Publications
USGS research activities relevant to Alaska have yielded more than 9400 historical publications. This page features some of the most recent newsworthy research findings.
Filter Total Items: 3091
Microsatellite marker isolation and development for the giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) Microsatellite marker isolation and development for the giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini)
We isolated and developed 18 novel microsatellite markers for the giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) and examined them for 31 individuals from Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska. These loci displayed moderate levels of allelic diversity (averaging 11 alleles per locus) and heterozygosity (averaging 65%). Seven loci deviated from Hardy–Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE) due to...
Authors
Rebecca K. Toussaint, G. Kevin Sage, Sandra L. Talbot, David Scheel
Long-distance swimming by polar bears (Ursus maritimus) of the southern Beaufort Sea during years of extensive open water Long-distance swimming by polar bears (Ursus maritimus) of the southern Beaufort Sea during years of extensive open water
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774) depend on sea ice for catching marine mammal prey. Recent sea-ice declines have been linked to reductions in body condition, survival, and population size. Reduced foraging opportunity is hypothesized to be the primary cause of sea-ice-linked declines, but the costs of travel through a deteriorated sea-ice environment also may be a factor. We...
Authors
Anthony M. Pagano, George M. Durner, Kristin S. Simac, G.S. York, Steven C. Amstrup
Habitat use and movement patterns of Northern Pintails during spring in northern Japan: the importance of agricultural lands Habitat use and movement patterns of Northern Pintails during spring in northern Japan: the importance of agricultural lands
From 2006 to 2009, we marked 198 Northern Pintails (Anas acuta) with satellite transmitters on their wintering areas in Japan to study their migration routes and habitat use in spring staging areas. We hypothesized that the distribution of pintails during spring staging was influenced by patterns of land use and expected that the most frequently used areas would have more agricultural...
Authors
Noriyuki M. Yamaguchi, Jerry W. Hupp, Paul L. Flint, John M. Pearce, Yusuke Shigeta, Tetsuo Shimada, Emiko N. Hiraoka, Hiroyoshi Higuchi
Contrasting extreme long-distance migration patterns in bar-tailed godwits Limosa lapponica Contrasting extreme long-distance migration patterns in bar-tailed godwits Limosa lapponica
Migrating birds make the longest non-stop endurance flights in the animal kingdom. Satellite technology is now providing direct evidence on the lengths and durations of these flights and associated staging episodes for individual birds. Using this technology, we compared the migration performance of two subspecies of bar-tailed godwit Limosa lapponica travelling between non-breeding...
Authors
Phil F. Battley, Nils Warnock, T. Lee Tibbitts, Robert E. Gill, Theunis Piersma, Chris J. Hassell, David C. Douglas, Daniel M. Mulcahy, Brett D. Gartrell, Rob Schuckard, David S. Melville, Adrian C. Riegen
Functional ecology of saltglands in shorebirds: Flexible responses to variable environmental conditions Functional ecology of saltglands in shorebirds: Flexible responses to variable environmental conditions
1. Birds of marine environments have specialized glands to excrete salt, the saltglands. Located on the skull between the eyes, the size of these organs is expected to reflect their demand, which will vary with water turnover rates as a function of environmental (heat load, salinity of prey and drinking water) and organismal (energy demand, physiological state) factors. On the basis of...
Authors
J.S. Gutierrez, M.W. Dietz, J.A. Masero, Robert E. Gill, Anne Dekinga, Phil F. Battley, J. M. Sanchez-Guzman, Theunis Piersma
SYBR green-based real-time reverse transcription-PCR for typing and subtyping of all hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes of avian influenza viruses and comparison to standard serological subtyping tests SYBR green-based real-time reverse transcription-PCR for typing and subtyping of all hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes of avian influenza viruses and comparison to standard serological subtyping tests
Continuing outbreaks of H5N1 highly pathogenic (HP) avian influenza virus (AIV) infections of wild birds and poultry worldwide emphasize the need for global surveillance of wild birds. To support the future surveillance activities, we developed a SYBR green-based, real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (rRT-PCR) for detecting nucleoprotein (NP) genes and subtyping 16 hemagglutinin (HA) and...
Authors
K. Tsukamoto, P.C. Javier, M. Shishido, D. Noguchi, John M. Pearce, H.-M. Kang, O.M. Jeong, Y.-J. Lee, K. Nakanishi, T. Ashizawa
Field guide to the accretionary complex and neotectonics of south-central Alaska, Anchorage to Seward Field guide to the accretionary complex and neotectonics of south-central Alaska, Anchorage to Seward
No abstract available.
Authors
Susan M. Karl, Dwight C. Bradley, Rodney Combellick, Marti L. Miller
Development of a pan-Arctic monitoring plan for polar bears: Background paper Development of a pan-Arctic monitoring plan for polar bears: Background paper
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus), by their very nature, and the extreme, remote environment in which they live, are inherently difficult to study and monitor. Monitoring polar bear populations is both arduous and costly and, to be effective, must be a long-term commitment. There are few jurisdictional governments and management boards with a mandate for polar bear research and management...
Authors
Dag Vongraven, Elizabeth L. Peacock
Geomorphology and bank erosion of the Matanuska River, southcentral Alaska Geomorphology and bank erosion of the Matanuska River, southcentral Alaska
Bank erosion along the Matanuska River, a braided, glacial river in southcentral Alaska, has damaged or threatened houses, roadways, and public facilities for decades. Mapping of river geomorphology and bank characteristics for a 65-mile study area from the Matanuska Glacier to the river mouth provided erodibility information that was assessed along with 1949-2006 erosion to establish...
Authors
Janet H. Curran, Monica L. McTeague
Water quality of the Chokosna, Gilahina, Lakina Rivers, and Long Lake watershed along McCarthy Road, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska, 2007-08 Water quality of the Chokosna, Gilahina, Lakina Rivers, and Long Lake watershed along McCarthy Road, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska, 2007-08
The Chokosna, Gilahina, and Lakina River basins, and the Long Lake watershed are located along McCarthy Road in Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve. The rivers and lake support a large run of sockeye (red) salmon that is important to the commercial and recreational fisheries in the larger Copper River. To gain a better understanding of the water quality conditions of these...
Authors
Timothy P. Brabets, Robert T. Ourso, Matthew P. Miller, Anne M. D. Brasher
Selenium concentrations and enzyme activities of glutathione metabolism in wild long-tailed ducks and common eiders Selenium concentrations and enzyme activities of glutathione metabolism in wild long-tailed ducks and common eiders
The relationships of selenium (Se) concentrations in whole blood with plasma activities of total glutathione peroxidase, Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase were studied in long-tailed ducks (Clangula hyemalis) and common eiders (Somateria mollissima) sampled along the Beaufort Sea coast of Alaska, USA. Blood Se concentrations were >8 μg/g wet weight in both...
Authors
J. Christian Franson, David J. Hoffman, Paul L. Flint
Global seabird responses to forage fish depletion - One-third for the birds Global seabird responses to forage fish depletion - One-third for the birds
Determining the form of key predator-prey relationships is critical for understanding marine ecosystem dynamics. Using a comprehensive global database, we quantified the effect of fluctuations in food abundance on seabird breeding success. We identified a threshold in prey (fish and krill, termed “forage fish”) abundance below which seabirds experience consistently reduced and more...
Authors
Philippe M. Cury, Ian L. Boyd, Sylvain Bonhommeau, Tycho Anker-Nilssen, Robert J.M. Crawford, Robert W. Furness, James A. Mills, Eugene J. Murphy, Henrik Osterblom, Michelle Paleczny, John F. Piatt, Jean-Paul Roux, Lynne Shannon, William J. Sydeman