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: 3087
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
Interspecies transmission and limited persistence of low pathogenic avian influenza genomes among Alaska dabbling ducks Interspecies transmission and limited persistence of low pathogenic avian influenza genomes among Alaska dabbling ducks
The reassortment and geographic distribution of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) virus genes are well documented, but little is known about the persistence of intact LPAI genomes among species and locations. To examine persistence of entire LPAI genome constellations in Alaska, we calculated the genetic identities among 161 full-genome LPAI viruses isolated across 4 years from five...
Authors
Andrew B. Reeves, John M. Pearce, Andrew M. Ramey, Brandt W. Meixell, Jonathan A. Runstadler
Lithogeochemistry of mineralized and altered rock samples from the northern Talkeetna Mountains, south-central Alaska Lithogeochemistry of mineralized and altered rock samples from the northern Talkeetna Mountains, south-central Alaska
Mineralized and altered rock samples collected from the northern Talkeetna Mountains, Alaska, were analyzed by two different inductively coupled plasma atomic-emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) methods for as many as 44 elements; by fire assay and either direct-coupled plasma (DCP) or atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) for gold (Au); by cold vapor atomic absorption (CVAA) for mercury...
Authors
Thomas D. Light, Jeanine M. Schmidt
Thematic accuracy of the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) 2001 land cover for Alaska Thematic accuracy of the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) 2001 land cover for Alaska
The National Land Cover Database (NLCD) 2001 Alaska land cover classification is the first 30-m resolution land cover product available covering the entire state of Alaska. The accuracy assessment of the NLCD 2001 Alaska land cover classification employed a geographically stratified three-stage sampling design to select the reference sample of pixels. Reference land cover class labels...
Authors
David J. Selkowitz, Stephen V. Stehman
Exploring the potential for a fused Landsat-MODIS snow covered area product Exploring the potential for a fused Landsat-MODIS snow covered area product
Results from nine 3 x 3 km study areas in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, USA demonstrate there is potential for using sporadically acquired Landsat images in combination with daily coarse resolution fractional snow covered area (SCA) images to produce daily high resolution binary SCA images. The results also highlight several challenges to implementing this type of approach. The...
Authors
David J. Selkowitz