Brandt W Meixell
Waterfowl ecology and population dynamics; Avian influenza and avian disease ecology
Biography
Education
Ph.D. In Progress University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN Conservation Biology
M.S. 2007 University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK Wildlife Biology
B.A. 2002 Concordia College Moorhead, Moorhead, MN Biology
Professional Experience
2011 - Present Wildlife Biologist, USGS Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska
2008 - 2011 Graduate Research Assistant, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
2007 - 2008 Biological Science Technician, USGS Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK
2004 - 2007 Graduate Research Assistant, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK
2001 - 2004 Field Research Technician, All Over, North America
Professional Activities and/or Memberships
The Wildlife Society
American Ornithologist's Union
Cooper Ornithological Society
Honors and/or Awards
- 2013 - Doctoral Student Oral Presentation Award, 6th North American Duck Symposium
- 2013 - Student Travel Award, 6th North American Duck Symposium
- 2012 - Best Student Presentation, Alaska Bird Conference
- 2010 - Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Foundation Wetlands and Waterfowl Research Fellowship
- 2010 - Bell Museum Avian Conservation Fellowship
- 2010 - Student Travel Award, University of Minnesota Conservation Biology Program
- 2010 - Dennis Raveling Scholarship for Waterfowl Research
- 2006 - Student Travel Award, University of Alaska Fairbanks Graduate School
- 2006 - Student Travel Award, Alaska Bird Conference
Science and Products
Avian Influenza Research
Since 2006, the USGS Alaska Science Center has been part of the State and Federal interagency team for the detection and response to highly pathogenic (HPAI) viruses in North America. Avian influenza or "bird flu" is a viral disease that primarily infects domestic poultry and wild birds. Avian influenza viruses are naturally occurring in wild birds such as ducks, geese, swans, and gulls. These...
Diseases and Contaminants in Waterfowl
Waterfowl are common reservoirs for a variety of avian diseases and can suffer significant mortality from certain pathogens. Additionally, waterfowl are exposed to naturally occurring and human sources of contaminants. Research at the USGS Alaska Science Center on disease and contaminants in waterfowl strengthens the efficiency and effectiveness of disease surveillance across North America....
Prevalence and diversity of avian blood parasites in a resident northern passerine
Background: Climate-related changes are expected to influence the prevalence and distribution of vector-borne haemosporidian parasites at northern latitudes, although baseline information about resident birds is still lacking. In this study, we investigated prevalence and genetic diversity of Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon parasites...
Van Hemert, Caroline R.; Meixell, Brandt W.; Smith, Matthew M.; Handel, Colleen M. Survey of Arctic Alaskan wildlife for influenza A antibodies: Limited evidence for exposure of mammals
Influenza A viruses (IAVs) are maintained in wild waterbirds and have the potential to infect a broad range of species, including wild mammals. The Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska supports a diverse suite of species, including waterfowl that are common hosts of IAVs. Mammals co-occur with geese and other migratory waterbirds during the summer...
Van Hemert, Caroline R.; Spivey, Timothy J.; Uher-Koch, Brian D.; Atwood, Todd C.; Sinnett, David R.; Meixell, Brandt W.; Hupp, Jerry W.; Jiang, Kaijun; Adams, Layne G.; Gustine, David D.; Ramey, Andrew M.; Wan, Xiu-Feng Normalized difference vegetation index as an estimator for abundance and quality of avian herbivore forage in arctic Alaska
Tools that can monitor biomass and nutritional quality of forage plants are needed to understand how arctic herbivores may respond to the rapidly changing environment at high latitudes. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) has been widely used to assess changes in abundance and distribution of terrestrial vegetative communities....
Hogrefe, Kyle R.; Patil, Vijay P.; Ruthrauff, Daniel R.; Meixell, Brandt W.; Budde, Michael E.; Hupp, Jerry W.; Ward, David H. Effects of industrial and investigator disturbance on Arctic-nesting geese
Oil and gas development on the Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) of Alaska, USA may have effects on Arctic-nesting birds. To estimate effects of industrial activity and investigator disturbance on avian productivity, we monitored nests of greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons) with digital cameras and periodic nest visits during 2013–2014 at 2...
Meixell, Brandt W.; Flint, Paul L. Movements and habitat use of White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons frontalis) during the remigial molt in arctic Alaska, USA
Proposed oil and gas leasing in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska has raised questions about possible impacts of development on molting Greater White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons frontalis) and their habitats. We used GPS transmitters to record fine-scale location data of molting and post-molt White-fronted Geese to assess patterns of...
Flint, Paul L.; Meixell, Brandt W. Maintenance of influenza A viruses and antibody response in mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) sampled during the non-breeding season in Alaska
Prevalence of influenza A virus (IAV) infections in northern-breeding waterfowl has previously been reported to reach an annual peak during late summer or autumn; however, little is known about IAV infection dynamics in waterfowl populations persisting at high-latitude regions such as Alaska, during winter. We captured mallards (Anas platyrhynchos...
Spivey, Timothy J.; Lindberg, Mark S.; Meixell, Brandt W.; Smith, Kyle R.; Puryear, Wendy Blay; Davis, Kimberly R.; Runstadler, Jonathan A.; Stallknecht, David E.; Ramey, Andrew M. Neisseria arctica sp. nov. isolated from nonviable eggs of greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons) in Arctic Alaska
During the summers of 2013 and 2014, isolates of a novel Gram-negative coccus in the Neisseria genus were obtained from the contents of nonviable greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons) eggs on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska. We used a polyphasic approach to determine whether these isolates represent a novel species. 16S rRNA gene...
Hansen, Cristina M.; Himschoot, Elizabeth; Hare, Rebekah F.; Meixell, Brandt W.; Van Hemert, Caroline R.; Hueffer, Karsten Transmission of influenza reflects seasonality of wild birds across the annual cycle
Influenza A Viruses (IAV) in nature must overcome shifting transmission barriers caused by the mobility of their primary host, migratory wild birds, that change throughout the annual cycle. Using a phylogenetic network of viral sequences from North American wild birds (2008–2011) we demonstrate a shift from intraspecific to interspecific...
Hill, Nichola J.; Ma, Eric J.; Meixell, Brandt W.; Lindberg, Mark S.; Boyce, Walter M.; Runstadler, Jonathan A. Detection, prevalence, and transmission of avian hematozoa in waterfowl at the Arctic/sub-Arctic interface: co-infections, viral interactions, and sources of variation.
Background: The epidemiology of avian hematozoa at high latitudes is still not well understood, particularly in sub-Arctic and Arctic habitats, where information is limited regarding seasonality and range of transmission, co-infection dynamics with parasitic and viral agents, and possible fitness consequences of infection. Such information is...
Meixell, Brandt W.; Arnold, Todd W.; Lindberg, Mark S.; Smith, Matthew M.; Runstadler, Jonathan A.; Ramey, Andrew M. A point mutation in the polymerase protein PB2 allows a reassortant H9N2 influenza isolate of wild-bird origin to replicate in human cells.
H9N2 influenza A viruses are on the list of potentially pandemic subtypes. Therefore, it is important to understand how genomic reassortment and genetic polymorphisms affect phenotypes of H9N2 viruses circulating in the wild bird reservoir. A comparative genetic analysis of North American H9N2 isolates of wild bird origin identified a naturally...
Hussein, Islam T.M.; Ma, Eric J.; Meixell, Brandt W.; Hill, Nichola J.; Lindberg, Mark S.; Albrecht , Randy A.; Bahl, Justin; Runstadler, Jonathan A. Demographic outcomes of diverse migration strategies assessed in a metapopulation of tundra swans
Background Migration is a prominent aspect of the life history of many avian species, but the demographic consequences of variable migration strategies have only infrequently been investigated, and rarely when using modern technological and analytical methods for assessing survival, movement patterns, and long-term productivity in the context of...
Ely, Craig R.; Meixell, Brandt W. Microbial infections are associated with embryo mortality in Arctic-nesting geese.
To address the role of bacterial infection in hatching failure of wild geese, we monitored embryo development in a breeding population of Greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons) on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska. During 2013, we observed mortality of normally developing embryos and collected 36 addled eggs for analysis. We also collected...
Hansen, Cristina M.; Meixell, Brandt W.; Van Hemert, Caroline R.; Hare, Rebekah F.; Hueffer, Karsten
Wildlife Cameras Offer Insight on Geese for Industry and Researchers in the Arctic
Direct encounters with humans can increase the likelihood that nesting geese will lose their eggs to predators, according to a recent study released Monday, July 17.