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: 3095
The aggregative response of common murres and Atlantic puffins to schools of capelin The aggregative response of common murres and Atlantic puffins to schools of capelin
I studied the aggregative responses of Common Murres and Atlantic Puffins to schools of capelin during three summers (1982-1984) at Witless Bay, Newfoundland, by conducting hydroacoustic surveys for capelin in synchrony with seabird censuses. Murres and puffins foraged offshore prior to the arrival inshore of spawning schools of capelin. Both species were abundant during peak periods of...
Authors
John F. Piatt
Effects of visiting black brant nests on egg and nest survival Effects of visiting black brant nests on egg and nest survival
I used 2 methods to evaluate the effect of visiting black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) nests on survival of whole nests and eggs in a single colony on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska. The first technique regressed survival of nests or eggs during a time interval against interval length. Departure of the y-intercept from 1.0 estimated the short-term effect of the visit at the...
Authors
James S. Sedinger
Effects of neck bands on the behavior of wintering greater white-fronted geese Effects of neck bands on the behavior of wintering greater white-fronted geese
Activity budgets of adult Greater White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons frontalis) with and without neck bands during the non-breeding season revealed that geese with neck bands spent more time preening than geese without neck bands while at foraging sites, but not while at roosting sites. Neck-banded and control geese spent equal time in other important activities (alert, feeding...
Authors
Craig R. Ely
Site 765: Sedimentology Site 765: Sedimentology
Various techniques were used to decipher the sedimentation history of Site 765, including Markov chain analysis of facies transitions, XRD analysis of clay and other minerals, and multivariate analysis of smear-slide data, in addition to the standard descriptive procedures employed by the shipboard sedimentologist. This chapter presents brief summaries of methodology and major findings...
Authors
Is the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) a hibernator? Continued studies on opioids and hibernation Is the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) a hibernator? Continued studies on opioids and hibernation
Polar bear behavior and biochemistry suggest they may have the ability to hibernate year-round, even though this species is not considered to be a true hibernator. This observation, plus the discovery of a hibernation-induced trigger (HIT) in the blood of black bears, prompted the examination of polar bear blood collected thoughout the year for evidence ofr HIT, and to determine if it...
Authors
David S. Bruce, Nancy K. Darling, Katheleen J. Seeland, Peter R. Oeltgen, Sita P. Nilekani, Steven C. Amstrup
Isolation of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus from a leech (Piscicola salmositica) and a copepod (Salmincola sp.), ectoparasites of sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka Isolation of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus from a leech (Piscicola salmositica) and a copepod (Salmincola sp.), ectoparasites of sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka
Infectious haematopoietic necrosis (IHN) virus was isolated from freshwater leeches Piscicola salmositica and copepods Salmincola sp. removed from the gills of spawning sockeye salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka. This is the first report of the isolation of IHN virus from an animal other than salmonid fishes. High levels of IHN virus were also found in leeches taken from the bottom gravel of the...
Authors
Daniel M. Mulcahy, D. Klaybor, W.N. Batts
Distribution and relative abundance of sea otters in south-central and south-western Alaska before or at the time of the T/V Exxon Valdez oil spill Distribution and relative abundance of sea otters in south-central and south-western Alaska before or at the time of the T/V Exxon Valdez oil spill
Surveys of sea otters (Enhydra lutris) conducted before, immediately after, or at the time of the TA^ Exxon Valdez oil spill were used to guide otter capture efforts and assess the immediate effects of the spill. Shoreline counts (by boat) of sea otters in Prince William Sound in 1984 suggested that a minimum of 4,500 sea otters inhabited nearshore waters of Prince William Sound. Areas...
Authors
Anthony R. DeGange, Daniel H. Monson, David B. Irons, C.M. Robbins, David C. Douglas
Brood habitat use of Rio Grande wild turkeys Brood habitat use of Rio Grande wild turkeys
Habitat use of 14 Rio Grande wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) broods was studied in riparian habitats in northeast Colorado in 1986-87. Of 191 locations, 78% were within the riparian zone, 11 % in agricultural uplands, and 11 % on the edge between these habitats. Use of habitats was dependent on time of day. Within the riparian zone, older broods used grazed areas more often than young...
Authors
Joel A. Schmutz, Clait E. Braun, William F. Andelt
Site 765: Sediment Lithostratigraphy Site 765: Sediment Lithostratigraphy
A 935-m-thick succession of Quaternary through Lower Cretaceous sediments was recovered at Site 765 (Fig. 10). A single core of Quaternary sediment was obtained from Hole 765A; drilling terminated and a new hole was drilled in an attempt to establish the mud line. Quaternary through middle Miocene sediments were cored in Hole 765B down to a depth of 395.6 mbsf. Middle Miocene through...
Authors
Flexible time budgets in breeding Common Murres: Buffers against variable prey availability Flexible time budgets in breeding Common Murres: Buffers against variable prey availability
Mortality rates of canvasbacks were estimated from band-recovery records. The annual rate of mortality of immatures during the first year was 77 per cent. Annual mortality rates of adults ranged from 35 to 50 per cent. Mortality rates of females were higher than those of males. Relatively larger numbers of immatures and adult females were shot early in the hunting season, and relatively...
Authors
A.E. Burger, John F. Piatt
Extra-pair copulations in Black Brant Extra-pair copulations in Black Brant
Monogamy is the primary mating system among waterfowl, but extra-pair copulations (EPCs) have been documented in at least 39 species (McKinney et al. 1983). Extra-pair copulations occur in most Holarctic species of dabbling ducks (Anas spp.), but have been recorded in only three species of geese: Lesser Snow Geese, Chen caerulescens caerulescens (Mineau and Cooke 1979a), Ross’ Geese, C...
Authors
Daniel Welsh, James S. Sedinger