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: 3099
Response of common murres to the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and long-term changes in the Gulf of Alaska marine ecosystem Response of common murres to the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and long-term changes in the Gulf of Alaska marine ecosystem
Short-term effects of the 1989 TV Exxon Valdez oil spill on seabirds were dramatic and well documented. Seabird populations at sea in the spill zone were immediately depressed, and more than 30,000 dead, oiled seabirds were recovered from beaches within months of the spill. It is estimated that 250,000 seabirds were killed by oil, of which 74% were murres. Based on comparisons of...
Authors
John F. Piatt, Paul Anderson
Forage digestibility and intake by lesser snow geese: effects of dominance and resource heterogeneity Forage digestibility and intake by lesser snow geese: effects of dominance and resource heterogeneity
We measured forage intake, digestibility, and retention time for 11 free-ranging, human-imprinted lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) as they consumed underground stembases of tall cotton-grass (Eriophorum angustifolium) on an arctic staging area in northeastern Alaska. Geese fed in small patches (x̄=21.5 m2) of forage that made up ≤3% of the study area and consisted of...
Authors
Jerry W. Hupp, Robert G. White, James S. Sedinger, Donna G. Robertson
Persistence of oiling in mussel beds three and four years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill Persistence of oiling in mussel beds three and four years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill
Dense beds of the mussel Mytilus trossulus affected by Exxon Valdez crude oil in Prince William Sound and along the Kenai and Alaska peninsulas were intentionally left untreated during shoreline cleanup activities in 1989-1991. In 1992 and 1993, mussels and sediments from 70 mussel beds in Prince William Sound and 18 beds along the Kenai and Alaska peninsulas were sampled to establish...
Authors
M.M. Babcock, G.V. Irvine, P.M. Harris, J.A. Cusick, S.D. Rice
Alaska resource data file: Adak quadrangle Alaska resource data file: Adak quadrangle
No abstract available.
Authors
Frederic H. Wilson, T.D. Light
Alaska and its importance to Western Hemisphere shorebirds Alaska and its importance to Western Hemisphere shorebirds
Thirty-seven species of shorebirds breed in Alaska, and six overwinter in its subarctic regions. The coastal habitats of Alaska provide critical staging areas during spring and fall migrations; 51 sites qualify within the three categories of shorebird reserves listed by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (Hemispheric, International and Regional). Studies on Alaskan...
Authors
Robert E. Gill, Stanley E. Senner
Phylogenetic relationships within the Alcidae (Charadriiformes: Aves) inferred from total molecular evidence Phylogenetic relationships within the Alcidae (Charadriiformes: Aves) inferred from total molecular evidence
The Alcidae is a unique assemblage of Northern Hemisphere seabirds that forage by "flying" underwater. Despite obvious affinities among the species, their evolutionary relationships are unclear. We analyzed nucleotide sequences of 1,045 base pairs of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and allelic profiles for 37 allozyme loci in all 22 extant species. Trees were constructed on...
Authors
Vicki L. Friesen, Allan J. Baker, John F. Piatt
Balancing the three R's (regulation, research, and restoration) on the Kenai River, Alaska Balancing the three R's (regulation, research, and restoration) on the Kenai River, Alaska
The Kenai River is Alaska’s most popular salmon sport fishery. By attracting fishermen, the river contributes about $40 million annually to the local economy. Much of the fishing effort is in pursuit of the river’s chinook salmon, which are among the largest in the world. Many people benefit from the river through its numerous recreational opportunities or by making a living providing...
Authors
Joseph M. Dorava, Gary S. Liepitz
Alaska resource data file: Holy Cross quadrangle Alaska resource data file: Holy Cross quadrangle
No abstract available.
Authors
W. J. Keith, Marti L. Miller
Alaska resource data file: Iditarod quadrangle Alaska resource data file: Iditarod quadrangle
No abstract available.
Authors
W. J. Keith, Marti L. Miller
Alaska resource data file: Mount Michelson quadrangle Alaska resource data file: Mount Michelson quadrangle
No abstract available.
Authors
J. S. Kelly
Population, reproduction, and foraging of pigeon guillemots at Naked Island, Alaska, before and after the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Population, reproduction, and foraging of pigeon guillemots at Naked Island, Alaska, before and after the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
After the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska, we studied pigeon guillemots Cepphus columba breeding just 30 km from the grounding site. The postspill population was 43% smaller than the prespill population, but we could not attribute the entire decline to the spill because a decline in this guillemot population may have predated the spill. However, relative...
Authors
Karen L. Oakley, Kathy J. Kuletz
Sea birds as proxies of marine habitats and food webs in the western Aleutian Arc Sea birds as proxies of marine habitats and food webs in the western Aleutian Arc
We propose that ocean conditions of the Near Islands in the western Aleutian Arc mimic those of the shallow continental shelf of the eastern Bering Sea to the extent that the marine community, including assemblages of forage fishes and their avian predators, has distinctly coastal characteristics. In contrast, marine avifauna and their prey at neighbouring Buldir Island are distinctly...
Authors
Alan M. Springer, John F. Piatt, Gus B. Van Vliet