Publications
Publications from USGS science centers throughout the Southeast Region.
Filter Total Items: 10540
Towards a refined definition of “tidal influence” for the coastal wetland sciences Towards a refined definition of “tidal influence” for the coastal wetland sciences
The astronomical tide relates to lunar (and to a lesser extent solar) influences on rising and falling water bodies, and is a key control of many coastal processes. However, tides manifest along coastal margins in different ways to muddle application beyond Sir Isaac Newton’s first descriptions. Here, we argue that tide, or specifically “tidal,” has not been adequately defined for the...
Authors
Ken W. Krauss, Laura S. Brophy, Judith Z. Drexler, Jeffrey A. Kelleway, Janine B. Adams, Havalend E. Steinmuller, Gregory B. Noe, Michael J. Osland, Jamie A. Duberstein, Kurt P. Kowalski, Amanda L. McCutcheon, Kaile'a M. Annandale, Daniel A. Friess, Eric E. Grossman, Kristin B. Byrd, Kevin J. Buffington, Joel A. Carr, Nicholas M. Enwright, Camille L. Stagg, Davina L. Passeri, Stephanie S. Romanach, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, James B. Grace, Christopher G. Smith, Justine A. Neville, Karen M. Thorne, Brian J. Roberts
Predator hunting modes induce varied selection pressures on prey personality Predator hunting modes induce varied selection pressures on prey personality
Consistent individual differences in animal behavior—ie, personalities—have been documented in many taxa to have important fitness consequences in the context of predator-prey interactions. Multiple mechanisms have been suggested to maintain variation in prey personality traits, including life-history tradeoffs and divergent selection pressures from predators with different hunting...
Authors
Rebecca K. McKee, Storm Miller, Carl N. Keiser, Marin P. Chester, Kristen M. Hart, Robert A. McCleery
Comparative screening of private, public, and bottled drinking water in vitro bioactivity Comparative screening of private, public, and bottled drinking water in vitro bioactivity
This study compares in vitro bioactivity profiles of extracts from private tapwater (51 samples), public tapwater (143 samples), and bottled water (31 samples), using high-throughput, multiplex, transcription factor screening. Of 48 biological end points tested, 25 showed significant (≥50% above the field blank) activity. Frequently detected (≥10% of samples) bioactivities (in decreasing...
Authors
Paul M. Bradley, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly L. Smalling, Stephanie E. Gordon, Sergei S. Makarov, Alexander V. Medvedev, Molly L. Schreiner
A multidecadal metric of coastal wetland stability: Development of the Landsat-based UnVegetated-to-Vegetated Ratio (UVVR) version 2 spanning 1985-2022 A multidecadal metric of coastal wetland stability: Development of the Landsat-based UnVegetated-to-Vegetated Ratio (UVVR) version 2 spanning 1985-2022
The UnVegetated-to-Vegetated Ratio (UVVR) is a well-established metric of wetland condition, identifying stable wetlands with high vegetation cover and low vegetation cover wetlands prone to loss, informing research and management efforts in the coastal zone. In this study, we document the development and release of version 2 of UVVR (UVVRv2) for the coastal conterminous United States...
Authors
Brian T. Lamb, Brady Couvillion, Zafer Defne, Neil K. Ganju
Transdisciplinary approach to private well research Transdisciplinary approach to private well research
More than 60 million people in the United States and Canada rely on private drinking water systems (mostly private wells), which fall outside of national regulations for water quality and management. This decentralized infrastructure creates unique challenges. First, fragmented policy oversight leads to inconsistent data availability. Second, population heterogeneity in well users...
Authors
Ann S. Ojeda, Jason R. Barrett, Elizabeth W. Boyer, Drew Capone, Rachel Coyte, Saugata Datta, Matthew Dietrich, Natasha Dimova, Lauren A. Eaves, Rebecca C. Fry, Anna Gitter, Xindi C. Hu, Melissa A. Lombard, Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson, Helen Moylan, Riley E. Mulhern, Heather M. Murphy, Siddhartha Roy, Bridget R. Scanlon, Leigh G. Terry, Nicole Trip, Jeffrey K. Wickliffe, Samantha C. Ying
Effects of storm surge exceedance value on overwash and inundation forecasts Effects of storm surge exceedance value on overwash and inundation forecasts
Hurricane induced sediment transport and flooding can cause catastrophic damage to coastal communities. Forecasts test our understanding of the drivers of sediment transport and flooding, as well as quantify potential storm effects on coastlines. Real-time availability of forecasts allows emergency response and management decisions to be made with additional information. This study...
Authors
Margaret L. Palmsten, Kirsten J. Bendik, Kara S. Doran, Justin J. Birchler, Johnathan Lucas Woodruff
Synthesizing a twelve-year sediment trap time series of planktic foraminiferal flux in the Gulf of America (Mexico) Synthesizing a twelve-year sediment trap time series of planktic foraminiferal flux in the Gulf of America (Mexico)
Sediment trap time series provide powerful frameworks for testing hypotheses about planktic foraminiferal assemblage composition, seasonality, and geochemical responses to environmental variability, all of which are central to improving paleoceanographic reconstructions. We present high resolution foraminiferal assemblage data from a long-running sediment trap (2008–2020) in the northern...
Authors
Julie N. Richey, Caitlin E. Reynolds, Emily B. Osborne, Maoli N. Vizcaino, Eric J. Tappa
Sediment dredging influences the seasonal biomass and community composition of microphytobenthos on a sandy shoal Sediment dredging influences the seasonal biomass and community composition of microphytobenthos on a sandy shoal
Microphytobenthos on sand shoals of continental shelves support biogeochemical cycles and trophodynamics and can be affected by sediment dredging. Therefore, our goal was to assess seasonal (spring, summer, fall) microphytobenthic biomass and composition over two years (2021 and 2022) at three areas (reference, relic dredged pit, and new dredged pit) of Ship Shoal off the coast of...
Authors
Melissa Millman Baustian, Emily J. Lain, James L. Pinckney, Stacy Calhoun-Grosch, Brian J. Roberts
Mapping winter cover crops using remote sensing of crop phenology Mapping winter cover crops using remote sensing of crop phenology
Winter cover crops (WCC) are an effective agricultural conservation practice for improving soil health and water quality. Several U.S. states have established incentive programs to promote planting WCC between cash crop rotations. In recent years, the area planted with WCC has steadily increased due to these efforts, although the planting area varies among states. Since these programs...
Authors
Feng Gao, Martha Anderson, Michael Cosh, Xuesong Zhang, Alison Thieme, W. Dean Hively, Jisung Chang, Haoteng Zhao, Richard Circone, Jyoti Jennewein
Classifying and mapping wetland vegetation assemblages in coastal Louisiana with Landsat imagery, 1985-2025 Classifying and mapping wetland vegetation assemblages in coastal Louisiana with Landsat imagery, 1985-2025
The tidal wetlands of Louisiana comprise about 25% of those found throughout the conterminous United States yet estimates of wetland loss rates in the region between 1932 and 2016 have exceeded 60 km2 yr-1. To mitigate further degradation and wetland loss in the region, a globally unprecedented $50B, 50-year plan for coastal Louisiana is driving restoration efforts, and demand exists...
Authors
Gregg Snedden, Brady Couvillion, Donald R. Schoolmaster
Investigating hydrologic alteration under historical and future scenarios in the Mobile River and Perdido River basins using the cubist algorithm Investigating hydrologic alteration under historical and future scenarios in the Mobile River and Perdido River basins using the cubist algorithm
This study investigates the impacts of human activities and climate variability on hydrologic alterations in the Mobile River and Perdido River Basins of Alabama. The research uses a machine learning approach, specifically cubist models, to quantify and predict changes in flow duration curves (FDCs) under both historical (1980–2009) and future climate scenarios. Future climate...
Authors
Sabahattin Isik, Rachel Lianna Dubose, Victor L. Roland
Repeated coral bleaching events have eroded reef accretion potential in the Florida Keys Repeated coral bleaching events have eroded reef accretion potential in the Florida Keys
Coral bleaching is now the primary driver of coral-reef degradation globally, threatening the persistence of coral-reef functions and the invaluable ecosystem services they support. The Florida Keys have been impacted by four severe, regional-scale coral-bleaching events, which occurred in 1997–1998, 2005, 2014–2015, and 2023. Our aim in this study was to quantify the effects of those...
Authors
Lauren T. Toth, Travis A Courtney