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Publications

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

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The evolutionary consequences for seawater performance and its hormonal control when anadromous Atlantic salmon become landlocked The evolutionary consequences for seawater performance and its hormonal control when anadromous Atlantic salmon become landlocked

Populations of anadromous fish have become landlocked in relatively recent geological history (
Authors
Stephen D. McCormick, Amy M. Regish, William R. Ardren, Bjorn Thrandur Bjornsson, Nicholas J. Bernier

Partitioning global change: Assessing the relative importance of changes in climate and land cover for changes in avian distribution Partitioning global change: Assessing the relative importance of changes in climate and land cover for changes in avian distribution

Understanding the relative impact of climate change and land cover change on changes in avian distribution has implications for the future course of avian distributions and appropriate management strategies. Due to the dynamic nature of climate change, our goal was to investigate the processes that shape species distributions, rather than the current distributional patterns. To this end...
Authors
Matthew J. Clement, James D. Nichols, Jaime A. Collazo, Adam J. Terando, James E. Hines, Steven G. Williams

Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum prolonged by fossil carbon oxidation Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum prolonged by fossil carbon oxidation

A hallmark of the rapid and massive release of carbon during the Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum is the global negative carbon isotope excursion. The delayed recovery of the carbon isotope excursion, however, indicates that CO2 inputs continued well after the initial rapid onset, although there is no consensus about the source of this secondary carbon. Here we suggest this secondary...
Authors
Shelby L. Lyons, Allison A. Baczynski, Tali L. Babila, Timothy J. Bralower, Elizabeth A. Hajek, Lee R. Kump, Ellen G. Polites, Jean Self-Trail, Sheila M. Trampush, Jamie R. Vornlocher, James C. Zachos, Katherine H. Freeman

Evaluating response distances to develop buffer zones for staging terns Evaluating response distances to develop buffer zones for staging terns

Buffer zones, calculated by flight‐initiation distance (FID), are often used to reduce anthropogenic disturbances to wildlife, but FID can vary significantly across life‐history stages. We examined the behavioral effect of potential natural (gulls and shorebirds) and anthropogenic (pedestrians) disturbance sources to staging roseate (Sterna dougallii) and common tern (S. hirundo) flocks...
Authors
Melissa A. Althouse, Jonathan B. Cohen, Sarah M. Karpanty, Jeffrey A. Spendelow, Kayla L. Davis, Katherin Parsons, Cristin F. Luttazi

Allowable take of black vultures in the eastern United States Allowable take of black vultures in the eastern United States

Black vultures (Coragyps atratus) have been increasing in density and expanding their range in the eastern United States since at least the 1960s. In many areas, their densities have increased to the level where they are causing damage to property and livestock and the number of requests for allowable take permits has increased throughout these areas. The United States Fish and Wildlife...
Authors
Guthrie S. Zimmerman, Brian A. Millsap, Michael L. Avery, John R. Sauer, Michael C. Runge, Kenneth D. Richkus

Clade 2.3.4.4 H5 North American highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses infect, but do not cause clinical signs in American Black Ducks (Anas rubripes) Clade 2.3.4.4 H5 North American highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses infect, but do not cause clinical signs in American Black Ducks (Anas rubripes)

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) from the goose/Guangdong/1996 clade 2.3.4.4 H5 lineage spread from Asia into North America in 2014, most likely by wild bird migrations. Although several variants of the virus were detected, an H5N8 and H5N2 were the most widespread in North American wild birds and domestic poultry. In early 2015, the H5N2 virus spread through commercial...
Authors
Erica Spackman, Diann Prosser, Mary Pantin-Jackwood, Christopher B. Stephens, Alicia Berlin

Simulating runoff quality with the highway-runoff database and the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model Simulating runoff quality with the highway-runoff database and the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model

Stormwater practitioners need quantitative information about the quality and volume of highway runoff to assess and mitigate potential adverse effects of runoff on the Nation’s receiving waters. The U.S. Geological Survey developed the Highway Runoff Database (HRDB) in cooperation with the FHWA to provide practice-ready information to meet these information needs on the local or national...
Authors
Gregory E. Granato, Susan C. Jones

Landscape evolution of a fluvial sediment-rich Avicennia marina mangrove forest: Insights from seasonal and inter-annual surface-elevation dynamics Landscape evolution of a fluvial sediment-rich Avicennia marina mangrove forest: Insights from seasonal and inter-annual surface-elevation dynamics

Mangrove forests are vulnerable to accelerated sea-level rise associated with climate warming because they occupy a relatively narrow zone on the mid-to-upper-intertidal flats. The fate of these ecosystems largely depends on their capacity to accrete sediment at a rate sufficient to maintain their elevation relative to sea level. We investigated the role of biophysical processes and...
Authors
Andrew Swales, Glen Reeve, Donald R. Cahoon, Catherine Lovelock

Demographic and genetic description of Greenland’s only indigenous Atlantic salmon Salmo salar population Demographic and genetic description of Greenland’s only indigenous Atlantic salmon Salmo salar population

A survey of the Kapisillit River system was conducted in 2005 and 2012 to study the only indigenous Atlantic salmon Salmo salar population in Greenland. Little is known about its characteristics or its relationship with other S. salar populations across the species range. Juvenile S. salar were captured in all stations surveyed within the lower river with the highest densities lower in...
Authors
Jo Vegar Arnekleiv, Jan Grimsrud Davidsen, Timothy F Sheehan, Sarah J Lehnert, Ian R Bradbury, L Ronning, Aslak Darre Sjursen, G Kjaerstad, Barbara A. Lubinski, Kjell J Nilssen

Focus areas for data acquisition for potential domestic sources of critical minerals—Rare earth elements Focus areas for data acquisition for potential domestic sources of critical minerals—Rare earth elements

Rare earth elements (REEs) are critical mineral commodities for the United States. In response to a need for information on potential domestic sources of REEs in mineral deposits, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) identified broad focus areas throughout the conterminous United States and Alaska as a guide for selecting new geoscience research areas. This study was done to support the...
Authors
Jane M. Hammarstrom, Connie L. Dicken

Understanding the genetic characteristics of Wild Brook Trout populations in North Carolina thanks to the guidance of Dr. Tim King Understanding the genetic characteristics of Wild Brook Trout populations in North Carolina thanks to the guidance of Dr. Tim King

We genotyped 7,588 brook trout representing 406 collections from across the State of North Carolina (Figure 1) at 12 microsatellite loci (King et al. 2012). The vast majority of collections appeared to represent single populations, based on general conformance to HardyWeinberg equilibrium and limited evidence for linkage-disequilibrium. Allelic diversity was low to moderate relative to...
Authors
David C. Kazyak, Barbara A. Lubinski, Jacob M Rash, Tim L. King

Evidence for conservative transport of dissolved organic carbon in major river basins in the Gulf of Maine Watershed Evidence for conservative transport of dissolved organic carbon in major river basins in the Gulf of Maine Watershed

Transport and fate of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in rivers are important aspects of the carbon cycle and the critical linkage between terrestrial, aquatic, and marine systems. Recent studies have quantified fluvial export to the marine environment in many systems, but in-stream losses of DOC are poorly constrained. This study compares DOC yields (kg C/ha) between the area-weighted...
Authors
Thomas G. Huntington, Collin S. Roesler, George R. Aiken
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