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Publications

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

Filter Total Items: 16727

Quaternary ostracode and foraminiferal biostratigraphy and paleoceanography in the western Arctic Ocean Quaternary ostracode and foraminiferal biostratigraphy and paleoceanography in the western Arctic Ocean

The stratigraphic distributions of ostracodes and selected calcareous benthic and planktic foraminiferal species were studied in sediment cores from ~ 700 to 2700 m water depth on the Northwind, Mendeleev, and Lomonosov Ridges in the western Arctic Ocean. Microfaunal records in most cores cover mid- to late Quaternary sediments deposited in the last ~ 600 ka, with one record covering the...
Authors
Thomas M. Cronin, Lauren H. DeNinno, L.V. Polyak, Emma K. Caverly, Richard Z. Poore, Alec R. Brenner, J. Rodriguez-Lazaro, R.E. Marzen

The effect of call libraries and acoustic filters on the identification of bat echolocation The effect of call libraries and acoustic filters on the identification of bat echolocation

Quantitative methods for species identification are commonly used in acoustic surveys for animals. While various identification models have been studied extensively, there has been little study of methods for selecting calls prior to modeling or methods for validating results after modeling. We obtained two call libraries with a combined 1556 pulse sequences from 11 North American bat...
Authors
Matthew Clement, Kevin L Murray, Donald I Solick, Jeffrey C Gruver

Temporal changes in taxonomic and functional diversity of fish assemblages downstream from mountaintop mining Temporal changes in taxonomic and functional diversity of fish assemblages downstream from mountaintop mining

Mountaintop mining (MTM) affects chemical, physical, and hydrological properties of receiving streams, but the long-term consequences for fish-assemblage structure and function are poorly understood. We sampled stream fish assemblages using electrofishing techniques in MTM exposure sites and reference sites within the Guyandotte River basin, USA, during 2010–2011. We calculated indices...
Authors
Nathaniel P. Hitt, Douglas B. Chambers

Mineral resource of the month: Arsenic Mineral resource of the month: Arsenic

Arsenic is a gray metal rarely encountered as a free element, but is widely distributed in minerals and ores that contain copper, iron and lead. Arsenic is often found in groundwater as a result of the natural weathering of rock and soil.
Authors
George M. Bedinger

Modification of the Quaternary stratigraphic framework of the inner-continental shelf by Holocene marine transgression: An example offshore of Fire Island, New York Modification of the Quaternary stratigraphic framework of the inner-continental shelf by Holocene marine transgression: An example offshore of Fire Island, New York

The inner-continental shelf off Fire Island, New York was mapped in 2011 using interferometric sonar and high-resolution chirp seismic-reflection systems. The area mapped is approximately 50 km long by 8 km wide, extending from Moriches Inlet to Fire Island Inlet in water depths ranging from 8 to 32 m. The morphology of this inner-continental shelf region and modern sediment distribution...
Authors
William C. Schwab, Wayne E. Baldwin, Jane F. Denny, Cheryl J. Hapke, Paul T. Gayes, Jeffrey H. List, John C. Warner

List of recent land mammals from Mexico, 2014 List of recent land mammals from Mexico, 2014

We provide an updated list of the Recent land mammals of Mexico and include information on the taxonomy of certain species, and where appropriate, the endemic and threatened status of all species listed. Several taxonomic and nomenclatural changes have been made since publication of the last list of the Mexican terrestrial mammalian fauna. Within the period from 2005 to present, there...
Authors
Jose Ramirez-Pulido, Noe Gonzalez-Ruiz, Alfred L. Gardner, Joaquin Arroyo-Cabrales

Assessing the magnitude and timing of anthropogenic warming of a shallow aquifer: example from Virginia Beach, USA Assessing the magnitude and timing of anthropogenic warming of a shallow aquifer: example from Virginia Beach, USA

Groundwater temperature measurements in a shallow coastal aquifer in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA, suggest groundwater warming of +4.1 °C relative to deeper geothermal gradients. Observed warming is related to timing and depth of influence of two potential thermal drivers—atmospheric temperature increases and urbanization. Results indicate that up to 30 % of groundwater warming at the...
Authors
John R. Eggleston, Kurt J. McCoy

Age-specific survival of male golden-cheeked warblers on the Fort Hood Military Reservation, Texas Age-specific survival of male golden-cheeked warblers on the Fort Hood Military Reservation, Texas

Population models are essential components of large-scale conservation and management plans for the federally endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler ( Setophaga chrysoparia; hereafter GCWA). However, existing models are based on vital rate estimates calculated using relatively small data sets that are now more than a decade old. We estimated more current, precise adult and juvenile apparent...
Authors
Adam Duarte, James E. Hines, James D. Nichols, Jeffrey S. Hatfield, Floyd W. Weckerly

Hydraulic assessment of existing and alternative stream crossings providing fish and wildlife passage at seven sites in Massachusetts Hydraulic assessment of existing and alternative stream crossings providing fish and wildlife passage at seven sites in Massachusetts

Seven existing road crossing structures at streams in Massachusetts were evaluated hydraulically and compared to hypothetical alternative structures designed for Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP) using standards developed by the Massachusetts River Continuity Partnership. Hydraulic simulations made for flood flows ranging from 20- to 0.2-percent annual exceedance probability (AEP) indicate...
Authors
Phillip J. Zarriello, Jeffrey R. Barbaro

Manganese: it turns iron into steel (and does so much more) Manganese: it turns iron into steel (and does so much more)

Manganese is a common ferrous metal with atomic weight of 25 and the chemical symbol Mn. It constitutes roughly 0.1 percent of the Earth’s crust, making it the 12th most abundant element. Its early uses were limited largely to pigments and oxidants in chemical processes and experiments, but the significance of manganese to human societies exploded with the development of modern...
Authors
William F. Cannon

A nuclear DNA perspective on delineating evolutionarily significant lineages in polyploids: the case of the endangered shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) A nuclear DNA perspective on delineating evolutionarily significant lineages in polyploids: the case of the endangered shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum)

The shortnose sturgeon, Acipenser brevirostrum, oft considered a phylogenetic relic, is listed as an “endangered species threatened with extinction” in the US and “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List. Effective conservation of A. brevirostrum depends on understanding its diversity and evolutionary processes, yet challenges associated with the polyploid nature of its nuclear genome have...
Authors
Tim L. King, Anne P. Henderson, Boyd E. Kynard, Micah C. Kieffer, Douglas L. Peterson, Aaron W. Aunins, Bonnie L. Brown

Widespread methane leakage from the sea floor on the northern US Atlantic margin Widespread methane leakage from the sea floor on the northern US Atlantic margin

Methane emissions from the sea floor affect methane inputs into the atmosphere, ocean acidification and de-oxygenation, the distribution of chemosynthetic communities and energy resources. Global methane flux from seabed cold seeps has only been estimated for continental shelves, at 8 to 65 Tg CH4 yr−1, yet other parts of marine continental margins are also emitting methane. The US...
Authors
Adam Skarke, Carolyn Ruppel, Mali’o Kodis, Daniel S. Brothers, Elizabeth A. Lobecker
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