Abby Benson (Former Employee)
Science and Products
Species of Greatest Conservation Need National Database 2005-2022 Species of Greatest Conservation Need National Database 2005-2022
The Species of Greatest Conservation Need National Database is an aggregation of lists from State Wildlife Action Plans. Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) are wildlife species that need conservation attention as listed in action plans. In this database, we have validated scientific names from original documents against taxonomic authorities to increase consistency among names...
Warming Tolerances for 34 Species of Anurans Native to the Southeast United States Warming Tolerances for 34 Species of Anurans Native to the Southeast United States
Identifying how close species are to their current upper thermal limits estimates species sensitivity to climate change (or the species ability to persist in place without changing). Process-based models like the NicheMapR mechanistic niche model (Kearney et al. 2019; https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.04680) use a mass-balance approach to translate microclimate estimates into individual...
PRISM AN81m Spatial Climate Data Extracted by USGS 12-Digit Hydrologic Units of the Conterminous United States (1895-2017) PRISM AN81m Spatial Climate Data Extracted by USGS 12-Digit Hydrologic Units of the Conterminous United States (1895-2017)
This dataset includes PRISM climate data from the AN81m model, extracted to the USGS 12-Digit Hydrologic Unit (HUC-12 basins) spatial grain. Yearly data is available for 83,304 HUC-12 basins from 1895-2017, and variables include annual precipitation, annual means of maximum and minimum daily average air temperature, maximum daily air temperature in August, minimum daily air temperature...
TRAD: Thermal traits of anurans database for the Southeastern United States TRAD: Thermal traits of anurans database for the Southeastern United States
We present ATraiU-TaDS: Anuran Traits of the United States - Thermal Data for Southeastern Species, a database of thermoregulation trait values related to physiological (critical thermal minima and maxima, preferred temperature, mass) and behavioral thermoregulation (activity period, retreat emergence temperature, basking temperature, foraging temperature minimum and maximum) for 40...
Rarity and Climate Sensitivity index and components of 90 species of frogs and toads native to the conterminous United States (ver. 2.0, October 2022) Rarity and Climate Sensitivity index and components of 90 species of frogs and toads native to the conterminous United States (ver. 2.0, October 2022)
This dataset contains the components of and resultant Rarity and Climate Sensitivity (RCS) values for 90 species of frogs and toads native to the conterminous United States. The RCS metric uses point occurrences to describe area of occurrence, quantifies the variation of climate conditions within that area, and combines and scales the two for a multispecies assessment of intrinsic...
Filter Total Items: 18
Planting seeds for thriving data management Planting seeds for thriving data management
The volumes and varieties of data coming from all types of scientific instrumentation around the globe and beyond are rapidly growing. To reuse and capitalize on these data effectively, scientists must be able to share and access them efficiently, which requires the data to be well managed. Many scientists intuit that research data management (RDM) done well does not mean using dusty USB...
Authors
Abigail Benson, Stace Beaulieu, Bradley Wade Bishop, Stephen C. Diggs, Stephen Killfoile Formel
Exposure, sensitivity, or adaptive capacity? Reviewing assessments that use only two of three elements of climate change vulnerability Exposure, sensitivity, or adaptive capacity? Reviewing assessments that use only two of three elements of climate change vulnerability
As climate change accelerates, understanding which species are most vulnerable and why they are vulnerable will be vital to inform conservation action. Climate change vulnerability assessments (CCVAs) are tools to assess species' responses to climate change, detect drivers of vulnerability, and inform conservation planning. CCVAs are commonly composed of three elements: exposure...
Authors
Amanda A. Hyman, Erin R. Crone, Abigail Benson, Jason B. Dunham, Abigail Lynch, Laura Thompson, Meryl Mims
The National Ocean Biodiversity Strategy The National Ocean Biodiversity Strategy
President Biden has been clear that the ocean is central to life on Earth. As he has proclaimed, “the ocean powers millions of jobs; feeds and sustains us; and is a rejuvenating source of inspiration, exploration, and recreation.” The Biden-Harris Administration has worked hard to fulfill the President’s goal to protect and conserve at least 30% of U.S. waters by 2030. The ocean faces...
Authors
Gabrielle Canonico, J. Emmett Duffy, Masha Edmonson, Katie Fillingham, Abigail Benson, Kelsey Bisson, Amanda Demopoulos, Beth Hinchey, Katsumi Matsumoto, Chris Meyer, James Price, Elaine Shen, Woody Turner, Mike Weise, Andrea Vander Woude, Lauren Wenzel
Spatial extent drives patterns of relative climate change sensitivity for freshwater fishes of the United States Spatial extent drives patterns of relative climate change sensitivity for freshwater fishes of the United States
Assessing the sensitivity of freshwater species to climate change is an essential component of prioritizing conservation efforts for threatened freshwater ecosystems and organisms. Sensitivity to climate change can be systematically evaluated for multiple species using geographic attributes such as range size and climate niche breadth, and using species traits associated with climate...
Authors
Samuel Silknetter, Abigail Benson, Jennifer Smith, Meryl Mims
Thermal traits of anurans database for the southeastern United States (TRAD): A database of thermal trait values for 40 anuran species Thermal traits of anurans database for the southeastern United States (TRAD): A database of thermal trait values for 40 anuran species
Thermal traits, or how an animal responds to changing temperatures, impacts species persistence and thus biodiversity. Trait databases, as repositories of consolidated, measured organismal attributes, allow researchers to link study species with specific trait values, enabling comparisons within and among species. Trait databases also help lay the groundwork to build mechanistic linkages...
Authors
Traci DuBose, Victorjose Catalan, Chloe Moore, Vincent Farallo, Abigail Benson, Jessica Dade, William A. Hopkins, Meryl Mims
Mismatch between conservation status and climate change sensitivity leaves some anurans in the United States unprotected Mismatch between conservation status and climate change sensitivity leaves some anurans in the United States unprotected
Species vulnerable to climate change face increased extinction risk, but many sensitive species may be overlooked due to limited data and exclusion from vulnerability assessments. Intrinsic sensitivity, or the inherent risk of species to environmental change due to biological factors, can be assessed with widely available data and may address gaps in multispecies vulnerability...
Authors
Traci DuBose, Chloe Moore, Samuel Silknetter, Abigail Benson, Tess Alexander, Grace O’Malley, Meryl Mims
Tick abundance, diversity and pathogen data collected by the National Ecological Observatory Network Tick abundance, diversity and pathogen data collected by the National Ecological Observatory Network
Cases of tick-borne diseases have been steadily increasing in the USA, owing in part to tick range expansion, land cover and associated host population changes, and habitat fragmentation. However, the relative importance of these and other potential drivers remain poorly understood within this complex disease system. Ticks are ectotherms with multi-host lifecycles, which makes them...
Authors
S. Paull, K. Thibault, Abigail Benson
Biology: Integrating core to essential variables (Bio-ICE) task team report for hard corals Biology: Integrating core to essential variables (Bio-ICE) task team report for hard corals
The Interagency Ocean Observation Committee (IOOC) is chartered by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (SOST). The purpose of the IOOC is to advise, assist, and make recommendations to the SOST on matters related to ocean observations via task teams such as the Biology - Integrating Core to Essential Variables (Bio...
Authors
E. Towle, Abigail Benson, Matt Biddle, Sarah Bingo, Kaitlyn Brucker, Gabrielle Canonico, Maggie Chory, Kruit Desai, Masha Edmondson, Miguel Figuerola, Christina Horstmann, Susan K Jackson, Jen Koss, J. Landrum, Kathryn Lohr, Laura Lorenzoni, Anderson Mayfield, Brian Melzin, Frank Muller-Karger, Sarah O’Conner, Deb Santavy, Curt Storlazzi, Anna Toline, Juan Torres-Perez, Kimberly Yates
Biology: Integrating core to essential variables (Bio-ICE) task team report for marine mammals Biology: Integrating core to essential variables (Bio-ICE) task team report for marine mammals
Marine mammals are wide-ranging, relatively long-lived organisms that play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ocean ecosystems. Often referred to as ecosystem engineers and sentinel species in marine ecosystems, these charismatic megafauna feed at a variety of trophic levels, affecting food web dynamics and cycling of chemicals and nutrients in the water column as well as in benthic...
Authors
Samantha Simmons, Abigail Benson, Matthew Biddle, Gabrielle Canonico, Maggie Chory, Kruti Desai, Masha Edmondson, Jason Gedamke, Stacie Hardy, Margaret Hunter, Anu Kumar, Laura Lorenzoni, Brian Melzian, Keith Mullin, Kim Parsons, James Price, Shannon Rankin, Patricia Rosel, Heather Spence, Sofie van Parijs, Michael Weise
Establishing the foundation for the global observing system for marine life Establishing the foundation for the global observing system for marine life
Maintaining healthy, productive ecosystems in the face of pervasive and accelerating human impacts including climate change requires globally coordinated and sustained observations of marine biodiversity. Global coordination is predicated on an understanding of the scope and capacity of existing monitoring programs, and the extent to which they use standardized, interoperable practices...
Authors
Erin Satterthwaite, Nicholas Bax, Patricia Miloslavich, Lavenia Ratnarajah, Gabrielle Canonico, Daniel Dunn, Samantha Simmons, Roxanne J. Carini, Karen Evans, Valerie Allain, Ward Appeltans, Sonia Batten, Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi, Anthony Bernard, R. Sky Bristol, Abigail Benson, Pier Buttigieg, Leopoldo Gerhardinger, Sanae Chiba, Tammy Davies, J. Emmett Duffy, Alfredo Giron-Nava, Astrid Hsu, Alexandra Kraberg, Raphael Kudela, Dan Lear, Enrique Montes, Frank Muller-Karger, Todd O’Brien, David Obura, Pieter Provoost, Sara Pruckner, Lisa-Maria Rebelo, Elizabeth Selig, Olav Kjesbu, Craig Starger, Rick Stuart-Smith, Marjo Vierros, John Waller, Lauren Weatherdon, Tristan Wellman, Anna Zivian
Data services in ocean science with a focus on the biology Data services in ocean science with a focus on the biology
Biological ocean science has a long history; it goes back millennia, whereas the related data services have emerged in the recent digital era of the past decades. To understand where we come from—and why data services are so important—we will start by taking you back to the rise in the study of marine biology—marine biodiversity—and its key players, before immersing ourselves in the data...
Authors
Joana Beja, Leen Vandepitte, Abigail Benson, Anton Van de Putte, Dan Lear, Daphnis De Pooter, Gwenaelle Moncoiffe, John Nicholls, Nina Wambiji, Patricia Miloslavich, Vasilis Gerovasileiou
Data management and interactive visualizations for the evolving marine biodiversity observation network Data management and interactive visualizations for the evolving marine biodiversity observation network
Assessing the current state of and predicting change in the ocean’s biological and ecosystem resources requires observations and research to safeguard these valuable public assets. The Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) partnered with the Global Ocean Observing System Biology and Ecosystems Panel and the Ocean Biodiversity Information System to address these needs through...
Authors
Abigail Benson, Tylar Murray, Gabrielle Canonico, Enrique Montes, Frank Muller-Karger, Maria Kavanaugh, Joaquin Trinanes, Lynn deWitt
Science and Products
Species of Greatest Conservation Need National Database 2005-2022 Species of Greatest Conservation Need National Database 2005-2022
The Species of Greatest Conservation Need National Database is an aggregation of lists from State Wildlife Action Plans. Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) are wildlife species that need conservation attention as listed in action plans. In this database, we have validated scientific names from original documents against taxonomic authorities to increase consistency among names...
Warming Tolerances for 34 Species of Anurans Native to the Southeast United States Warming Tolerances for 34 Species of Anurans Native to the Southeast United States
Identifying how close species are to their current upper thermal limits estimates species sensitivity to climate change (or the species ability to persist in place without changing). Process-based models like the NicheMapR mechanistic niche model (Kearney et al. 2019; https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.04680) use a mass-balance approach to translate microclimate estimates into individual...
PRISM AN81m Spatial Climate Data Extracted by USGS 12-Digit Hydrologic Units of the Conterminous United States (1895-2017) PRISM AN81m Spatial Climate Data Extracted by USGS 12-Digit Hydrologic Units of the Conterminous United States (1895-2017)
This dataset includes PRISM climate data from the AN81m model, extracted to the USGS 12-Digit Hydrologic Unit (HUC-12 basins) spatial grain. Yearly data is available for 83,304 HUC-12 basins from 1895-2017, and variables include annual precipitation, annual means of maximum and minimum daily average air temperature, maximum daily air temperature in August, minimum daily air temperature...
TRAD: Thermal traits of anurans database for the Southeastern United States TRAD: Thermal traits of anurans database for the Southeastern United States
We present ATraiU-TaDS: Anuran Traits of the United States - Thermal Data for Southeastern Species, a database of thermoregulation trait values related to physiological (critical thermal minima and maxima, preferred temperature, mass) and behavioral thermoregulation (activity period, retreat emergence temperature, basking temperature, foraging temperature minimum and maximum) for 40...
Rarity and Climate Sensitivity index and components of 90 species of frogs and toads native to the conterminous United States (ver. 2.0, October 2022) Rarity and Climate Sensitivity index and components of 90 species of frogs and toads native to the conterminous United States (ver. 2.0, October 2022)
This dataset contains the components of and resultant Rarity and Climate Sensitivity (RCS) values for 90 species of frogs and toads native to the conterminous United States. The RCS metric uses point occurrences to describe area of occurrence, quantifies the variation of climate conditions within that area, and combines and scales the two for a multispecies assessment of intrinsic...
Filter Total Items: 18
Planting seeds for thriving data management Planting seeds for thriving data management
The volumes and varieties of data coming from all types of scientific instrumentation around the globe and beyond are rapidly growing. To reuse and capitalize on these data effectively, scientists must be able to share and access them efficiently, which requires the data to be well managed. Many scientists intuit that research data management (RDM) done well does not mean using dusty USB...
Authors
Abigail Benson, Stace Beaulieu, Bradley Wade Bishop, Stephen C. Diggs, Stephen Killfoile Formel
Exposure, sensitivity, or adaptive capacity? Reviewing assessments that use only two of three elements of climate change vulnerability Exposure, sensitivity, or adaptive capacity? Reviewing assessments that use only two of three elements of climate change vulnerability
As climate change accelerates, understanding which species are most vulnerable and why they are vulnerable will be vital to inform conservation action. Climate change vulnerability assessments (CCVAs) are tools to assess species' responses to climate change, detect drivers of vulnerability, and inform conservation planning. CCVAs are commonly composed of three elements: exposure...
Authors
Amanda A. Hyman, Erin R. Crone, Abigail Benson, Jason B. Dunham, Abigail Lynch, Laura Thompson, Meryl Mims
The National Ocean Biodiversity Strategy The National Ocean Biodiversity Strategy
President Biden has been clear that the ocean is central to life on Earth. As he has proclaimed, “the ocean powers millions of jobs; feeds and sustains us; and is a rejuvenating source of inspiration, exploration, and recreation.” The Biden-Harris Administration has worked hard to fulfill the President’s goal to protect and conserve at least 30% of U.S. waters by 2030. The ocean faces...
Authors
Gabrielle Canonico, J. Emmett Duffy, Masha Edmonson, Katie Fillingham, Abigail Benson, Kelsey Bisson, Amanda Demopoulos, Beth Hinchey, Katsumi Matsumoto, Chris Meyer, James Price, Elaine Shen, Woody Turner, Mike Weise, Andrea Vander Woude, Lauren Wenzel
Spatial extent drives patterns of relative climate change sensitivity for freshwater fishes of the United States Spatial extent drives patterns of relative climate change sensitivity for freshwater fishes of the United States
Assessing the sensitivity of freshwater species to climate change is an essential component of prioritizing conservation efforts for threatened freshwater ecosystems and organisms. Sensitivity to climate change can be systematically evaluated for multiple species using geographic attributes such as range size and climate niche breadth, and using species traits associated with climate...
Authors
Samuel Silknetter, Abigail Benson, Jennifer Smith, Meryl Mims
Thermal traits of anurans database for the southeastern United States (TRAD): A database of thermal trait values for 40 anuran species Thermal traits of anurans database for the southeastern United States (TRAD): A database of thermal trait values for 40 anuran species
Thermal traits, or how an animal responds to changing temperatures, impacts species persistence and thus biodiversity. Trait databases, as repositories of consolidated, measured organismal attributes, allow researchers to link study species with specific trait values, enabling comparisons within and among species. Trait databases also help lay the groundwork to build mechanistic linkages...
Authors
Traci DuBose, Victorjose Catalan, Chloe Moore, Vincent Farallo, Abigail Benson, Jessica Dade, William A. Hopkins, Meryl Mims
Mismatch between conservation status and climate change sensitivity leaves some anurans in the United States unprotected Mismatch between conservation status and climate change sensitivity leaves some anurans in the United States unprotected
Species vulnerable to climate change face increased extinction risk, but many sensitive species may be overlooked due to limited data and exclusion from vulnerability assessments. Intrinsic sensitivity, or the inherent risk of species to environmental change due to biological factors, can be assessed with widely available data and may address gaps in multispecies vulnerability...
Authors
Traci DuBose, Chloe Moore, Samuel Silknetter, Abigail Benson, Tess Alexander, Grace O’Malley, Meryl Mims
Tick abundance, diversity and pathogen data collected by the National Ecological Observatory Network Tick abundance, diversity and pathogen data collected by the National Ecological Observatory Network
Cases of tick-borne diseases have been steadily increasing in the USA, owing in part to tick range expansion, land cover and associated host population changes, and habitat fragmentation. However, the relative importance of these and other potential drivers remain poorly understood within this complex disease system. Ticks are ectotherms with multi-host lifecycles, which makes them...
Authors
S. Paull, K. Thibault, Abigail Benson
Biology: Integrating core to essential variables (Bio-ICE) task team report for hard corals Biology: Integrating core to essential variables (Bio-ICE) task team report for hard corals
The Interagency Ocean Observation Committee (IOOC) is chartered by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (SOST). The purpose of the IOOC is to advise, assist, and make recommendations to the SOST on matters related to ocean observations via task teams such as the Biology - Integrating Core to Essential Variables (Bio...
Authors
E. Towle, Abigail Benson, Matt Biddle, Sarah Bingo, Kaitlyn Brucker, Gabrielle Canonico, Maggie Chory, Kruit Desai, Masha Edmondson, Miguel Figuerola, Christina Horstmann, Susan K Jackson, Jen Koss, J. Landrum, Kathryn Lohr, Laura Lorenzoni, Anderson Mayfield, Brian Melzin, Frank Muller-Karger, Sarah O’Conner, Deb Santavy, Curt Storlazzi, Anna Toline, Juan Torres-Perez, Kimberly Yates
Biology: Integrating core to essential variables (Bio-ICE) task team report for marine mammals Biology: Integrating core to essential variables (Bio-ICE) task team report for marine mammals
Marine mammals are wide-ranging, relatively long-lived organisms that play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ocean ecosystems. Often referred to as ecosystem engineers and sentinel species in marine ecosystems, these charismatic megafauna feed at a variety of trophic levels, affecting food web dynamics and cycling of chemicals and nutrients in the water column as well as in benthic...
Authors
Samantha Simmons, Abigail Benson, Matthew Biddle, Gabrielle Canonico, Maggie Chory, Kruti Desai, Masha Edmondson, Jason Gedamke, Stacie Hardy, Margaret Hunter, Anu Kumar, Laura Lorenzoni, Brian Melzian, Keith Mullin, Kim Parsons, James Price, Shannon Rankin, Patricia Rosel, Heather Spence, Sofie van Parijs, Michael Weise
Establishing the foundation for the global observing system for marine life Establishing the foundation for the global observing system for marine life
Maintaining healthy, productive ecosystems in the face of pervasive and accelerating human impacts including climate change requires globally coordinated and sustained observations of marine biodiversity. Global coordination is predicated on an understanding of the scope and capacity of existing monitoring programs, and the extent to which they use standardized, interoperable practices...
Authors
Erin Satterthwaite, Nicholas Bax, Patricia Miloslavich, Lavenia Ratnarajah, Gabrielle Canonico, Daniel Dunn, Samantha Simmons, Roxanne J. Carini, Karen Evans, Valerie Allain, Ward Appeltans, Sonia Batten, Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi, Anthony Bernard, R. Sky Bristol, Abigail Benson, Pier Buttigieg, Leopoldo Gerhardinger, Sanae Chiba, Tammy Davies, J. Emmett Duffy, Alfredo Giron-Nava, Astrid Hsu, Alexandra Kraberg, Raphael Kudela, Dan Lear, Enrique Montes, Frank Muller-Karger, Todd O’Brien, David Obura, Pieter Provoost, Sara Pruckner, Lisa-Maria Rebelo, Elizabeth Selig, Olav Kjesbu, Craig Starger, Rick Stuart-Smith, Marjo Vierros, John Waller, Lauren Weatherdon, Tristan Wellman, Anna Zivian
Data services in ocean science with a focus on the biology Data services in ocean science with a focus on the biology
Biological ocean science has a long history; it goes back millennia, whereas the related data services have emerged in the recent digital era of the past decades. To understand where we come from—and why data services are so important—we will start by taking you back to the rise in the study of marine biology—marine biodiversity—and its key players, before immersing ourselves in the data...
Authors
Joana Beja, Leen Vandepitte, Abigail Benson, Anton Van de Putte, Dan Lear, Daphnis De Pooter, Gwenaelle Moncoiffe, John Nicholls, Nina Wambiji, Patricia Miloslavich, Vasilis Gerovasileiou
Data management and interactive visualizations for the evolving marine biodiversity observation network Data management and interactive visualizations for the evolving marine biodiversity observation network
Assessing the current state of and predicting change in the ocean’s biological and ecosystem resources requires observations and research to safeguard these valuable public assets. The Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) partnered with the Global Ocean Observing System Biology and Ecosystems Panel and the Ocean Biodiversity Information System to address these needs through...
Authors
Abigail Benson, Tylar Murray, Gabrielle Canonico, Enrique Montes, Frank Muller-Karger, Maria Kavanaugh, Joaquin Trinanes, Lynn deWitt