Publications
Publications from USGS science centers throughout the Southeast Region.
Filter Total Items: 10538
An automatable method for developing preliminary stream crossing designs using lidar and hydraulic modeling in Massachusetts An automatable method for developing preliminary stream crossing designs using lidar and hydraulic modeling in Massachusetts
Upgrading aging and undersized stream crossings (places where culverts and bridges intersect a stream) with replacements designed for aquatic organism passage can improve infrastructure resiliency, geomorphic stability, and maintenance costs. The goal of this work is to develop preliminary culvert designs that convey hydraulic design floods and meet the Massachusetts Stream Crossings...
Authors
Meghan A. McCallister, Luke P. Sturtevant, Brendan A. McCarthy, Ian P. Armstrong
The impacts of cover crop biomass on satellite-based detectability of cover crops in Maryland The impacts of cover crop biomass on satellite-based detectability of cover crops in Maryland
Cover crop adoption in the U.S. has increased over the past decades, increasing the need to quantify their performance and environmental benefits. While remote sensing (RS)-based approaches for detecting cover crop presence have been developed, there has been limited research on how cover crops with varied biomass and management practices influence detectability. Using unique field-level...
Authors
Yide Xu, Qu Zhou, Kaiyu Guan, Sheng Wang, W. Dean Hively, Jyoti Jennewein, Alison Thieme, Steven B. Mirsky, Zhangliang Chen
Plant diversity shifts with drying and wetting cycles following removal of poplar plantations in Dongting Lake, China Plant diversity shifts with drying and wetting cycles following removal of poplar plantations in Dongting Lake, China
Dongting Lake, the second largest lake in China, plays a crucial role in maintaining regional ecological security by providing key habitats for waterbirds. This study examined how hydrology and topography (ditches and mounds) together generate fine-scale wet–dry gradients that shape species establishment and successional trajectories. Over the past decade, vegetation restoration has been
Authors
Xueer Ma, Chenchen Liu, Lingli Peng, Chengzhu Liu, Beth A. Middleton, Ting Lei
Precipitation intensity increased across the South Pacific Convergence Zone in the Industrial Age Precipitation intensity increased across the South Pacific Convergence Zone in the Industrial Age
The position, strength, and variability of precipitation in the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) remain challenging for coupled ocean-atmosphere climate models to represent, leaving future rainfall projections in this dynamically important region uncertain. Here, we present quantitative records of mean annual precipitation (MAP) spanning the past 1,000 years using sediment cores...
Authors
S. Nemiah Ladd, Ashley E. Maloney, Daniel B. Nelson, Mark D. Peaple, Julie N. Richey, Amanda Witt, Polly Sobeck, Matthew Prebble, David A. Sear, Peter G. Langdon, Nathalie Dubois, Julian P. Sachs
Mesophotic octocoral larval settlement preferences and behaviors Mesophotic octocoral larval settlement preferences and behaviors
Introduction Lab-based coral reproduction is advancing restoration efforts to support coral populations injured by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Objectives This study aimed to answer foundational questions concerning coral spawning and larval settlement that need to be resolved for these mesophotic and deep-sea coral species before restoration efforts can be scaled up. Methods...
Authors
Mark McCauley, Julia Johnstone, William G. Jenkins, Jayci Grosso, Arielle Pollock, Jonathan Mark Quigley, Leigh-Anne Christine Carlson, Christopher L. Gardner, Peter J. Etnoyer, Kristopher G. Benson, Amanda J. Demopoulos
Methods for estimating selected low-flow frequency and mean annual flow statistics at gaged and ungaged locations on streams in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina Methods for estimating selected low-flow frequency and mean annual flow statistics at gaged and ungaged locations on streams in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (Environmental Protection Division), North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (Division of Water Resources), North Carolina Department of Public Safety (Office of Recovery and Resiliency), and South Carolina Department of Environmental Services, updated low-flow frequency, mean annual...
Authors
Toby D. Feaster, Bradley J. Harken, Brent T. Aulenbach, Katharine R. Kolb, Caleb E. Mitchell, J. Curtis Weaver
Non-destructive sampling of larval amphibians shows tail tissues reflect whole-body methylmercury concentrations and trophic-related differences in bioaccumulation Non-destructive sampling of larval amphibians shows tail tissues reflect whole-body methylmercury concentrations and trophic-related differences in bioaccumulation
Mercury (Hg), and specifically methylmercury (MeHg), is a contaminant of global concern to humans and wildlife, but there is still limited understanding of its effects on many taxa. Amphibians are closely associated with water, where Hg is converted to MeHg, and high concentrations of MeHg can reduce survival of amphibians in the wild. However, limited non-lethal proxies exist for...
Authors
Brian J. Tornabene, Blake R. Hossack, Daniel A. Grear, Thomas L. Anderson, Brad Glorioso, Hardin Waddle, Jon D Davenport, Collin Eagles-Smith, Caitlin T. Rumrill, Kelly L. Smalling
Culturing emerging, imperiled, and poorly understood fishes Culturing emerging, imperiled, and poorly understood fishes
Most fish hatcheries and farms raise fish for food, to supply the bait and ornamental fish trades, or to create or enhance recreational and commercial fishing opportunities. Culture methods for these species are well established and are described in various chapters of this book. However, a growing number of facilities are responsible for cultivation of emerging, imperiled, or lesser...
Authors
James S. Candrl, Theo Smith
Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposure assessment of Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) and barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) eggs and nestlings collected along Snow Creek and Choccolocco Creek watersheds near Anniston, Alabama, USA Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposure assessment of Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) and barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) eggs and nestlings collected along Snow Creek and Choccolocco Creek watersheds near Anniston, Alabama, USA
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) persist for decades when released into the environment and bioaccumulate in aquatic and terrestrial environments, resulting in harmful concentrations of PCBs in fishes, birds, and humans. Approximately 310,000 metric tons of PCBs were produced at a facility in Anniston, Alabama from 1929–1971. Hundreds of metric tons of PCB-contaminated waste were...
Authors
Donald E. Tillitt, Danielle M. Cleveland, Allison Schein, Kathy R. Echols, Annie Chalifour, Jess Kidd, Robert Carter, Brian Spears, Donald D. MacDonald
High and dry: The persistence of diverse coastal marsh communities depends on available upland area and connection to surrounding waters High and dry: The persistence of diverse coastal marsh communities depends on available upland area and connection to surrounding waters
Sea-level-rise and alterations to natural hydrology have contributed to coastal land loss. To combat coastal land loss and maintain the ecosystem services provided by marshes, marsh creation has been broadly implemented. Marsh creation projects can be performed in conjunction with the construction of elevated terrestrial ridges that seek to mimic historic delta-formed distributary ridges...
Authors
Erik Naiti-Johnson, Jonathan M. Willis, Gregg A. Snedden, Giovanna McClenachan
Loss and transformation of coastal wetlands due to global change in the conterminous United States: Past, present, and future Loss and transformation of coastal wetlands due to global change in the conterminous United States: Past, present, and future
Coastal wetlands are being transformed by global change, impacting the ecological and societal benefits provided by these ecosystems. Synthesizing knowledge of historical and expected future transformations in coastal wetlands can help inform forward-looking planning and stewardship efforts. Here, we review anticipated future ecological transformations in coastal wetlands of the...
Authors
Michael J. Osland, Bogdan Chivoiu, Kevin J. Buffington, Kristin B. Byrd, Joel A. Carr, Judith Z. Drexler, Nicholas M. Enwright, Neil K. Ganju, James B. Grace, Eric E. Grossman, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Kurt P. Kowalski, Ken W. Krauss, Jessica R. Lacy, Gregory B. Noe, Davina L. Passeri, Stephanie Romanach, Christopher F. Smith, Camille L. Stagg, Karen M. Thorne, Janet R. Keough
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, California Water Science Center, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Great Lakes Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
A practical framework for identifying genetic subpopulations and ESUs: Insights for IUCN assessments and broader management A practical framework for identifying genetic subpopulations and ESUs: Insights for IUCN assessments and broader management
Species conservation assessments evaluate extinction risk, and recovery potential, advancing species persistence through guiding resource prioritization and planning. Assessment frameworks, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List and Green Status of Species, typically focus on species as a whole. Importantly, they do not routinely account for genetically...
Authors
Julia C. Geue, Laura D. Bertola, Paulette Bloomer, Anna Bruniche-Olsen, Jessica M. da Silva, J. Andrew DeWoody, Ancuta Fedorca, José A. Godoy, Catherine E. Grueber, Margaret Hunter, Christina Hvilsom, Evelyn L. Jensen, Alexander Kopatz, Anna J. MacDonald, Silvia Pérez-Espona, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Jennifer Pierson, Isa-Rita M. Russo, Helen Senn, Gernot Segelbacher, Paul Sunnucks, Cock van Oosterhout, Deborah M. Leigh