Publications
Publications from USGS science centers throughout the Southeast Region.
Filter Total Items: 10380
Species and population specific gene expression in blood transcriptomes of marine turtles Species and population specific gene expression in blood transcriptomes of marine turtles
Background Transcriptomic data has demonstrated utility to advance the study of physiological diversity and organisms’ responses to environmental stressors. However, a lack of genomic resources and challenges associated with collecting high-quality RNA can limit its application for many wild populations. Minimally invasive blood sampling combined with de novo transcriptomic approaches...
Authors
Shreya M. Banjeree, Jamie Adkins Stoll, Camryn D. Allen, Jennifer M. Lynch, Heather S. Harris, Lauren Kenyon, Richard E. Connon, Eleanor J. Sterling, Eugenia Naro-Maciel, Kathryn McFadden, Margaret Lamont, James Benge, Nadia B. Fernandez, Jeffrey A. Seminoff, Scott R. Benson, Rebecca L. Lewison, Tomoharu Eguchi, Tammy M. Summers, Jessy R. Hapdei, Marc R. Rice, Summer Martin, T. Todd Jones, Peter H. Dutton, George H. Balazs, Lisa M. Komoroske
Cross-ecosystem fluxes of pesticides from prairie wetlands mediated by aquatic insect emergence: Implications for terrestrial insectivores Cross-ecosystem fluxes of pesticides from prairie wetlands mediated by aquatic insect emergence: Implications for terrestrial insectivores
Contaminants alter the quantity and quality of insect prey available to terrestrial insectivores. In agricultural regions, the quantity of aquatic insects emerging from freshwaters can be impacted by insecticides originating from surrounding croplands. We hypothesized that, in such regions, adult aquatic insects could also act as vectors of pesticide transfer to terrestrial food webs. To...
Authors
Johanna M. Kraus, Kathryn Kuivila, Michelle L. Hladik, Neil Shook, David M. Mushet, Kelen Dowdy, Rachel Harrington
Exploring the factors controlling the error characteristics of the Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission discharge estimates Exploring the factors controlling the error characteristics of the Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission discharge estimates
The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission will measure river width, water surface elevation, and slope for rivers wider than 50-100 m. SWOT observations will enable estimation of river discharge by using simple flow laws such as the Manning-Strickler equation, complementing in-situ streamgages. Several discharge inversion algorithms designed to compute unobserved...
Authors
Renato Frasson, Michael T. Durand, Kevin Lanier, Colin Gleason, Konstantinos Andreadis, Mark Hageman, Robert W. Dudley, David M. Bjerklie, Hind Oubanas, Pierre-Andre Garambois, Pierre-Olivier Malaterre, Peirong Lin, Tamlin M. Pavelsky, Jerome Monnier, Craig Binkerhoff, Cedric H. David
Gradient self-potential logging in the Rio Grande to identify gaining and losing reaches across the Mesilla Valley Gradient self-potential logging in the Rio Grande to identify gaining and losing reaches across the Mesilla Valley
The Rio Grande/Río Bravo del Norte (hereinafter referred to as the “Rio Grande”) is the primary source of recharge to the Mesilla Basin/Conejos-Médanos aquifer system in the Mesilla Valley of New Mexico and Texas. The Mesilla Basin aquifer system is the U.S. part of the Mesilla Basin/Conejos-Médanos aquifer system and is the primary source of water supply to several communities along the...
Authors
Scott Ikard, Andrew Teeple, Delbert Humberson
Seasonal activity and diets of bats at uranium mines and adjacent areas near the Grand Canyon Seasonal activity and diets of bats at uranium mines and adjacent areas near the Grand Canyon
Little information exists on the habitat use and feeding ecology of insectivorous bats in arid ecosystems, especially at and near uranium mines in northern Arizona, within the Grand Canyon watershed. In 2015–2016, we conducted mist-netting, nightly acoustic monitoring (>1 year), and diet analyses of bats, as well as insect sampling, at 2 uranium mines (Pinenut and Arizona 1) with water...
Authors
Ernest W. Valdez, Mollie K Hanttula, Jo Ellen Hinck
Associations between private well water and community water supply arsenic concentrations in the conterminous United States Associations between private well water and community water supply arsenic concentrations in the conterminous United States
Geogenic arsenic contamination typically occurs in groundwater as opposed to surface water supplies. Groundwater is a major source for many community water systems (CWSs) in the United States (US). Although the US Environmental Protection Agency sets the maximum contaminant level (MCL enforceable since 2006: 10 μg/L) for arsenic in CWSs, private wells are not federally regulated. We...
Authors
Maya Spaur, Melissa A. Lombard, Joseph D. Ayotte, David Harvey, Benjamin Bostick, Steven Chillrud, Ana Navas-Acien, Anne E Nigra
Biodiversity effects on grape quality depend on variety and management intensity Biodiversity effects on grape quality depend on variety and management intensity
Interactions between plants can be beneficial, detrimental or neutral. In agricultural systems, competition between crop and spontaneous vegetation is a major concern. We evaluated the relative support for three non-exclusive ecological hypotheses about interactions between crop and spontaneous plants based on competition, complementarity or facilitation.The study was conducted in Swiss...
Authors
Magdalena Steiner, James Grace, Sven Bacher
A graphical causal model for resolving species identity effects and biodiversity–ecosystem function correlations: comment A graphical causal model for resolving species identity effects and biodiversity–ecosystem function correlations: comment
In a recent paper, Schoolmaster, Zirbel, and Cronin (SZC) (2020) claim “Formal causal analysis show[s] that biodiversity–ecosystem function (BEF) correlations are non-causal associations.” If this conclusion is accepted as true, it suggests a reconsideration of much of our current understanding of how biodiversity relates to the functioning of ecosystems. On the surface, it is easy to...
Authors
James B. Grace, Michel Loreau, Bernhard Schmid
Late Pleistocene baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) forest deposit on the continental shelf of the northern Gulf of Mexico Late Pleistocene baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) forest deposit on the continental shelf of the northern Gulf of Mexico
Approximately 13 km south of Gulf Shores, Alabama (United States), divers found in situ baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) stumps 18 m below the ocean surface. These trees could have only lived when sea level fell during the Pleistocene subaerially exposing the tectonically stable continental shelf. Here we investigate the geophysical properties along with microfossil and stratigraphical...
Authors
Kristine L. DeLong, Suyapa Gonzalez, Jeffrey B. Obelcz, Jonathan T. Truong, Samuel J. Bentley, Kehui Xu, Carl A. Reese, Grant L. Harley, Alicia Caporaso, Zhixiong Shen, Beth Middleton
Lipidomics reveals specific lipid molecules associated with cold stress syndrome in the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) Lipidomics reveals specific lipid molecules associated with cold stress syndrome in the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris)
Cold stress syndrome (CSS) in the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) results in perturbations to many physiological pathways, often leading to further illness or death. In this study, we applied a non-targeted lipidomics approach with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry to characterize changes related to CSS in the...
Authors
Emily K. Griffin, Kaylie Anne Costa, Juan J. Aristizabal-Henao, Michael P. Napolitano, Margaret Hunter, Jason Ferrante, John A. Bowden
Measuring coastal acidification using in situ sensors in the National Estuary Program Measuring coastal acidification using in situ sensors in the National Estuary Program
Estuaries and coastal areas are highly vulnerable to the impacts of acidification on shellfish, coral reefs, fisheries, and the commercial and recreational industries that they support. Yet, little is known about the extent of this vulnerability and the estuary-specific drivers that contribute to acidification, such as nutrient enrichment from stormwater, agriculture and wastewater...
Authors
Holly Galavotti, James Vasslides, Matthew Poach, Curtis Bohlen, Christopher W. Hunt, Matthew Liebman, Xinping Hu, Melissa McCutcheon, Jim O’Donnell, Kay Howard-Strobel, Prassede Vella, John Lehrter, Karina Nielsen, John Largier, Tom Ford, Alex Steele, Kimberly K. Yates, York Johnson, Cheryl Brown, Stephen R. Pacella
The concept of evanescent microbial ecosystems in Earth's atmosphere The concept of evanescent microbial ecosystems in Earth's atmosphere
This essay presents the hypothesis that short-lived or evanescent microbial ecosystems exist in Earth’s lower troposphere (~ 18 km). Volcanic eruptions, dust storms, fires, and sea spray are known to seed the atmosphere with microorganisms and to serve as potential nutrient sources while in the atmosphere and upon deposition. Recent research has demonstrated that microorganisms are...
Authors
Dale W. Griffin