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: 3088
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
Maturation, fecundity, and intertidal spawning of Pacific sand lance in the northern Gulf of Alaska Maturation, fecundity, and intertidal spawning of Pacific sand lance in the northern Gulf of Alaska
Pacific sand lance Ammodytes hexapterus in Kachemak Bay, Alaska, showed no sexual dimorphism in length-to-weight (gonad-free) ratio or length-at-age relationship. Most matured in their second year, males earlier in the season than females, but females (31%) attained a higher gonadosomatic index than males (21%). Sand lance spawned intertidally once each year in late September and October...
Authors
Martin D. Robards, John F. Piatt, G.A. Rose
The adrenocorical stress-response of Black-legged Kittiwake chicks in relation to dietary restrictions The adrenocorical stress-response of Black-legged Kittiwake chicks in relation to dietary restrictions
In this study we examined hormonal responses of Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissatridactyla) chicks to experimental variations in energy content and nutritional quality (low or high lipid to protein ratio, LPR) of their food. Starting at the age of 10 days, chicks were fed either high or low LPR fish at 30, 50, 70 and 100% of ad libitum energy intake. After 20 days of treatment, chicks were...
Authors
A.S. Kitaysky, John F. Piatt, J.C. Wingfield, M. Romano
Preliminary volcano-hazard assessment for Iliamna Volcano, Alaska Preliminary volcano-hazard assessment for Iliamna Volcano, Alaska
Iliamna Volcano is a 3,053-meter-high, ice- and snow-covered stratovolcano in the southwestern Cook Inlet region about 225 kilometers southwest of Anchorage and about 100 kilometers northwest of Homer. Historical eruptions of Iliamna Volcano have not been positively documented; however, the volcano regularly emits steam and gas, and small, shallow earthquakes are often detected beneath...
Authors
Christopher F. Waythomas, Thomas P. Miller
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
Alaska resource data file: Tanacross quadrangle Alaska resource data file: Tanacross quadrangle
No abstract available.
Authors
Cheryl Cameron
Sustainable fisheries management: Pacific salmon Sustainable fisheries management: Pacific salmon
What has happened to the salmon resource in the Pacific Northwest? Who is responsible and what can be done to reverse the decline in salmon populations? The responsibly falls on everyone involved - fishermen, resource managers and concerned citizens alike - to take the steps necessary to ensure that salmon populations make a full recovery. This collection of papers examines the state of...
Alaska resource data file: Ketchikan quadrangle Alaska resource data file: Ketchikan quadrangle
No abstract available.
Authors
H. C. Berg
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
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
Behaviour and ecology of sea ducks Behaviour and ecology of sea ducks
In November 1995... a full-day symposium on the biology of sea ducks was held. The papers in this volume were presented at this symposium. It is hoped that by synthesizing this information, more informed management decisions for sea ducks may emerge. The symposium contents help to emphasize the seriousness of some conservation issues facing sea ducks, notably the possible endangerment of...
Authors
R. Ian Goudie, Margaret R. Petersen, Gregory J. Robertson
Fluctuating asymmetry and genetic diversity in sea otters (Enhydra lutris) Fluctuating asymmetry and genetic diversity in sea otters (Enhydra lutris)
No abstract available.
Authors
James L. Bodkin, Kimberly A. Kloecker, A. Burdin