Publications

Streamflow duration assessment methods (SDAMs) are rapid tools for reach-scale streamflow duration classification. SDAMs use single-visit indicator data as surrogates because direct measurement of long-term flow duration is resource intensive. Algae (diatoms and soft-bodied algae) are potentially strong indicators of streamflow-duration class (SDC) because of geographical ubiquity and...

The planning, permitting, and design of stormwater-management projects require estimates of the depths of extreme precipitation for current and future events with specified durations and return periods. In this project, precipitation data from six downscaled climate datasets were used to determine changes in precipitation depth-duration-frequency curves from the period 1966–2005 to the...

Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) is an invasive herbivore observed in small numbers in the Laurentian Great Lakes since the 1980 s with records from all lakes except Lake Superior. Identification of diploid, age-1 + grass carp from the Sandusky River, a Lake Erie tributary, in 2012, prompted targeted efforts to evaluate the status of grass carp reproduction in the Lake Erie Basin. In...

Following the principle ‘you are what you eat’, fatty acid signatures (FASs) of adult fish tissues, when compared with those of potential prey, can link diet to nutritional status. In 2020, thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency was diagnosed for the first time in multiple anadromous salmon populations in California. However, direct information linking ocean diet to thiamine status in marine...

Wave runup is an important nearshore process that impacts total water level, sediment transport, and coastal design. Current methods for forecasting wave runup implement an empirical model that considers offshore wave height, wave period, and generalized beach slope. In this study, the authors generated wave runup forecasts from offshore wave conditions and a system of polynomial...

Cnidarian–algal (Symbiodiniaceae) symbioses rely on complex interactions among the cnidarian host, algal symbionts, and associated bacterial communities. In the upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea xamachana, the polyp-to-medusa transition (strobilation) requires the establishment of symbiosis with Symbiodiniaceae algal partners, yet bacterial community dynamics during this developmental...

Fish inhabiting marine coastal and Great Lakes waters of the United States forage, migrate, and reproduce without regard to human-made boundaries. In the mid-20th century, the 32 states along the U.S. coasts and Great Lakes recognized the growing need for coordinated, interjurisdictional fisheries management and formed four interstate or international fisheries commissions through...

Detectable concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been observed in soils in remote areas and presumably originate from atmospheric deposition. These anthropogenic background concentrations may enable some PFAS to leach to groundwater at levels that exceed regulatory criteria for drinking water. However, anthropogenic background soil concentrations and their...

Changing rainfall patterns and intensifying rainfall extremes affect urban infrastructure and can increase flash-flood risk. Understanding how climate change has altered rainfall can support state and local agencies as they adapt and build resiliency. In this study, rainfall data from 23 weather stations in Florida were used to examine temporal and spatial trends over the period 1990...

The microbes found in the rhizosphere, roots, leaves and stem surfaces and within the internal tissues of mangrove vegetation and their environment constitute the microbiome of the ecosystem. The organisms in the microbiome include bacteria, protozoa, fungi, algae, amoebas, and slime molds, which assist in maintaining and restoring mangrove ecosystems. This review explores the role of...

Species interactions among multiple invasive species can present hidden challenges for management and eradication efforts. Bighead and Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and H. molitrix, respectively) are closely related species that have co-invaded the Mississippi River and many of its tributaries, including the Illinois River. We used a combination of causal inference and dynamic...

Swamp eels (Percomorpha, Synbranchiformes, Synbranchidae) were discovered in Florida in the 1990s and were considered established in the Greater Miami and Greater Tampa regions as early as 1997. We report detection of established populations of Sunda swamp eel, Monopterus javanensis Lacepède, 1800 and cuchia, Ophichthys cuchia (Hamilton, 1822) across multiple Orlando area watersheds in...