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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: 3111

Managing Pacific salmon escapements: The gaps between theory and reality Managing Pacific salmon escapements: The gaps between theory and reality

There are myriad challenges to estimating intrinsic production capacity for Pacific salmon populations that are heavily exploited and/or suffering from habitat alteration. Likewise, it is difficult to determine whether perceived decreases in production are due to harvest, habitat, or hatchery influences, natural variation, or some combination of all four. There are dramatic gaps between...
Authors
E. Eric Knudsen

Populations and productivity of seabirds at South Marble Island, Glacier Bay, Alaska, during May-July, 1999 Populations and productivity of seabirds at South Marble Island, Glacier Bay, Alaska, during May-July, 1999

In the course of directed research on glaucous-winged gulls, we investigated the numbers and activities of all breeding and non-breeding seabirds associated with South Marble Island in Glacier Bay, Alaska, during mid-May to late July, 1999. Most observations were made from the island; additional observations were made during transportation to and from the island. Data were collected on...
Authors
Stephani Zador, John F. Piatt

Setting the stage for a sustainable Pacific salmon fisheries strategy Setting the stage for a sustainable Pacific salmon fisheries strategy

Salmon and steelhead Oncorhynchus spp., have been keystone species for ecosystems and human cultures of the North American Pacific coast for cons. Yet, in the past century, many populations have been greatly diminished and some are now extinct-the result of a combination of factors, including habitat loss and degradation, overfishing, natural variability in salmon production, negative...
Authors
Donald D. MacDonald, Cleveland R. Steward, E. Eric Knudsen

Juvenile Marbled Murrelet nurseries and the productivity index Juvenile Marbled Murrelet nurseries and the productivity index

Late summer counts of juveniles at sea are used as an index of Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) reproductive success, but little is known about juvenile dispersal or habitat use. Further, it is not known whether these counts accurately reflect absolute breeding success. To address these questions we conducted five boat surveys for Marbled Murrelets and Pigeon Guillemots...
Authors
Kathy J. Kuletz, John F. Piatt

Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica in Alaska: A population estimate from the staging grounds Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica in Alaska: A population estimate from the staging grounds

Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica were surveyed on their staging grounds in Alaska during September 1995 and 1997. The single high count of 94,000 birds closely matched that of counts from New Zealand and south-eastern Australia, the known non-breeding area for most of the baueri subspecies. Numbers recorded on the southern Yukon-Kuskokwim River Delta and at Egegik Bay, a small estuary...
Authors
Robert E. Gill, Brian J. McCaffery

Changes in proximate composition and somatic energy content for Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus) from Kachemak Bay, Alaska relative to maturity and season Changes in proximate composition and somatic energy content for Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus) from Kachemak Bay, Alaska relative to maturity and season

Mean dry-weight energy values of adult Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus) peaked in spring and early summer (20.91 kJg−1 for males, 21.08 kJg−1 for females), then declined by about 25% during late summer and fall (15.91 kJg−1 for males, 15.74 kJg−1 for females). Late summer declines in energy density paralleled gonadal development. Gender differences in energy density (males
Authors
Martin D. Robards, Jill A. Anthony, George A. Rose, John F. Piatt

Modeling bird mortality associated with the M/V Citrus oil spill off St. Paul Island, Alaska Modeling bird mortality associated with the M/V Citrus oil spill off St. Paul Island, Alaska

We developed a model to estimate the number of bird carcasses that were likely deposited on the beaches of St. Paul Island, Alaska following the M/V Citrus oil spill in February 1996. Most of the islands beaches were searched on an irregular schedule, resulting in the recovery of 876 King Eider carcasses. A sub-sample of beaches were intensively studied to estimate daily persistence rate...
Authors
Paul L. Flint, Ada C. Fowler, Robert F. Rockwell

Status and biology of the Steller's eider in Yakutia, Russia Status and biology of the Steller's eider in Yakutia, Russia

No abstract available.
Authors
Andrei G. Degtyarev, S.M. Sleptsov, S.P. Troev, John M. Pearce, Margaret R. Petersen

Rock, stream sediment, and heavy-mineral concentrate geochemical data from Unga and western Popof Islands, Alaska Peninsula, Alaska: Chapter 6 in A geological and geophysical study of the gold-silver vein system of Unga Island, Southwestern Alaska Rock, stream sediment, and heavy-mineral concentrate geochemical data from Unga and western Popof Islands, Alaska Peninsula, Alaska: Chapter 6 in A geological and geophysical study of the gold-silver vein system of Unga Island, Southwestern Alaska

The data reported here was collected during the 1982-1988 mineral resource assessment of the Port Moller and adjacent quadrangles (see Wilson and others, 1996). Analytical data for virtually all of the samples reported here has been previously published in a series of U.S.G.S. Open-File reports, including Angeloni and others (1985), Arbogast and others (1987), and Wilson and others (1987...
Authors
Frederic H. Wilson, Stan E. Church, Elizabeth Bailey

Geology of Unga Island and the northwestern part of Popof Island: Chapter 2 in A geological and geophysical study of the gold-silver vein system of Unga Island, Southwestern Alaska Geology of Unga Island and the northwestern part of Popof Island: Chapter 2 in A geological and geophysical study of the gold-silver vein system of Unga Island, Southwestern Alaska

The first geologic map of Unga Island was published by Atwood (1911; scale 1:250,000), who correctly inferred the middle Tertiary age of the volcanic rocks and made the important distinction between the lava flows and the intrusive domes. Although Burk's (1964) reconnaissance map of the Alaska Peninsula (scale 1:250,000) has been modified in some respects, it does correct Atwood's map by...
Authors
James R. Riehle, Frederic H. Wilson, Nora B. Shew, Willis H. White

Carboniferous and older carbonate rocks: Lithofacies, extent, and reservoir quality: Chapter CC in The oil and gas resource potential of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 1002 area, Alaska Carboniferous and older carbonate rocks: Lithofacies, extent, and reservoir quality: Chapter CC in The oil and gas resource potential of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 1002 area, Alaska

Carboniferous and older carbonate rocks are potential hydrocarbon reservoir facies for four plays in the 1002 area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. These rocks include several units in the pre-Carboniferous basement and the Carboniferous Lisburne Group. Data from exploratory wells west of the 1002 area, outcrops south of the 1002 area, seismic lines, and well logs are synthesized...
Authors
Julie A. Dumoulin

Vocalizations of the Kittlitz's Murrelet Vocalizations of the Kittlitz's Murrelet

We present the first documentation of Kittlitz's Murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris) vocalizations, based on recordings made in Glacier Bay, Alaska, in 1994. We identified two apparently related types of calls: groan and quack. The Kittlitz's Murrelet calls were markedly different from the most common calls of the congeneric Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus), but shared...
Authors
Thomas I. van Pelt, John F. Piatt, Gus B. Van Vliet
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