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
Near-field remote sensing of Alaskan Rivers Near-field remote sensing of Alaskan Rivers
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Geomorphology and Sediment Transport Laboratory (GSTL), in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), acquired remotely sensed data from several Alaskan rivers in 2017 and 2018 with the goal of developing a methodology for measuring streamflow from a helicopter. CRREL operates a custom...
Authors
Paul J. Kinzel, Carl J. Legleiter, Jonathan M. Nelson, Jeff Conaway, Adam LeWinter, Peter Gadomski, Dominic Filiano
Trends and carrying capacity of sea otters in Southeast Alaska Trends and carrying capacity of sea otters in Southeast Alaska
Sea otter populations in Southeast Alaska (SEAK) have increased dramatically from fewer than 500 translocated animals in the late 1960s. The recovery of sea otters to ecosystems from which they had been absent has affected coastal food webs, including commercially important fisheries, and thus information on expected growth and equilibrium abundances can help inform resource management...
Authors
M. Tim Tinker, Verena A. Gill, George G. Esslinger, James L. Bodkin, Melissa Monk, Marc Mangel, Daniel Monson, Wendel W. Raymond, Michelle Kissling
Shorebird subsistence harvest and indigenous knowledge in Alaska: Informing harvest assessment and management, and engaging users in shorebird conservation Shorebird subsistence harvest and indigenous knowledge in Alaska: Informing harvest assessment and management, and engaging users in shorebird conservation
Limited data on harvest and population parameters are major impediments to assess shorebird harvest sustainability. Because of sharp declines in shorebird populations, timely conservation efforts require approaches that account for uncertainty in harvest sustainability. We combined harvest assessment and ethnographic research to better understand shorebird conservation concerns related...
Authors
Naves. Liliana, Jacqueline Keating, T. Lee Tibbitts, Daniel R. Ruthrauff
Early emergence of mcr-1-positive Enterobacteriaceae in gulls from Spain and Portugal Early emergence of mcr-1-positive Enterobacteriaceae in gulls from Spain and Portugal
We tested extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase producing bacteria from wild gulls (Larusspp.) sampled in 2009 for the presence of mcr‐1. We report the detection of mcr‐1 and describe genome characteristics of four Escherichia coli and one Klebsiella pneumoniaeisolate from Spain and Portugal that also exhibited colistin resistance. Results represent the earliest evidence for colistin‐resistant...
Authors
Christina Ahlstrom, Andrew M. Ramey, Hanna Woksepp, Jonas Bonnedahl
Repeated detection of carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli in gulls inhabiting Alaska, USA Repeated detection of carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli in gulls inhabiting Alaska, USA
We report the first detection of carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli in Alaska and in wildlife in the United States. Wild bird (gull) feces sampled at three locations in Southcentral Alaska yielded isolates that harbored plasmid-encoded blaKPC-2 or chromosomally-encoded blaOXA-48, and genes associated with antimicrobial resistance to up to eight antibiotic classes.
Authors
Christina Ahlstrom, Andrew M. Ramey, Hanna Woksepp, Jonas Bonnedahl
Technical comment on “Global pattern of nest predation is disrupted by climate change in shorebirds” Technical comment on “Global pattern of nest predation is disrupted by climate change in shorebirds”
Kubelka et al. (Report, 9 November 2018, p. 680-683) claim that climate change has disrupted patterns of nest predation in shorebirds. They report that predation rates have increased since the 1950s, especially in the Arctic. We describe methodological problems with their analyses and argue that there is no solid statistical support for their claims.
Authors
Martin Bulla, Jeroen Reneerkens, Emily L. Weiser, Aleksandr Sokolov, Audrey R. Taylor, Benoit Sittler, Brian J McCaffery, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Daniel H. Catlin, David C. Payer, David H. Ward, Diana V Solovyeva, Eduardo Santos, Eldar Rakhimberdiev, Erica Nol, Eunbi Kwon, Glen S. Brown, Glenda D Hevia, H. River Gates, James A. Johnson, Jan A. van Gils, Jannik Hansen, Jean-François Lamarre, Jennie Rausch, Jesse R. Conklin, Joe Liebezeit, Joël Bêty, Johannes Lang, Jose A. Alves, Juan Fernandez-Elipe, Klaus-Michael Exo, Loic Bollache, Marcelo Bertellotti, Marie-Andree Giroux, Martijn van de Pol, Matthew D. Johnson, Megan L. Boldenow, Mihai Valcu, Mikhail Soloviev, Natalya Sokolova, Nathan R. Senner, Nicholas Lecomte, Nicolas Meyer, Niels Martin Schmidt, Olivier Gilg, Paul A Smith, Paula Machin, Rebecca L McGuire, Ricardo AS Cerboncini, Richard Ottvall, Rob van Bemmelen, Rose J Swift, Sara T Saalfeld, Sara E Jamieson, Stephen C. Brown, Theunis Piersma, Tomas Albrecht, Veronica L D’Amico, Richard B. Lanctot, Bart Kempenaers
Ecosystem scale loss of grazing habitat impacted by abundance of dominant herbivores Ecosystem scale loss of grazing habitat impacted by abundance of dominant herbivores
Grazing lawns, patches of grazing tolerant plants with high nutrient value, provide important habitat for herbivores, and changes in abundance can impact herbivore populations. Grazing lawns are maintained in quality and quantity by repeated grazing and are a result of a positive feedback since the availability of grazing lawn can increase herbivore populations and increased herbivore...
Authors
Brian D. Uher-Koch, Joel A. Schmutz, Heather M. Wilson, R Michael Anthony, Thomas L Day, Thomas F Fondell, Brian T. Person, James S. Sedinger
Prevalence and diversity of avian blood parasites in a resident northern passerine Prevalence and diversity of avian blood parasites in a resident northern passerine
Background: Climate-related changes are expected to influence the prevalence and distribution of vector-borne haemosporidian parasites at northern latitudes, although baseline information about resident birds is still lacking. In this study, we investigated prevalence and genetic diversity of Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon parasites infecting the Northwestern Crow (Corvus...
Authors
Caroline R. Van Hemert, Brandt W. Meixell, Matthew M. Smith, Colleen M. Handel
Geographic variation in the intensity of warming and phenological mismatch between Arctic shorebirds and invertebrates Geographic variation in the intensity of warming and phenological mismatch between Arctic shorebirds and invertebrates
Responses to climate change can vary across functional groups and trophic levels, leading to a temporal decoupling of trophic interactions or ‘phenological mismatches.’ Despite a growing number of single-species studies that identified phenological mismatches as a nearly universal consequence of climate change, we have a limited understanding of the spatial variation in the intensity of...
Authors
Enubi Kwon, Emily L. Weiser, Richard B. Lanctot, Stephen C. Brown, H. River Gates, H. Grant Gilchrist, Steve J. Kendall, David B. Lank, Joseph R. Liebezeit, Laura McKinnon, Erica Nol, David C. Payer, Jennie Rausch, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Daniel J. Rinella, Nathan R. Senner, David Ward, Paul A. Smith, Robert C. Wissman, Brett K. Sandercock
Energy depletion and stress levels of Sockeye Salmon migrating at the northern edge of their distribution Energy depletion and stress levels of Sockeye Salmon migrating at the northern edge of their distribution
The physiological challenge for anadromous fish to migrate upriver is influenced by river temperature, but the impacts of river temperature can be difficult to predict due to an incomplete understanding of how temperature influences migration costs, especially in high‐latitude (>60°N) ecosystems. To assess temperature influences on migrating Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp., we measured...
Authors
Michael P. Carey, Kevin D. Keith, Merlyn Schelske, Charlie Lean, Stephen D. McCormick, Amy M. Regish, Christian E. Zimmerman
Coast to coast: High genomic connectivity in North American scoters Coast to coast: High genomic connectivity in North American scoters
Dispersal shapes demographic processes and therefore is fundamental to understanding biological, ecological, and evolutionary processes acting within populations. However, assessing population connectivity in scoters (Melanitta sp.) is challenging as these species have large spatial distributions that span remote landscapes, have varying nesting distributions (disjunct vs. continuous)...
Authors
Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Robert E. Wilson, Philip Lavretsky, Sandra L. Talbot
Spatio-temporal population change of Arctic-breeding waterbirds on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska Spatio-temporal population change of Arctic-breeding waterbirds on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska
Rapid physical changes that are occurring in the Arctic are primary drivers of landscape change and thus may drive population dynamics of Arctic-breeding birds. Despite the importance of this region to breeding and molting waterbirds, lack of a comprehensive analysis of historic data has hindered quantifying avian population change. We estimated distribution, abundance, and spatially...
Authors
Courtney L. Amundson, Paul L. Flint, Robert A Stehn, Robert Platte, Heather M. Wilson, William W. Larned, Julian B. Fischer