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: 3079
Mechanisms of population differentiation in marbled murrelets: historical versus contemporary processes Mechanisms of population differentiation in marbled murrelets: historical versus contemporary processes
Mechanisms of population differentiation in highly vagile species such as seabirds are poorly understood. Previous studies of marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus; Charadriiformes: Alcidae) found significant population genetic structure, but could not determine whether this structure is due to historical vicariance (e.g., due to Pleistocene glaciers), isolation by distance, drift...
Authors
B.C. Congdon, John F. Piatt, Kathy Martin, Vicki L. Friesen
Ecological correlates of mate fidelity in two Arctic-breeding sandpipers Ecological correlates of mate fidelity in two Arctic-breeding sandpipers
Monogamous birds exhibit considerable interspecific variation in rates of mate fidelity between years, but the reasons for this variation are still poorly understood. In a 4-year study carried out in western Alaska, mate-fidelity rates in Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla; mate fidelity was 47% among pairs where at least one mate returned and 94% among pairs where both mates...
Authors
Brett K. Sandercock, David B. Lank, Richard B. Lanctot, Bart Kempenaers, Fred Cooke
Population estimates of Nearctic shorebirds Population estimates of Nearctic shorebirds
Estimates are presented for the population sizes of 53 species of Nearctic shorebirds occurring regularly in North America, plus four species that breed occasionally. Shorebird population sizes were derived from data obtained by a variety of methods from breeding, migration and wintering areas, and formal assessments of accuracy of counts or estimates are rarely available. Accurate...
Authors
R. I. G. Morrison, Robert E. Gill, B. A. Harrington, S. K. Skagen, G. W. Page, C. L. Gratto-Trevor, S. M. Haig
Densities of Barrow's goldeneyes during winter in Prince William Sound, Alaska in relation to habitat, food, and history of oil contamination Densities of Barrow's goldeneyes during winter in Prince William Sound, Alaska in relation to habitat, food, and history of oil contamination
We evaluated variation in densities of Barrow's Goldeneyes (Bucephala islandica) during winter at 214 sites within oiled and unoiled study areas in Prince William Sound, Alaska in relation to physical habitat attributes, prey biomass, and history of habitat contamination by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. Using general linear model analyses, we found that goldeneye densities were...
Authors
Daniel Esler, Timothy D. Bowman, Charles E. O’Clair, Thomas A. Dean, Lyman L. McDonald
The Tintina Gold Belt - A global perspective The Tintina Gold Belt - A global perspective
The so-called Tintina Gold Belt extends for more than 1000 km along the length of the northern North American Cordillera. Middle to Late Cretaceous Au deposits within the belt have various similar characteristics, among which are a spatial and temporal association with magmatism; Bi-W-Te signatures in deposits hosted by granitod stocks and As-Sb signatures where hosted by sedimentary...
Authors
Richard J. Goldfarb, Craig J. R. Hart, Marti L. Miller, Lance D. Miller, G. Lang Farmer, David I. Groves
Alaska resource data file: Charley River quadrangle Alaska resource data file: Charley River quadrangle
No abstract available.
Authors
C. E. Cameron
Alaska resource data file: Survey Pass quadrangle Alaska resource data file: Survey Pass quadrangle
No abstract available.
Authors
S. M. Nelson
Cytochrome P450 1A induction in sea ducks inhabiting nearshore areas of Prince William Sound, Alaska Cytochrome P450 1A induction in sea ducks inhabiting nearshore areas of Prince William Sound, Alaska
Following the Exxon-Valdez oil spill, hepatic rates of EROD activity and thus, P450 1A expression, were significantly higher in harlequin ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) and Barrow’s goldeneyes (Bucephala islandica) from oiled areas of Prince William Sound, Alaska when compared to birds from unoiled sites. Polychlorinated biphenyl exposure did not account for areal differences in P450...
Authors
Kimberly A. Trust, Daniel Esler, Bruce R. Woodin, John J. Stegeman
Nearshore fish distributions in an Alaskan estuary in relation to stratification, temperature, and salinity Nearshore fish distributions in an Alaskan estuary in relation to stratification, temperature, and salinity
Fish were sampled with beach seines and small-meshed beam trawls in nearshore ( 1 km) and shallow ( 25 m) habitats on the southern coast of Kachemak Bay, Cook Inlet, Alaska, from June to August, 1996-1998. Fish distributions among habitats were analysed for species composition, catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) and frequency of occurrence. Two oceanographically distinct areas of Kachemak Bay...
Authors
Alisa A. Abookire, John F. Piatt, Martin D. Robards
Molecular genetic status of Aleutian Canada Geese from Buldir and the Semidi Islands, Alaska Molecular genetic status of Aleutian Canada Geese from Buldir and the Semidi Islands, Alaska
We conducted genetic analyses of Aleutian Canada Geese (Branta canadensis leucopareia) from Buldir Island in the western Aleutians and the Semidi Islands in the eastern portion of their breeding range. We compared data from seven microsatellite DNA loci and 143 base pairs of the control region of mitochondrial DNA from the two populations of Aleutian Canada Geese and another small-bodied
Authors
Barbara J. Pierson, John M. Pearce, Sandra L. Talbot, Gerald F. Shields, Kim T. Scribner
Effects of neck collars and radiotransmitters on survival and reproduction of emperor geese Effects of neck collars and radiotransmitters on survival and reproduction of emperor geese
Neck collars have been used widely for studies of goose population biology. Despite concerns about their negative impacts, few studies have employed designs capable of clearly demonstrating these effects. During a 1993-98 study of emperor geese (Chen canagica), we contrasted survival and reproduction of geese marked with tarsal bands to those marked with either small neck collars, large...
Authors
Joel A. Schmutz, Julie A. Morse