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Publications

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

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Disturbance of eelgrass Zostera marina by commercial mussel Mytilus edulis harvesting in Maine: Dragging impacts and habitat recovery Disturbance of eelgrass Zostera marina by commercial mussel Mytilus edulis harvesting in Maine: Dragging impacts and habitat recovery

We studied the effects of commercial harvest of blue mussels Mytilus edulis on eelgrass Zostera marina L. in Maquoit Bay, Maine, USA, at a hierarchy of scales. We used aerial photography, underwater video, and eelgrass population- and shoot-based measurements to quantify dragging impacts within 4 sites that had been disturbed at different times over an approximate 7 yr interval, and to...
Authors
Hilary A. Neckles, Frederick T. Short, Seth Barker, Blaine S. Kopp

Introduced species as evolutionary traps Introduced species as evolutionary traps

Invasive species can alter environments in such a way that normal behavioural decision-making rules of native species are no longer adaptive. The evolutionary trap concept provides a useful framework for predicting and managing the impact of harmful invasive species. We discuss how native species can respond to changes in their selective regime via evolution or learning. We also propose...
Authors
Martin A. Schlaepfer, P. W. Sherman, Bernd Blossey, Michael C. Runge

Combined use of rapid bioassessment protocols and sediment quality triad to assess stream quality Combined use of rapid bioassessment protocols and sediment quality triad to assess stream quality

Physical, chemical and biological conditions at five stations on a small southeastern stream were evaluated using the Rapid Bioassessment Protocols (RBP) and the Sediment Quality Triad (SQT) to assess potential biological impacts of a municipal wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) on downstream resources. Physical habitat, benthic macroinvertebrates and fish assemblages were impaired at...
Authors
Parley V. Winger, Peter J. Lasier, K. J. Bogenrieder

Improving inferences in population studies of rare species that are detected imperfectly Improving inferences in population studies of rare species that are detected imperfectly

For the vast majority of cases, it is highly unlikely that all the individuals of a population will be encountered during a study. Furthermore, it is unlikely that a constant fraction of the population is encountered over times, locations, or species to be compared. Hence, simple counts usually will not be good indices of population size. We recommend that detection probabilities (the...
Authors
Darry I. MacKenzie, James D. Nichols, N. Sutton, K. Kawanishi, Larissa Bailey

Fecal corticoid monitoring in whooping cranes trained to follow ultralight aircraft Fecal corticoid monitoring in whooping cranes trained to follow ultralight aircraft

The use of fecal corticoid assays to measure stress in North American cranes has been limited to laboratory validation and a single field project involving reintroduced sandhill cranes (Ludders et aI., 1998, 2001; Hartup et aI., 2004). In 2001, we documented trends in corticoid concentrations among a cohort of ten costume-reared whooping cranes subjected to ultralight aircraft training...
Authors
B.K. Hartup, Nancy M. Czekala, Glenn H. Olsen, J.A. Langenberg

Forest management under uncertainty for multiple bird population objectives Forest management under uncertainty for multiple bird population objectives

We advocate adaptive programs of decision making and monitoring for the management of forest birds when responses by populations to management, and particularly management trade-offs among populations, are uncertain. Models are necessary components of adaptive management. Under this approach, uncertainty about the behavior of a managed system is explicitly captured in a set of...
Authors
C. T. Moore, W.T. Plummer, M.J. Conroy

Wildlife and habitat damage assessment from Hurricane Charley: recommendations for recovery of the J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge Complex. [Final report to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service] Wildlife and habitat damage assessment from Hurricane Charley: recommendations for recovery of the J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge Complex. [Final report to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]

On 13 August 2004, the first of four hurricanes to strike Florida in 50% and sometimes 90% of their vegetation severely damaged (dead, broken tree stems, and tipped trees). Shell Mound Trail of JNDDNWR sustained catastrophic damage to its old growth mangrove forests. Direct storm mortality and injury to manatees in the area was probably slight. Because seagrass beads and manatee habitat...
Authors
J.M. Meyers, C.A. Langtimm, T. J. Smith, K. Pednault-Willett

A modified beam-to-earth transformation to measure short-wavelength internal waves with an acoustic Doppler current profiler A modified beam-to-earth transformation to measure short-wavelength internal waves with an acoustic Doppler current profiler

The algorithm used to transform velocity signals from beam coordinates to earth coordinates in an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) relies on the assumption that the currents are uniform over the horizontal distance separating the beams. This condition may be violated by (nonlinear) internal waves, which can have wavelengths as small as 100-200 m. In this case, the standard...
Authors
A. Scotti, B. Butman, R.C. Beardsley, P. S. Alexander, S. Anderson

Performance of four turbulence closure models implemented using a generic length scale method Performance of four turbulence closure models implemented using a generic length scale method

A two-equation turbulence model (one equation for turbulence kinetic energy and a second for a generic turbulence length-scale quantity) proposed by Umlauf and Burchard [J. Marine Research 61 (2003) 235] is implemented in a three-dimensional oceanographic model (Regional Oceanographic Modeling System; ROMS v2.0). These two equations, along with several stability functions, can represent...
Authors
J.C. Warner, C. R. Sherwood, H.G. Arango, R. P. Signell

Modeling seasonal interactions in the population dynamics of migratory birds Modeling seasonal interactions in the population dynamics of migratory birds

Understanding the population dynamics of migratory birds requires understanding the relevant biological events that occur during breeding, migratory, and overwintering periods. The few available population models for passerine birds focus on breeding-season events, disregard or oversimplify events during nonbreeding periods, and ignore interactions that occur between periods of the...
Authors
M.C. Runge, P.P. Marra

General constraints on sampling wildlife on FIA plots General constraints on sampling wildlife on FIA plots

This paper reviews the constraints to sampling wildlife populations at FIA points. Wildlife sampling programs must have well-defined goals and provide information adequate to meet those goals. Investigators should choose a State variable based on information needs and the spatial sampling scale. We discuss estimation-based methods for three State variables: species richness, abundance...
Authors
L.L. Bailey, J.R. Sauer, J.D. Nichols, P.H. Geissler
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