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Publications

These publications showcase the significant science conducted in our Science Centers.

Filter Total Items: 16740

Emerging investigator series: Atmospheric cycling of indium in the northeastern United States Emerging investigator series: Atmospheric cycling of indium in the northeastern United States

Indium is critical to the global economy and is used in an increasing number of electronics and new energy technologies. However, little is known about its environmental behavior or impacts, including its concentrations or cycling in the atmosphere. This study determined indium concentrations in air particulate matter at five locations across the northeastern United States over the...
Authors
Sarah Jane White, Harold F. Hemond

Establishing molecular methods to quantitatively profile gastric diet items of fish—Application to the invasive blue catfish (ictalurus furcatus) Establishing molecular methods to quantitatively profile gastric diet items of fish—Application to the invasive blue catfish (ictalurus furcatus)

Understanding the diet of invasive species helps researchers to more accurately assess the health, survivorship, growth, and stability of an invasive fish species, as well as their effects on native populations. Techniques capable of identifying multiple prey species from fish stomach contents have been developed. In this study, a multi-locus metabarcoding approach was used to identify...
Authors
Deborah D. Iwanowicz, W. Bane Schill, Lakyn R. Sanders, Tim Groves, Mary C. Groves

Mid-latitude net precipitation decreased with Arctic warming during the Holocene Mid-latitude net precipitation decreased with Arctic warming during the Holocene

The latitudinal temperature gradient between the Equator and the poles influences atmospheric stability, the strength of the jet stream and extratropical cyclones. Recent global warming is weakening the annual surface gradient in the Northern Hemisphere by preferentially warming the high latitudes; however, the implications of these changes for mid-latitude climate remain uncertain. Here...
Authors
Cody Routson, Nicholas McKay, Darrell Kaufman, Hugues Goosse, Bryan Shuman, Jessica Rodysill, Toby Ault

How lipid content and temperature affect American shad (Alosa sapidissima) attempt rate and sprint swimming: Implications for overcoming migration barriers How lipid content and temperature affect American shad (Alosa sapidissima) attempt rate and sprint swimming: Implications for overcoming migration barriers

How seasonal effects such as temperature increases and reduced lipid content affect the ability of anadromous fishes to traverse high-velocity barriers and sprint swimming is poorly understood. We evaluated American shad (Alosa sapidissima) swimming performance in a flume against high flow velocities (2.5–3.7 m·s−1) during the upstream migration period (April–May; temperatures 11.1–21.4...
Authors
Shannon Michael Bayse, Stephen D. McCormick, Theodore R. Castro-Santos

Confronting uncertainty: Contributions of the wildlife profession to the broader scientific community Confronting uncertainty: Contributions of the wildlife profession to the broader scientific community

Most wildlife professionals are engaged in 1 or both of 2 basic endeavors: science and management. These endeavors are a focus of many other disciplines, leading to widespread sharing of general methodologies. Wildlife professionals have appropriately borrowed and assimilated many methods developed primarily in other disciplines but have also led the development of one class of...
Authors
James D. Nichols

Scale‐dependent effects of isolation on seasonal patch colonisation by two Neotropical freshwater fishes Scale‐dependent effects of isolation on seasonal patch colonisation by two Neotropical freshwater fishes

The metapopulation paradigm has been central to improve the conservation and management of natural populations. However, despite the large number of studies on metapopulation dynamics, the overall support for the relationships on which the paradigm is based has not been strong. Here, we studied the occupancy dynamics of two Neotropical fishes (i.e., Pimelodella gracilis and Leporinus...
Authors
Jerry Penha, Karlo Y. P. Hakamada, James E. Hines, James D. Nichols

Surficial geochemistry and bioaccessibility of tellurium in semi-arid mine tailings Surficial geochemistry and bioaccessibility of tellurium in semi-arid mine tailings

Tellurium (Te) is a critical element due to its use in solar technology. However, some forms are highly toxic. Few studies have examined Te behavior in the surficial environment, thus little is known about its potential human and environmental health impacts. This study characterizes two physicochemically distinct Te-enriched mine tailings piles (big and flat tailings) deposited by...
Authors
Sarah M. Hayes, Nicole A Ramos

State-space analysis of power to detect regional brook trout population trends over time State-space analysis of power to detect regional brook trout population trends over time

Threats to aquatic biodiversity are expressed at broad spatial scales, but identifying regional trends in abundance is challenging owing to variable sampling designs, and temporal and spatial variation in abundance. We compiled a regional dataset of brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis counts across their southern range representing 326 sites from eight states between 1982-2014, and...
Authors
Kasey C. Pregler, R. Daniel Hanks, Evan S. Childress, Nathaniel P. Hitt, Daniel J. Hocking, Benjamin H. Letcher, Yoichiro Kanno

100-kyr paced climate change in the Pliocene warm period, Southwest Pacific 100-kyr paced climate change in the Pliocene warm period, Southwest Pacific

The mid to late Pliocene (~4.2-2.8 Ma.) represents an experiment in climate sensitivity to orbital pacing in which nearly all continental ice was confined to the Southern Hemisphere. Most studies have emphasized the dominant role of obliquity in determining changes in ice volume and temperature at this time, although most records come from the Northern Hemisphere, instead of the...
Authors
Rocio Caballero-Gill, Timothy D. Herbert, Harry Dowsett

Tectono-magmatic evolution of porphyry belts in the central Tethys region of Turkey, the Caucasus, Iran, western Pakistan, and southern Afghanistan Tectono-magmatic evolution of porphyry belts in the central Tethys region of Turkey, the Caucasus, Iran, western Pakistan, and southern Afghanistan

Exploration in the central Tethys region of Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, and western Pakistan has led to the identification of the giant Reko Diq (24 Mt Cu and 1300 t Au), Sar Cheshmeh (8.9 Mt Cu and 0.46 Mt Mo), Sungun (5.1 Mt Cu and 0.20 Mt Mo), and Kadjaran (4.6 Mt Cu, 0.94 Mt Mo, and 1100 t Au), and 10 other large (1–2 Mt Cu) porphyry deposits including Saindak...
Authors
Lukas Zurcher, Arthur A. Bookstrom, Jane M. Hammarstrom, John C. Mars, Stephen Ludington, Michael L. Zientek, Pamela Dunlap, John Wallis

Molecular characterization of Bathymodiolus mussels and gill symbionts associated with chemosynthetic habitats from the U.S. Atlantic margin Molecular characterization of Bathymodiolus mussels and gill symbionts associated with chemosynthetic habitats from the U.S. Atlantic margin

Mussels of the genus Bathymodiolus are among the most widespread colonizers of hydrothermal vent and cold seep environments, sustained by endosymbiosis with chemosynthetic bacteria. Presumed species of Bathymodiolus are abundant at newly discovered cold seeps on the Mid-Atlantic continental slope, however morphological taxonomy is challenging, and their phylogenetic affinities remain...
Authors
Dolly Coykendall, Robert S. Cornman, Nancy G. Prouty, Sandra Brooke, Amanda W. J. Demopoulos, Cheryl L. Morrison

Functional divergence of thyrotropin beta-subunit paralogs gives new insights into salmon smoltification metamorphosis Functional divergence of thyrotropin beta-subunit paralogs gives new insights into salmon smoltification metamorphosis

Smoltification is a metamorphic event in salmon life history, which initiates downstream migration and pre-adapts juvenile salmon for seawater entry. While a number of reports concern thyroid hormones and smoltification, few and inconclusive studies have addressed the potential role of thyrotropin (TSH). TSH is composed of a α-subunit common to gonadotropins, and a β-subunit conferring...
Authors
Mitchell S Fleming, Gersende Maugars, Anne-Gaelle LaFont, Romain Fontaine, Finn-Arne Weltzien, Stephen D. McCormick
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