Publications
Publications from USGS science centers throughout the Southeast Region.
Filter Total Items: 10386
Dynamic rating method for computing discharge and stage from time-series data Dynamic rating method for computing discharge and stage from time-series data
Ratings are used for several reasons in water-resources investigations. The simplest rating relates discharge to the stage of a river (the stage-discharge relation). From a pure hydrodynamics perspective, all rivers and streams have some form of hysteresis in the relation between stage and discharge because flow becomes unsteady as a flood wave passes. The stage-discharge relation is...
Authors
Marian M. Domanski, Robert R. Holmes, Jr., Elizabeth Heal, Travis M. Knight
Meta-analysis of a megafish: Assessing patterns and predictors of Alligator Gar movement across multiple populations Meta-analysis of a megafish: Assessing patterns and predictors of Alligator Gar movement across multiple populations
Background Freshwater megafishes are among some of the most commercially and ecologically important aquatic organisms yet are disproportionately threatened with range and population reduction. Anthropogenic alterations of rivers influencing migrations are among the most significant causes for these declines. However, migratory fishes do not always respond similarly to movement barriers...
Authors
Hayden C. Roberts, Florian Kappen, Matthew Ross Acre, Daniel J. Daugherty, Nathan G. Smith, Joshuah S. Perkin
Piping Plover home ranges do not appear to be impacted by restoration of barrier islands and headlands Piping Plover home ranges do not appear to be impacted by restoration of barrier islands and headlands
Restoration of barrier island and headland habitats can alter existing and create new habitats, which may impact wildlife occupying these areas such as the threatened Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus). We used resight data from banded birds to develop minimum convex polygon (MCP) and kernel density estimates (KDE) of individual Piping Plover home ranges to investigate whether changes in...
Authors
Theodore J. Zenzal, Amanda Nicole Anderson, Delaina LeBlanc, Robert C. Dobbs, Brock Geary, Hardin Waddle
A survey of mammal and fish genetic diversity across the global protected area network A survey of mammal and fish genetic diversity across the global protected area network
Global conservation targets aim to expand protected areas and maintain species’ genetic diversity. Whether protected areas capture genetic diversity is unclear. We examined this question using a global sample of nuclear population-level microsatellite data comprising genotypes from 2513 sites, 134,183 individuals, and 176 mammal and marine fish species. The genetic diversity and...
Authors
Chloe Schmidt, Eleana Karachaliou, Amy G. Vandergast, Eric D. Crandall, Jeff T. Falgout, Margaret Hunter, Francine Kershaw, Deborah M. Leigh, David O'Brien, Ivan Paz-Vinas, Gernot Segelbacher, Colin J. Garroway
Effectiveness of stewardship and management strategies to conserve coastal bird populations in the northern Gulf of Mexico: A literature review Effectiveness of stewardship and management strategies to conserve coastal bird populations in the northern Gulf of Mexico: A literature review
Shorebirds, seabirds, and wading birds (hereafter coastal birds) have experienced considerable losses over the last century and require proactive conservation management to stabilize or grow populations. Habitat loss and/or degradation and human disturbance are among the most urgent threats faced by coastal bird populations. Identifying effective conservation management techniques to...
Authors
Jennifer L. Fuller, Nicole L. Michel, Evan M. Adams, Abigail J. Darrah, Auriel Fournier, Jacquelyn K. Grace, Lianne Koczur, Bethany A.C. Kraft, Terri J. Maness, Sarah P. Saunders, Caz M. Taylor, Kiara L. Valentine, Theodore J. Zenzal
Flow cytometric detection of waterborne bacteria metabolic response to anthropogenic chemical inputs to aquatic ecosystems Flow cytometric detection of waterborne bacteria metabolic response to anthropogenic chemical inputs to aquatic ecosystems
Typical investigations into the biological consequences of suspected xenobiotics or nutrients introduced in watersheds include analytical chemistry screens of environmental samples—such as periphyton responses or studies of fish condition—which are all costly in terms of equipment, reagents, time, and human resources. An alternative is to assess pollutant effects on waterborne bacteria...
Authors
Jill Jenkins, Scott Mize, Darren Johnson, Bonnie L. Brown
Impact of thermoelectric power plant operations and water use reporting methods on thermoelectric power plant water use Impact of thermoelectric power plant operations and water use reporting methods on thermoelectric power plant water use
Thermoelectric power generation accounts for over 41% of total U.S. freshwater withdrawals, making understanding the determinants of power plants’ water withdrawals (WW) and consumption (WC) critical for reducing the sector’s reliance on increasingly scarce water resources. However, reported data inconsistencies and incomplete analysis of potential determinants of thermoelectric water...
Authors
Eric Sjostedt, Richard Rushforth, Vincent Tidwell, Melissa A. Harris, Ryan McManamay, Landon Marston
Reproductive biology of invasive grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in two North American systems Reproductive biology of invasive grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in two North American systems
Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) are nonnative, herbivorous freshwater fish that represent an ecological threat in North American waters. However, data are limited on reproductive biology specific to wild populations in midwestern North America, despite recent concern for grass carp establishment within the Great Lakes. Basic information on reproductive traits could be useful to...
Authors
Tammy Michelle Wilson, Matthew Ross Acre, Fred Williams, Robin D. Calfee, Christine M. Mayer, Robert L. Mapes, Chris M. Kemp, Ryan T. Young, Michael E. Byrne
Reviews and syntheses: Variable inundation across Earth's terrestrial ecosystems Reviews and syntheses: Variable inundation across Earth's terrestrial ecosystems
The structure, function, and dynamics of Earth's terrestrial ecosystems are profoundly influenced by how often (frequency) and how long (duration) they are inundated with water. A diverse array of natural and human-engineered systems experience temporally variable inundation whereby they fluctuate between inundated and non-inundated states. Variable inundation spans extreme events to...
Authors
James Stegen, Amy J. Burgin, Michelle H. Busch, Joshua B. Fisher, Joshua Ladau, Jenna Abrahamson, Lauren Kinsman-Costello, Li Li, Xingyuan Chen, Thibault Datry, Nate McDowell, Corianne Tatariw, Anna Braswell, Jillian M. Deines, Julia A. Guimond, Peter Regier, Kenton Rod, Edward K.P. Bam, Etienne Fluet-Chouinard, Inke Forbrich, Kristin L. Jaeger, Teri O'Meara, Timothy D. Scheibe, Erin Seybold, Jon N. Sweetman, Jianqiu Zheng, Daniel C. Allen, Elizabeth Herndon, Beth Middleton, Scott Painter, Kevin Roche, Julianne Scamardo, Ross Vander Vorste, Kristin Boye, Ellen Wohl, Margaret Zimmer, Kelly Hondula, Maggi Laan, Anna Marshall, Kaizad F. Patel
Cancer risk and estimated lithium exposure in drinking groundwater in the US Cancer risk and estimated lithium exposure in drinking groundwater in the US
Importance Lithium is a naturally occurring element in drinking water and is commonly used as a mood-stabilizing medication. Although clinical studies have reported associations between receiving lithium treatment and reduced cancer risk among patients with bipolar disorder, to our knowledge, the association between environmental lithium exposure and cancer risk has never been studied in...
Authors
Jiajun Luo, Liange Zheng, Zhihao Jin, Yuqing Yang, William I. Krakowka, Eric Hong, Melissa A. Lombard, Joseph D. Ayotte, Habibul Ahsan, Jayant M. Pinto, Briseis Aschebrook-Kilfoy
Investigating the influence of Diadematidae scuticociliatosis on host microbiome composition Investigating the influence of Diadematidae scuticociliatosis on host microbiome composition
Mass mortality of Diadematidae urchins, caused by the Diadema antillarum scuticociliatosis Philaster clade (DScPc), affected the Caribbean in spring 2022 and subsequently spread to the eastern Mediterranean, Red Sea, and western Indian Ocean. A key question around Diadematidae scuticociliatosis (DSc), the disease caused by the scuticociliate, is whether the urchin microbiome varies...
Authors
Brayan Vilanova-Cuevas, Christopher M. DeRito, Isabella T. Ritchie, Christina A. Kellogg, James S. Evans, Alizee Zimmermann, Stacey M. Williams, Marilyn E. Brandt, Moriah L. B. Sevier, Samuel Gittens, Kayla A. Budd, Matthew Warham, William C. Sharp, Gabriel A. Delgado, Alwin Hylkema, Kimani A. Kitson-Walters, Jean-Pascal Quod, Mya Breitbart, Ian Hewson
Not just corticosterone: Further characterization of the endocrine response of Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) reveals elevated plasma aldosterone concentrations during field capture events Not just corticosterone: Further characterization of the endocrine response of Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) reveals elevated plasma aldosterone concentrations during field capture events
To develop safe and effective management policies, it is important to understand the physiologic effects of fishing interactions and scientific research methods on endangered marine species. In the present study, validated assays for plasma corticosterone, free thyroxine (fT4), and aldosterone were used to assess the endocrine status of 61 presumed healthy, wild Kemp's ridley sea turtles
Authors
Charles J. Innis, Katherine M. Graham, Cody R. Mott, Kristen Hart, David Roche, Michael Cherkiss, Elizabeth A. Burgess