were historically recognized: the smaller Northern Spotted Bass M. p. punctulatus, the larger, longer-lived Alabama Spotted Bass M. p. henshalli, and the now invalidated Wichita Spotted Bass M. p. wichitae (Bailey and Hubbs 1940; Cofer 1995; Warren 2009; Rider and Maceina 2015, this volume). The subspecific status has been examined...
Authors
Timothy N. Churchill, Phillip William Bettoli

Limits to benthic feeding by eiders in a vital Arctic migration corridor due to localized prey and changing sea ice Limits to benthic feeding by eiders in a vital Arctic migration corridor due to localized prey and changing sea ice

Four species of threatened or declining eider ducks that nest in the Arctic migrate through the northeast Chukchi Sea, where anticipated industrial development may require prioritizing areas for conservation. In this nearshore corridor (10–40 m depth), the eiders’ access to benthic prey during the spring is restricted to variable areas of open water within sea ice. For the most abundant...
Authors
James R. Lovvorn, Aariel R. Rocha, Stephen C. Jewett, Douglas Dasher, Steffen Oppel, Abby Powell

Oyster reef restoration supports increased nekton biomass and potential commercial fishery value Oyster reef restoration supports increased nekton biomass and potential commercial fishery value

Across the globe, discussions centered on the value of nature drive many conservation and restoration decisions. As a result, justification for management activities increasingly asks for two lines of evidence: (1) biological proof of augmented ecosystem function or service, and (2) monetary valuation of these services. For oyster reefs, which have seen significant global declines and...
Authors
Austin T. Humphries, Megan K. LaPeyre

Spatial scaling patterns and functional redundancies in a changing boreal lake landscape Spatial scaling patterns and functional redundancies in a changing boreal lake landscape

Global transformations extend beyond local habitats; therefore, larger-scale approaches are needed to assess community-level responses and resilience to unfolding environmental changes. Using longterm data (1996–2011), we evaluated spatial patterns and functional redundancies in the littoral invertebrate communities of 85 Swedish lakes, with the objective of assessing their potential...
Authors
David G. Angeler, Craig R. Allen, Daniel R. Uden, Richard K. Johnson

High-tech or field techs: Radio-telemetry is a cost-effective method for reducing bias in songbird nest searching High-tech or field techs: Radio-telemetry is a cost-effective method for reducing bias in songbird nest searching

We compared the efficacy of standard nest-searching methods with finding nests via radio-tagged birds to assess how search technique influenced our determination of nest-site characteristics and nest success for Golden-winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera). We also evaluated the cost-effectiveness of using radio-tagged birds to find nests. Using standard nest-searching techniques for 3
Authors
Sean M. Peterson, Henry M. Streby, Justin A. Lehman, Gunnar R. Kramer, Alexander C. Fish, David E. Andersen

Adult mortality probability and nest predation rates explain parental effort in warming eggs with consequences for embryonic development time Adult mortality probability and nest predation rates explain parental effort in warming eggs with consequences for embryonic development time

Parental behavior and effort vary extensively among species. Life-history theory suggests that age-specific mortality could cause this interspecific variation, but past tests have focused on fecundity as the measure of parental effort. Fecundity can cause costs of reproduction that confuse whether mortality is the cause or the consequence of parental effort. We focus on a trait, parental
Authors
Thomas E. Martin, Juan C. Oteyza, Andy J. Boyce, Penn Lloyd, Riccardo Ton

Water masses, ocean fronts, and the structure of Antarctic seabird communities: putting the eastern Bellingshausen Sea in perspective Water masses, ocean fronts, and the structure of Antarctic seabird communities: putting the eastern Bellingshausen Sea in perspective

Waters off the western Antarctic Peninsula (i.e., the eastern Bellingshausen Sea) are unusually complex owing to the convergence of several major fronts. Determining the relative influence of fronts on occurrence patterns of top-trophic species in that area, therefore, has been challenging. In one of the few ocean-wide seabird data syntheses, in this case for the Southern Ocean, we...
Authors
Christine A. Ribic, David G. Ainley, R. Glenn Ford, William R. Fraser, Cynthia T. Tynan, Eric J. Woehler

Influence of hydrologic modifications on Fraxinus pennsylvanica in the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, USA Influence of hydrologic modifications on Fraxinus pennsylvanica in the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, USA

We used tree-ring analysis to examine radial growth response of a common, moderately flood-tolerant species (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall) to hydrologic and climatic variability for > 40 years before and after hydrologic modifications affecting two forest stands in the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (USA): a stand without levees below dams and a stand within a ring levee. At the...
Authors
Hugo K.W. Gee, Sammy L. King, Richard F. Keim
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