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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: 3082

Estimates of brown bear abundance on Kodiak Island, Alaska Estimates of brown bear abundance on Kodiak Island, Alaska

During 1987-94 we used capture-mark-resight (CMR) methodology and rates of observation (bears/hour and bears/100 km2) of unmarked brown bears (Ursus arctos middendorffi) during intensive aerial surveys (IAS) to estimate abundance of brown bears on Kodiak Island and to establish a baseline for monitoring population trends. CMR estimates were obtained on 3 study areas; density ranged from...
Authors
V.G. Barnes, R. B. Smith

Blood lead concentrations of spectacled eiders near the Kashunuk River, Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska Blood lead concentrations of spectacled eiders near the Kashunuk River, Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska

We collected, 342 blood samples from spectacled eiders (Somateria fischeri) on their breeding grounds in western Alaska from late May through to early August 1993–1995. Lead concentrations of ≥0.50 p.p.m. wet weight were found in the blood of 20% of the adult female eiders, 2% of the adult males and 6% of the ducklings. Lead was detected (≥0.02 p.p.m.) more frequently in the blood of...
Authors
J. Christian Franson, Margaret R. Petersen, Lynn H. Creekmore, Paul L. Flint, Milton R. Smith

A drift experiment to assess the influence of wind on recovery of oiled seabirds on St Paul Island, Alaska A drift experiment to assess the influence of wind on recovery of oiled seabirds on St Paul Island, Alaska

We used wooden blocks to estimate the proportion of oiled seabird carcasses that were likely to be recovered on beaches of St Paul Island, Alaska following a near-shore oil spill. We released a total of 302 blocks 6 km north of the island in 1997 at the site of a 17 II 1996 oil spill. We used a paired design and released half the blocks when the winds were onshore and released the second...
Authors
Paul L. Flint, A. C. Fowler

Satellite telemetry: A new tool for wildlife research and management Satellite telemetry: A new tool for wildlife research and management

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game have cooperated since 1984 to develop and evaluate satellite telemetry as a means of overcoming the high costs and logistical problems of conventional VHF (very high frequency) radiotelemetry systems. Detailed locational and behavioral data on caribou (Rangifer tarandus), polar bears (Ursus maritimus), and...
Authors
Steven G. Fancy, Larry F. Pank, David C. Douglas, Catherine H. Curby, Gerald W. Garner, Steven C. Amstrup, Wayne L. Regelin

Marbled murrelets have declined in Alaska Marbled murrelets have declined in Alaska

In the last issue of Northwest Science, Hayward and Iverson (“Long-Term Trends in Marbled Murrelets in Southeast Alaska Based on Christmas Bird Counts”) failed to mention other evidence for 40-75% declines in murrelet populations, or discuss implications of a climate regime shift that has reduced populations of seabirds in Alaska, or present any useful information on the status of old...
Authors
John F. Piatt

Serum biochemistry of captive and free-ranging gray wolves (Canis lupus) Serum biochemistry of captive and free-ranging gray wolves (Canis lupus)

Normal serum biochemistry values are frequently obtained from studies of captive sedentary (zoo) or free-ranging (wild) animals. It is frequently assumed that values from these two populations are directly referable to each other. We tested this assumption using 20 captive gray wolves (Canis lupus) in Minnesota, USA, and 11 free-ranging gray wolves in Alaska, USA. Free-ranging wolves had
Authors
Peter Constable, Ken Hinchcliff, Nick Demma, Margaret Callahan, B.W. Dale, Kevin Fox, Layne G. Adams, Ray Wack, Lynn Kramer

Geologic map of central (interior) Alaska Geologic map of central (interior) Alaska

No abstract available.
Authors
Frederic H. Wilson, James H. Dover, Dwight Bradley, Florence R. Weber, Thomas K. Bundtzen, Peter J. Haeussler

Surficial geologic map along the Castle Mountain Fault between Houston and Hatcher Pass Road, Alaska Surficial geologic map along the Castle Mountain Fault between Houston and Hatcher Pass Road, Alaska

The surficial geology of the map area is dominated by sedimentary deposits laid down during and after the Naptowne glaciation (Karlstrom, 1964) of late Pleistocene age. During this episode, a large valley glacier flowed westward down the Matanuska Valley along the southern flank of the Talkeetna Mountains. The youngest of two documented advances has been referred to as the Elmendorf...
Authors
Peter J. Haeussler

Ecological, morphological, genetic and life history characteristics of two sockeye salmon populations, Tustumena Lake, Alaska Ecological, morphological, genetic and life history characteristics of two sockeye salmon populations, Tustumena Lake, Alaska

Populations can differ in both phenotypic and molecular genetic traits. Phenotypic differences likely result from differential selection pressures in the environment, whereas differences in neutral molecular markers result from genetic drift associated with some degree of reproductive isolation. Two sockeye salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka, populations were compared using both phenotypic and...
Authors
Carol Ann Woody
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