Abby Benson
Ms. Benson has worked for the USGS Science Analytics and Synthesis (SAS) program since 2010. She has served as the node manager for the Ocean Biodiversity Information System- USA (OBIS-USA) since 2015, node manager for the Global Biodiversity Information Facility US (GBIF-US) since 2019, and involved in the Species of Greatest Conservation Need since 2014.
Science and Products
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 in January,
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 anuran species
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 sensitivity to c
Filter Total Items: 15
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 change sensit
Authors
Samuel C. Silknetter, Abigail Benson, Jennifer A. Smith, Meryl C. Mims
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 between o
Authors
Traci P. DuBose, Victorjose Catalan, Chloe E. Moore, Vincent R. Farallo, Abigail Benson, Jessica Dade, William A. Hopkins, Meryl C. Mims
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 assessments. Species
Authors
Traci P. DuBose, Chloe E. Moore, Samuel Silknetter, Abigail Benson, Tess Alexander, Grace O'Malley, Meryl C. Mims
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 sensitive to ch
Authors
S. H. Paull, K. M. Thibault, Abigail Benson
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-ICE) task t
Authors
E. K. 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 K. Yates
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 habitats, b
Authors
Samantha E. Simmons, Abigail Benson, Matthew Biddle, Gabrielle Canonico, Maggie Chory, Kruti Desai, Masha Edmondson, Jason Gedamke, Stacie K. Hardy, Margaret Hunter, Anu Kumar, Laura Lorenzoni, Brian D. Melzian, Keith Mullin, Kim M. Parsons, James Price, Shannon Rankin, Patricia E. Rosel, Heather R. Spence, Sofie M. van Parijs, Michael J. Weise
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 for data ma
Authors
Erin V. Satterthwaite, Nicholas J. Bax, Patricia Miloslavich, Lavenia Ratnarajah, Gabrielle Canonico, Daniel Dunn, Samantha E. Simmons, Roxanne J. Carini, Karen Evans, Valerie Allain, Ward Appeltans, Sonia Batten, Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi, Anthony T. F. Bernard, R. Sky Bristol, Abigail Benson, Pier Luigi Buttigieg, Leopoldo Cavaleri Gerhardinger, Sanae Chiba, Tammy E. Davies, J. Emmett Duffy, Alfredo Giron-Nava, Astrid J. Hsu, Alexandra C. Kraberg, Raphael M. Kudela, Dan Lear, Enrique Montes, Frank Muller-Karger, Todd D. O'Brien, David Obura, Pieter Provoost, Sara Pruckner, Lisa-Maria Rebelo, Elizabeth R. Selig, Olav Sigurd Kjesbu, Craig Starger, Rick D. Stuart-Smith, Marjo Vierros, John S. Waller, Lauren V. Weatherdon, Tristan Wellman, Anna Zivian
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 life cycl
Authors
Joana Beja, Leen Vandepitte, Abigail Benson, Anton Van de Putte, Dan Lear, Daphnis De Pooter, Gwenaëlle Moncoiffé, John Nicholls, Nina Wambiji, Patricia Miloslavich, Vasilis Gerovasileiou
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 collaboration
Authors
Abigail Benson, Tylar Murray, Gabrielle Canonico, Enrique Montes, Frank Muller-Karger, Maria T. Kavanaugh, Joaquin Trinanes, Lynn M. deWitt
The power, potential, and pitfalls of open access biodiversity data in range size assessments: Lessons from the fishes
Geographic rarity is a driver of a species’ intrinsic risk of extinction. It encompasses multiple key components including range size, which is one of the most commonly measured estimates of geographic rarity. Range size estimates are often used to prioritize conservation efforts when there are multiple candidate species, because data for other components of rarity such as population size are spar
Authors
Abigail Benson
Global observational needs and resources for marine biodiversity
The diversity of life in the sea is critical to the health of ocean ecosystems that support living resources and therefore essential to the economic, nutritional, recreational, and health needs of billions of people. Yet there is evidence that the biodiversity of many marine habitats is being altered in response to a changing climate and human activity. Understanding this change, and forecasting w
Authors
Gabrielle Canonico, Pier Luigi Buttigieg, Enrique Montes, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Carol Stepien, Dawn J. Wright, Abigail Benson, Brian Helmuth, Mark John Costello, Isabel Sousa-Pinto, Hanieh Saeedi, Jan Newton, Ward Appeltans, Nina Bednaršek, Levente Bodrossy, Benjamin D. Best, Angelika Brandt, Kelly D Goodwin, Katrin Iken, Antonio C Marquez, Patricia Miloslavich, Martin Ostrowski, Woody Turner, Eric P Achterberg, Tom Barry, Omar DeFeo, Gregorio Bigatti, Lea-Anne Henry, Berta Ramiro-Sánchez, Pablo Durán, Telmo Morato, J. Murray Roberts, Ana Garcia-Alegre, Mar Sacau Cuadrado, Bramley Murton
Integrated observations and informatics improve understanding of changing marine ecosystems
Marine ecosystems have numerous benefits for human societies around the world and many policy initiatives now seek to maintain the health of these ecosystems. To enable wise decisions, up to date and accurate information on marine species and the state of the environment they live in is required. Moreover, this information needs to be openly accessible to build indicators and conduct timely assess
Authors
Abigail L. Benson, Cassandra M. Brooks, Gabrielle Canonico, J. Emmett Duffy, Frank Muller-Karger, Heidi M. Sosik, Patricia Miloslavich, Eduardo Klein
Science and Products
- Data
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 in January,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 anuran speciesRarity 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 sensitivity to c - Publications
Filter Total Items: 15
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 change sensitAuthorsSamuel C. Silknetter, Abigail Benson, Jennifer A. Smith, Meryl C. MimsThermal 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 between oAuthorsTraci P. DuBose, Victorjose Catalan, Chloe E. Moore, Vincent R. Farallo, Abigail Benson, Jessica Dade, William A. Hopkins, Meryl C. MimsMismatch 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 assessments. SpeciesAuthorsTraci P. DuBose, Chloe E. Moore, Samuel Silknetter, Abigail Benson, Tess Alexander, Grace O'Malley, Meryl C. MimsTick 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 sensitive to chAuthorsS. H. Paull, K. M. Thibault, Abigail BensonBiology: 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-ICE) task tAuthorsE. K. 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 K. YatesBiology: 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 habitats, bAuthorsSamantha E. Simmons, Abigail Benson, Matthew Biddle, Gabrielle Canonico, Maggie Chory, Kruti Desai, Masha Edmondson, Jason Gedamke, Stacie K. Hardy, Margaret Hunter, Anu Kumar, Laura Lorenzoni, Brian D. Melzian, Keith Mullin, Kim M. Parsons, James Price, Shannon Rankin, Patricia E. Rosel, Heather R. Spence, Sofie M. van Parijs, Michael J. WeiseEstablishing 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 for data maAuthorsErin V. Satterthwaite, Nicholas J. Bax, Patricia Miloslavich, Lavenia Ratnarajah, Gabrielle Canonico, Daniel Dunn, Samantha E. Simmons, Roxanne J. Carini, Karen Evans, Valerie Allain, Ward Appeltans, Sonia Batten, Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi, Anthony T. F. Bernard, R. Sky Bristol, Abigail Benson, Pier Luigi Buttigieg, Leopoldo Cavaleri Gerhardinger, Sanae Chiba, Tammy E. Davies, J. Emmett Duffy, Alfredo Giron-Nava, Astrid J. Hsu, Alexandra C. Kraberg, Raphael M. Kudela, Dan Lear, Enrique Montes, Frank Muller-Karger, Todd D. O'Brien, David Obura, Pieter Provoost, Sara Pruckner, Lisa-Maria Rebelo, Elizabeth R. Selig, Olav Sigurd Kjesbu, Craig Starger, Rick D. Stuart-Smith, Marjo Vierros, John S. Waller, Lauren V. Weatherdon, Tristan Wellman, Anna ZivianData 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 life cyclAuthorsJoana Beja, Leen Vandepitte, Abigail Benson, Anton Van de Putte, Dan Lear, Daphnis De Pooter, Gwenaëlle Moncoiffé, John Nicholls, Nina Wambiji, Patricia Miloslavich, Vasilis GerovasileiouData 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 collaborationAuthorsAbigail Benson, Tylar Murray, Gabrielle Canonico, Enrique Montes, Frank Muller-Karger, Maria T. Kavanaugh, Joaquin Trinanes, Lynn M. deWittThe power, potential, and pitfalls of open access biodiversity data in range size assessments: Lessons from the fishes
Geographic rarity is a driver of a species’ intrinsic risk of extinction. It encompasses multiple key components including range size, which is one of the most commonly measured estimates of geographic rarity. Range size estimates are often used to prioritize conservation efforts when there are multiple candidate species, because data for other components of rarity such as population size are sparAuthorsAbigail BensonGlobal observational needs and resources for marine biodiversity
The diversity of life in the sea is critical to the health of ocean ecosystems that support living resources and therefore essential to the economic, nutritional, recreational, and health needs of billions of people. Yet there is evidence that the biodiversity of many marine habitats is being altered in response to a changing climate and human activity. Understanding this change, and forecasting wAuthorsGabrielle Canonico, Pier Luigi Buttigieg, Enrique Montes, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Carol Stepien, Dawn J. Wright, Abigail Benson, Brian Helmuth, Mark John Costello, Isabel Sousa-Pinto, Hanieh Saeedi, Jan Newton, Ward Appeltans, Nina Bednaršek, Levente Bodrossy, Benjamin D. Best, Angelika Brandt, Kelly D Goodwin, Katrin Iken, Antonio C Marquez, Patricia Miloslavich, Martin Ostrowski, Woody Turner, Eric P Achterberg, Tom Barry, Omar DeFeo, Gregorio Bigatti, Lea-Anne Henry, Berta Ramiro-Sánchez, Pablo Durán, Telmo Morato, J. Murray Roberts, Ana Garcia-Alegre, Mar Sacau Cuadrado, Bramley MurtonIntegrated observations and informatics improve understanding of changing marine ecosystems
Marine ecosystems have numerous benefits for human societies around the world and many policy initiatives now seek to maintain the health of these ecosystems. To enable wise decisions, up to date and accurate information on marine species and the state of the environment they live in is required. Moreover, this information needs to be openly accessible to build indicators and conduct timely assessAuthorsAbigail L. Benson, Cassandra M. Brooks, Gabrielle Canonico, J. Emmett Duffy, Frank Muller-Karger, Heidi M. Sosik, Patricia Miloslavich, Eduardo Klein - News