Publications
These publications showcase the significant science conducted in our Science Centers.
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The complex spatial distribution of trichloroethene and the probability of NAPL occurrence in the rock matrix of a mudstone aquifer The complex spatial distribution of trichloroethene and the probability of NAPL occurrence in the rock matrix of a mudstone aquifer
Methanol extractions for chloroethene analyses are conducted on rock samples from seven closely spaced coreholes in a mudstone aquifer that was subject to releases of the nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) form of trichloroethene (TCE) between the 1950's and 1990's. Although TCE concentration in the rock matrix over the length of coreholes is dictated by proximity to subhorizontal bedding
Authors
Allen M. Shapiro, Daniel J. Goode, Thomas E. Imbrigiotta, Michelle M. Lorah, Claire R. Tiedeman
Revisiting the avian Eco-SSL for lead: Recommendations for revision Revisiting the avian Eco-SSL for lead: Recommendations for revision
The avian ecological soil screening level (Eco-SSL) for lead (11 mg/kg) is within soil background concentrations for >90% of the US. Consequently, its utility as a soil screening level is limited. Site-specific ecological risk-based remedial goals for lead are frequently many times greater. Toxicity reference values (TRVs) play a major role in defining Eco-SSLs. The lead Eco-SSL TRV is...
Authors
Bradley Sample, W. Nelson Beyer, Randall Wentsel
Future directions to escalate benefits of stepping-stone approach for conservation translocations Future directions to escalate benefits of stepping-stone approach for conservation translocations
Through a reintroduction case study on the critically endangered Vancouver Island marmot (Marmota vancouverensis), we introduced a ‘stepping-stone’ approach which utilizes the transition of released individuals among populations to maximize demographic growth potential (Lloyd et al. 2019). We greatly appreciate and hereby reflect on the thoughtful commentaries by Chauvenet (2019)...
Authors
N.A. Lloyd, N.J. Hostetter, C.L. Jackson, Sarah J. Converse, A. Moehrenschlager
Coelomic disorders of fishes Coelomic disorders of fishes
Dropsy is a commonly applied term for coelomic distention due to ascites, or the effusion and collection of fluid freely throughout the coelomic cavity. Dropsy, or ascites, is generally a sign of another ongoing disease process, oftentimes one that is multisystemic and impacting coelomic organs and tissues. Dropsy may be caused by a variety of potential etiological agents, both...
Authors
Christine L. Densmore
The Value of Data – The Qatar Geologic Mapping Project The Value of Data – The Qatar Geologic Mapping Project
The State of Qatar is in a period of rapid development, modernization, and population growth. One of the most important factors influencing the long-term success and sustainability of future development is a comprehensive understanding of the region’s geologic regime, geotechnical conditions, natural resources, and environmental constraints. To obtain this understanding, the Ministry of
Authors
Joseph T. Krupansky, Michael A. Knight, Randall Orndorff, Khaled M. Al-Akhras, Ara G. Mouradian, Ali F. Saleh
Perfluoroalkyl contaminant exposure in tree swallows nesting at Clarks Marsh, Oscoda, Michigan, USA Perfluoroalkyl contaminant exposure in tree swallows nesting at Clarks Marsh, Oscoda, Michigan, USA
A site in north eastern Michigan, Oscoda Township, has some of the highest recorded exposure in birds to perfluorinated substances (PFASs) in the U.S. Some egg and plasma concentrations at that location exceeded the lowest reproductive effect threshold established for two avian laboratory species. The objectives of this study were to determine whether there were reproductive effects or
Authors
Christine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Robert Delaney, Paul M. Dummer, Sandra L. Schultz, Natalie Karouna-Renier
Seasonal, tidal, and geomorphic controls on sediment export to Amazon River tidal floodplains Seasonal, tidal, and geomorphic controls on sediment export to Amazon River tidal floodplains
Mainstem–floodplain material exchange in the tidal freshwater reach of ma jor rivers may lead to significant sequestration of riverine sediment, but this zone remains understudied compared to adjacent fluvial and marine environ ments. This knowledge gap prompts investigation of floodplain-incising tidalchannels found along the banks of tidal rivers and their role in facilitating water...
Authors
Daniel J. Nowacki, Andrea S. Ogston, Charles A. Nittrouer, Aaron Fricke, Nils Asp, Pedro Walfir M. Souza Filho
Detecting the undetectable: Characterization, optimization, and validation of an eDNA detection assay for the federally endangered dwarf wedgemussel, Alasmidonta heterodon (Bivalvia: Unionoida) Detecting the undetectable: Characterization, optimization, and validation of an eDNA detection assay for the federally endangered dwarf wedgemussel, Alasmidonta heterodon (Bivalvia: Unionoida)
Environmental (e)DNA assays are valuable tools for monitoring presence and distribution of cryptic species. Like many freshwater mussels, the dwarf wedgemussel, Alasmidonta heterodon numbers have dwindled and its range has diminished. As of its listing in 1993, only 10 to 20 locations were known to persist of the 70 Atlantic slope locations known historically. A qPCR assay to detect the...
Authors
W. Bane Schill, Heather S. Galbraith
Pathways to strategic communication for biodiversity conservation: Response to “Hearing ourselves (and acting in consequence): A commentary on Bekessy et al. from a bird-handling environmental education perspective” Pathways to strategic communication for biodiversity conservation: Response to “Hearing ourselves (and acting in consequence): A commentary on Bekessy et al. from a bird-handling environmental education perspective”
Central to discussions about the merits of ecosystem services as a communication strategy is the degree to which it represents a strategic and effective approach to advance biodiversity conservation. There is increasing recognition that many conservation communication efforts can be more strategic (e.g. Kusmanoff et al. 2016).
Authors
Alex Kusmanoff, Michael C. Runge, David A. Keith, Brendan A. Wintle, Sarah A. Bekessy
Environmental and geomorphological changes on the eastern North American Continental Shelf across the Paleocene-Eocene Boundary Environmental and geomorphological changes on the eastern North American Continental Shelf across the Paleocene-Eocene Boundary
Foraminiferal evidence from two sites in southern Maryland, eastern United States, reveals a series of rapid ecological changes on the continental shelf during the onset of the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). Benthic and planktic foraminifer assemblages from the South Dover Bridge (SDB) and Mattawoman Creek-Billingsley Road (MCBR) cores in the central Salisbury Embayment record...
Authors
Marci M. Robinson, Whittney Spivey
Anatomical physiology of fishes Anatomical physiology of fishes
This chapter highlights the major consistencies and differences that are evident in the anatomy and physiology of those fish most likely to be encountered by the veterinarian or biologist working in the realm of aquatic animal health. It describes teleost fish, members of the infraclass Teleostei that includes bony fish with protrusible upper jaws, as these represent the majority of...
Authors
Christine L. Densmore
Functional variation at an expressed MHC class IIß locus associates with Ranavirus infection intensity in larval anuran populations Functional variation at an expressed MHC class IIß locus associates with Ranavirus infection intensity in larval anuran populations
Infectious diseases are causing catastrophic losses to biodiversity globally. Iridoviruses in the genus Ranavirus are among the leading causes of amphibian disease-related mortality. Polymorphisms in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes are significantly associated with variation in amphibian susceptibility to pathogens. MHC genes encode diverse cell-surface molecules that can...
Authors
Anna E. Savage, Carly R. Muletz-Wolz, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Robert C. Fleischer, Kevin P. Mulder