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: 3082
Spatial variation in shorebird nest success: Implications for inference Spatial variation in shorebird nest success: Implications for inference
Estimates of nest success are widely applied in order to evaluate a multitude of theoretical and practical issues. Frequently, however, researchers fail to limit their inferences to the appropriate spatial scale. We evaluated small-scale variation in nest success of Western Sandpipers Calidris mauri during a four-year study on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in western Alaska. We use these...
Authors
Brian J. McCaffery, Daniel R. Ruthrauff
Recommendations for the use of mist nets for inventory and monitoring of bird populations Recommendations for the use of mist nets for inventory and monitoring of bird populations
We provide recommendations on the best practices for mist netting for the purposes of monitoring population parameters such as abundance and demography. Studies should be carefully thought out before nets are set up, to ensure that sampling design and estimated sample size will allow study objectives to be met. Station location, number of nets, type of nets, net placement, and schedule...
Authors
C. John Ralph, Erica H. Dunn, Will J. Peach, Colleen M. Handel
Alaska resource data file, Ruby quadrangle, Alaska Alaska resource data file, Ruby quadrangle, Alaska
No abstract available.
Authors
Cheryl E. Cameron, Garth E. Graham
Alaska resource data file: Tanana quadrangle Alaska resource data file: Tanana quadrangle
No abstract available.
Authors
David J. Szumigala, Garth E. Graham, Jennifer E. Athey
Estimating Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) abundance: Crab pots and dive transects compared Estimating Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) abundance: Crab pots and dive transects compared
Dungeness crabs (Cancer magister) were sampled with commercial pots and counted by scuba divers on benthic transects at eight sites near Glacier Bay, Alaska. Catch per unit of effort (CPUE) from pots was compared to the density estimates from dives to evaluate the bias and power of the two techniques. Yearly sampling was conducted in two seasons: April and September, from 1992 to 2000...
Authors
S. James Taggart, Charles E. O’Clair, Thomas C. Shirley, Jennifer Mondragon
Winter ecology of Spectacled Eiders: Environmental characteristics and population change Winter ecology of Spectacled Eiders: Environmental characteristics and population change
We described characteristics of the wintering area used by Spectacled Eiders (Somateria fischeri) in the Bering Sea, Alaska, and evaluated these characteristics in relation to long-term population trends. Remoteness, limited daylight, and extreme weather conditions precluded direct observations, so we derived the location of the wintering area from satellite telemetry, ice conditions...
Authors
Margaret R. Petersen, David C. Douglas
A molecular comparison of Alaskan and North East Atlantic Halicondria panicea (Pallas 1766) (Porifera: Demospongiae) A molecular comparison of Alaskan and North East Atlantic Halicondria panicea (Pallas 1766) (Porifera: Demospongiae)
The intraspecific relationships between populations of Alaskan Halichondria cf. panicea are the subjects of ongoing research. In this study we compare CO1 sequences of Alaskan Halichondria cf. panicea with North East Atlantic Halichondria panicea and its sister species Halichondria bowerbanki. Alaskan Halichondria cf. panicea form a well-supported sister group to the European...
Authors
Dirk Erpenbeck, Anne L. Knowlton, Sandra L. Talbot, Ray C. Highsmith, Rob W.M. van Soest
Use of digital multispectral videography to assess seagrass distribution in San Quintin Bay, Baja California, Mexico Use of digital multispectral videography to assess seagrass distribution in San Quintin Bay, Baja California, Mexico
Apparent threats to the spatial distribution of seagrass in San Quintín Bay prompted us to make a detailed assessment of habitats in the bay. Six coastal habitats and three seagrass subclasses were delineated using airborne digital multispectral videography (DMSV). Eelgrass, Zostera marina, was the predominant seagrass and covered 40% (1949 ha) of the areal extent of the bay in 1999...
Authors
David H. Ward, T. Lee Tibbitts, Alexandra Morton, Eduardo Carrera-Gonzalez, R. Kempka
Using satellite radiotelemetry data to delineate and manage wildlife populations Using satellite radiotelemetry data to delineate and manage wildlife populations
The greatest promise of radiotelemetry always has been a better understanding of animal movements. Telemetry has helped us know when animals are active, how active they are, how far and how fast they move, the geographic areas they occupy, and whether individuals vary in these traits. Unfortunately, the inability to estimate the error in animals utilization distributions (UDs), has...
Authors
Steven C. Amstrup, T. L. McDonald, George M. Durner
Phase II Report, Vital Signs Monitoring Plan, Southwest Alaska Network Phase II Report, Vital Signs Monitoring Plan, Southwest Alaska Network
No abstract available.
Authors
A.J. Bennett, K.L. Oakley, D.C. Mortenson
Identifying marine bird distribution and evaluating visitor impacts Identifying marine bird distribution and evaluating visitor impacts
No abstract available.
Authors
Mayumi L. Arimitsu, Marc D. Romano, John F. Piatt
Diminishing sea ice in the western Arctic Ocean Diminishing sea ice in the western Arctic Ocean
Since the advent of satellite passive microwave radiometry (1978), variations in sea ice extent and concentration have been carefully monitored from space. An estimated 7.4% decrease in sea ice extent has occurred in the last 25 yr (Johannessen et al. 2004), with recent record minima (e.g., Maslanik et al. 1999; Serreze et al. 2003) accounting for much of the decline. Comparisons between...
Authors
R. S. Stone, G. I. Belchansky, Sheldon Drobot, David C. Douglas