Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Publications

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

Filter Total Items: 16759

Using value of information to prioritize research needs for migratory bird management under climate change: A case study using federal land acquisition in the United States Using value of information to prioritize research needs for migratory bird management under climate change: A case study using federal land acquisition in the United States

In response to global habitat loss, many governmental and non‐governmental organizations have implemented land acquisition programs to protect critical habitats permanently for priority species. The ability of these protected areas to meet future management objectives may be compromised if the effects of climate change are not considered in acquisition decisions. Unfortunately, the...
Authors
Clark S Rushing, Madeleine A. Rubenstein, James E. Lyons, Michael C. Runge

Passive sampling of groundwater wells for determination of water chemistry Passive sampling of groundwater wells for determination of water chemistry

Introduction Passive groundwater sampling is defined as the collection of a water sample from a well without the use of purging by a pump or retrieval by a bailer (Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council [ITRC], 2006; American Society for Testing and Materials [ASTM], 2014). No purging means that advection of water is not involved in collecting the water sample from the well...
Authors
Thomas E. Imbrigiotta, Philip T. Harte

Sample mounting for organic petrology: No thermal effects from transient exposure to elevated temperatures Sample mounting for organic petrology: No thermal effects from transient exposure to elevated temperatures

For sample mounting, organic petrology laboratories typically use cold-setting epoxy-resin (e.g., 40 °C, used by Oklahoma Geological Survey, OGS) or heat-setting thermoplastic (e.g., 180 °C, used by U.S. Geological Survey, USGS). Previous workers have suggested a systematic huminite/vitrinite reflectance (VRo) increase was associated with the thermoplastic preparation process, relative...
Authors
Paul C. Hackley, Brian J. Cardott

Fluorescence spectroscopy of ancient sedimentary organic matter via confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) Fluorescence spectroscopy of ancient sedimentary organic matter via confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM)

Fluorescence spectroscopy via confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was used to analyze ancient sedimentary organic matter, including Tasmanites microfossils in Devonian shale and Gloecapsomorpha prisca (G. prisca) in Ordovician kukersite from North American basins. We examined fluorescence emission as a function of excitation laser wavelength, sample orientation, and with respect to...
Authors
Paul C. Hackley, Aaron M. Jubb, Robert Burruss, Amy E Beaven

Evaluating indicators of marsh vulnerability to sea level rise along a historical marsh loss gradient Evaluating indicators of marsh vulnerability to sea level rise along a historical marsh loss gradient

Sea level rise (SLR) is threatening coastal marshes, leading to large‐scale marsh loss in several micro‐tidal systems. Early recognition of marsh vulnerability to SLR is critical in these systems to aid managers to take appropriate restoration or mitigation measures. However, it is not clear if current marsh vulnerability indicators correctly assess long‐term stability of the marsh...
Authors
Lennert Schepers, Matt L. Kirwan, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Stijn Temmerman

Effects of legacy sediment removal and effects on nutrients and sediment in Big Spring Run, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 2009–15 Effects of legacy sediment removal and effects on nutrients and sediment in Big Spring Run, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 2009–15

Big Spring Run is a 1.68-square mile watershed underlain by mostly carbonate rock in a mixed land-use setting (part agricultural and part developed) in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Big Spring Run is a subwatershed of Mill Creek, a tributary to the Conestoga River. These watersheds are known contributors of nutrient and sediment loads to the Chesapeake Bay and several stream reaches...
Authors
Michael J. Langland, Joseph W. Duris, Tammy M. Zimmerman, Jeffrey J. Chaplin

A decision framework to analyze tide-gate options for restoration of the Herring River Estuary, Massachusetts A decision framework to analyze tide-gate options for restoration of the Herring River Estuary, Massachusetts

The collective set of decisions involved with the restoration of degraded wetlands is often more complex than considering only ecological responses and outcomes. Restoration is commonly driven by a complex interaction of social, economic, and ecological factors representing the mandate of resource stewards and the values of stakeholders. The authors worked with the Herring River...
Authors
David R. Smith, Mitchell J. Eaton, Jill J. Gannon, Timothy P. Smith, Eric L. Derleth, Jonathan Katz, Kirk F. Bosma, Elise Leduc

Groundwater chloride concentrations in domestic wells and proximity to roadways in Vermont, 2011–2018 Groundwater chloride concentrations in domestic wells and proximity to roadways in Vermont, 2011–2018

The Vermont Department of Health and the U.S. Geological Survey analyzed the concentrations of chloride in groundwater samples collected from 4,319 domestic wells across Vermont between 2011 and 2018. Ninety of these wells were sampled twice and the remaining 4,229 were sampled once. This sample size represents approximately 4 percent of all wells in the State of Vermont. More than half...
Authors
Joseph P. Levitt, Sille L. Larsen

Comparison of fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in hand‐ versus parent‐reared whooping cranes (Grus americana) Comparison of fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in hand‐ versus parent‐reared whooping cranes (Grus americana)

Endangered whooping cranes (Grus americana ) have been produced in captivity for reintroduction programs since the 1980s, using techniques such as artificial insemination, multiple clutching, and captive‐rearing to speed recovery efforts. Chicks are often hand‐reared (HR) by caretakers in crane costumes, socialized into groups and released together, unlike parent‐reared (PR) cranes that...
Authors
Megan E. Brown, Miranda R. Torkelson, Glenn H. Olsen, Ashley Krisp, Barry K. Hartup

Hydrogeologic framework and simulation of predevelopment groundwater flow, eastern Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates Hydrogeologic framework and simulation of predevelopment groundwater flow, eastern Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates

Groundwater in eastern Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates is an important resource that is widely used for irrigation and domestic supplies in rural areas. The U.S. Geological Survey and the Environment Agency—Abu Dhabi cooperated on an investigation to integrate existing hydrogeologic information and to answer questions about regional groundwater resources in Abu Dhabi by developing...
Authors
Jack R. Eggleston, Thomas J. Mack, Jeffrey L. Imes, Wade Kress, Dennis W. Woodward, Daniel J. Bright

Surface methane concentrations along the mid-Atlantic bight driven by aerobic subsurface production rather than seafloor gas seeps Surface methane concentrations along the mid-Atlantic bight driven by aerobic subsurface production rather than seafloor gas seeps

Relatively minor amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, are currently emitted from the oceans to the atmosphere, but such methane emissions have been hypothesized to increase as oceans warm. Here, we investigate the source, distribution, and fate of methane released from the upper continental slope of the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Bight, where hundreds of gas seeps have been discovered...
Authors
Mihai Leonte, Carolyn D. Ruppel, Angel Ruiz-Angelo, John D. Kessler

Draft genome of an adomavirus associated with raised mucoid skin lesions on smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) Draft genome of an adomavirus associated with raised mucoid skin lesions on smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu)

Raised mucoid skin lesions have been observed on smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) for years. Here we report a draft genome of a novel adomavirus (Micropterus dolomieu adomavirus 2) associated with this disease. The circular genome is 17,561 bp and most similar to that of alpha-Adomaviruses.
Authors
Luke Iwanowicz, Kelsey T. Young, Cynthia R. Adams, Vicki S. Blazer, Geoffrey Smith, Robert S. Cornman
Was this page helpful?