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Publications

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

Filter Total Items: 16731

Sea-floor geology in northwestern Block Island Sound, Rhode Island Sea-floor geology in northwestern Block Island Sound, Rhode Island

Multibeam-echosounder and sidescan-sonar data, collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in a 69-square-kilometer area of northwestern Block Island Sound, are used with sediment samples, and still and video photography of the sea floor, collected by the U.S. Geological Survey at 43 stations within this area, to interpret the sea-floor features and sedimentary...
Authors
Katherine Y. McMullen, Lawrence J. Poppe, Seth D. Ackerman, Dann S. Blackwood, D.A. Woods

Combined multibeam and bathymetry data from Rhode Island Sound and Block Island Sound: a regional perspective Combined multibeam and bathymetry data from Rhode Island Sound and Block Island Sound: a regional perspective

Detailed bathymetric maps of the sea floor in Rhode Island and Block Island Sounds are of great interest to the New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts research and management communities because of this area's ecological, recreational, and commercial importance. Geologically interpreted digital terrain models from individual surveys provide important benthic environmental information...
Authors
Lawrence J. Poppe, Katherine Y. McMullen, William W. Danforth, Mark R. Blankenship, Andrew R. Clos, Kimberly A. Glomb, Peter G. Lewit, Megan A. Nadeau, Douglas A. Wood, Castleton E. Parker

Spatial variability in survival of adult brook trout within two intensively surveyed headwater stream networks Spatial variability in survival of adult brook trout within two intensively surveyed headwater stream networks

Headwater stream networks are considered heterogeneous riverscapes, but it is challenging to characterize spatial variability in demographic rates. We estimated site-scale (50 m) survival of adult (>age 1+) brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) within two intensively surveyed headwater stream networks by applying an open-population N-mixture approach to count data collected over two...
Authors
Yoichiro Kanno, Benjamin Letcher, Jason C. Vokoun, Elise Zipkin

Geophysical logging of bedrock wells for geothermal gradient characterization in New Hampshire, 2013 Geophysical logging of bedrock wells for geothermal gradient characterization in New Hampshire, 2013

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New Hampshire Geological Survey, measured the fluid temperature of groundwater and other geophysical properties in 10 bedrock wells in the State of New Hampshire in order to characterize geothermal gradients in bedrock. The wells selected for the study were deep (five ranging from 375 to 900 feet and five deeper than 900 feet) and 6 had...
Authors
James R. Degnan, Gregory Barker, Neil Olson, Leland Wilder

Estimating movement and survival rates of a small saltwater fish using autonomous antenna receiver arrays and passive integrated transponder tags Estimating movement and survival rates of a small saltwater fish using autonomous antenna receiver arrays and passive integrated transponder tags

We evaluated the performance of small (12.5 mm long) passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and custom detection antennas for obtaining fine-scale movement and demographic data of mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus in a salt marsh creek. Apparent survival and detection probability were estimated using a Cormack Jolly Seber (CJS) model fitted to detection data collected by an array of 3...
Authors
Paul J. Rudershausen, Jeffery A. Buckel, Todd Dubreuil, Matthew J. O’Donnell, Joseph E. Hightower, Steven J. Poland, Benjamin H. Letcher

Aspidoscelis deppii (Black-bellied Racerunner). Predation by Great Egrets Aspidoscelis deppii (Black-bellied Racerunner). Predation by Great Egrets

Aspidoscelis deppii) is widely distributed from Veracruz and Michoacan, Mexico to Costa Rica (Köhler et al. 2006. The Amphibians and Reptiles of El Salvador. Krieger Publishing Co., Malabar, Florida. 238 pp.). Neotropical lizards are abundant and common prey to all classes of terrestrial vertebrates, and bird predation of lizards is well known.
Authors
Robert P. Reynolds, James F. Whatton, Christina A. Gebhard

Threshold concepts: implications for the management of natural resources Threshold concepts: implications for the management of natural resources

Threshold concepts can have broad relevance in natural resource management. However, the concept of ecological thresholds has not been widely incorporated or adopted in management goals. This largely stems from the uncertainty revolving around threshold levels and the post hoc analyses that have generally been used to identify them. Natural resource managers have a need for new tools and
Authors
Glenn R. Guntenspergen, John Gross

North American amphibians: Distribution and diversity North American amphibians: Distribution and diversity

Some 300 species of amphibians inhabit North America. The past two decades have seen an enormous growth in interest about amphibians and an increased intensity of scientific research into their fascinating biology and continent-wide distribution. This atlas presents the spectacular diversity of North American amphibians in a geographic context. It covers all formally recognized amphibian...

A deglacial and Holocene record of climate variability in south-central Alaska from stable oxygen isotopes and plant macrofossils in peat A deglacial and Holocene record of climate variability in south-central Alaska from stable oxygen isotopes and plant macrofossils in peat

We used stable oxygen isotopes derived from bulk peat (δ18OTOM), in conjunction with plant macrofossils and previously published carbon accumulation records, in a ∼14,500 cal yr BP peat core (HT Fen) from the Kenai lowlands in south-central Alaska to reconstruct the climate history of the area. We find that patterns are broadly consistent with those from lacustrine records across the...
Authors
Miriam C. Jones, Matthew J. Wooller, Dorothy M. Peteet

A Bayesian network approach to predicting nest presence of thefederally-threatened piping plover (Charadrius melodus) using barrier island features A Bayesian network approach to predicting nest presence of thefederally-threatened piping plover (Charadrius melodus) using barrier island features

Sea-level rise and human development pose significant threats to shorebirds, particularly for species that utilize barrier island habitat. The piping plover (Charadrius melodus) is a federally-listed shorebird that nests on barrier islands and rapidly responds to changes in its physical environment, making it an excellent species with which to model how shorebird species may respond to...
Authors
Katherina D. Gieder, Sarah M. Karpanty, James D. Fraser, Daniel H. Catlin, Benjamin T. Gutierrez, Nathaniel G. Plant, Aaron M. Turecek, E. Robert Thieler

Aspidoscelis deppii (black-bellied racerunner). Predation by turkey vulture. Aspidoscelis deppii (black-bellied racerunner). Predation by turkey vulture.

Aspidoscelis deppii is widely distributed from Veracruz and Michoacan, Mexico, to Costa Rica (Köhler et al. 2006. The Amphibians and Reptiles of El Salvador, Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida. 238 pp.). Neotropical lizards are abundant and common prey to all classes of terrestrial vertebrates, and bird predation of lizards is well known. The Turkey Vulture (Carthartes aura) is...
Authors
Robert P. Reynolds, Christina A. Gebhard

Mineral Resource of the Month: Talc Mineral Resource of the Month: Talc

When people think of talc, they often think of talcum and baby powder. However, these uses of talc are minor compared to its use in industrial manufacturing. The leading use of talc in the United States is in the production of ceramics, where it is a source of magnesium oxide, serves as a flux to reduce firing temperatures, and improves thermal shock characteristics of the final product...
Authors
Robert L. Virta, Bradley S. Van Gosen
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