Caroline R Van Hemert, Ph.D.
Avian health and disease, ecology of landbirds, beak deformities in Alaska (“avian keratin disorder”), anatomy and structure of keratinized tissues, wildlife pathology
Biography
Education
Ph.D. 2012 University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK Biology and Wildlife
M.A. 2005 Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA English/Creative Nonfiction
B.S. 2000 University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ Ecology and Evolution
B.A. 2000 University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ Gender Studies
Professional Experience
2012 - Present Research Wildlife Biologist, USGS Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK
2005 - 2012 Wildlife Biologist, USGS Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK
2003 - 2005 Teaching Assistant, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA
2001 Volunteer Field Assistant, Wild Dog Research Camp, Okavango Delta, Botswana
2000 - 2002 Bioscience Technician, USGS Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK
1999 Research Assistant, Wildlife Conservation Society, Haines, AK
1998 Field Research Assistant, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, AK
1997 - 1998 Research Assistant, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Professional Activities and/or Memberships
American Ornithological Society
Boreal Partners in Flight
The Wildlife Society
Wildlife Disease Association
Science and Products
Harmful Algal Bloom Toxins in Alaska Seabirds
Elevated ocean temperatures are linked to the development of harmful algal blooms (HABs). Toxins from these blooms may pose health threats to marine organisms, including seabirds. Since 2015, the USGS has worked with a variety of stakeholders to develop testing methods and research projects to better understand the geographic extent, timing and impacts of algal toxins in Alaska marine...
Beak Deformities in Landbirds
Over the past 20 years, Alaskans have witnessed a startling increase of beak deformities among Black-capped Chickadees and other species of resident birds. This disease, called avian keratin disorder (AKD), is characterized by debilitating beak overgrowth and other abnormalities of keratinized tissues. Affected birds have difficulty feeding and preening, and may suffer high rates of mortality...
Landbird Research in Alaska
On this page, learn about USGS work on Beak Deformities and Boreal Partners in Flight.
Wildlife Disease and Environmental Health in Alaska
Environmental health is defined by connections between the physical environment, ecological health, and human health. Current research within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recognizes the importance of this integrated research philosophy, which includes study of disease and pollutants as they pertain to both wildlife and humans. Due to its key geographic location and significant wildlife...
Alaska Landbird Conservation Plan
Alaska is a land of extremes. The diversity of its avifauna reflects the heterogeneity of its landscape, with more than 500 species of birds recorded in the state. Species inhabiting primarily terrestrial habitats, known collectively as landbirds, constitute the largest and most ecologically diverse component of the Alaska avifauna. Habitats used...
Handel, Colleen M.; Stenhouse, Iain; Matsuoka, Steven M.; Booms, Travis L.; Cady, Melissa N.; Carrothers, Cheryl A.; DeCicco, Lucas H.; de Zeeuw, Maureen L.; Flamme, Melanie J.; Hagelin, Julie; Handel, Colleen M.; Johnson, James A.; Kirchoff, Matthew D.; Kissling, Michelle L.; Lewis, Stephen B.; Matsuoka, Steven M.; Nigro, Debora A.; Perkins, Deborah E.; Renner, Heather M.; Savage, Susan E.; Sowl, Kristine M.; Sharbaugh, Susan M.; Stenhouse, Iain J; Van Hemert, Caroline R.
U.S. Geological Survey Arctic ecosystem assessments
The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) conducts natural hazard and resource assessments of the Earth’s ecosystems and the response of those ecosystems to environmental change, human activities, and land use. Arctic regions of Alaska are important for cultural and economic sustainability and host a wide variety of wildlife species, many of which are of...
Pearce, John M.; Van Hemert, Caroline R. Investigation of algal toxins in a multispecies seabird die-off in the Bering and Chukchi seas
Between 2014 and 2017, widespread seabird mortality events were documented annually in the Bering and Chukchi seas, concurrent with dramatic reductions of sea ice, warmer than average ocean temperatures, and rapid shifts in marine ecosystems. Among other changes in the marine environment, harmful algal blooms (HABs) that produce the neurotoxins...
Van Hemert, Caroline R.; Dusek, Robert J.; Smith, Matthew M.; Kaler, Robert; Sheffield, Gay; Divine, Lauren M.; Kuletz, Kathy J.; Knowles, Susan; Lankton, Julia S.; Hardison, D. Ransom; Litaker, R. Wayne; Jones, Timothy; Burgess, Hillary K.; Parrish, Julia K. Poecivirus is present in individuals with beak deformities in seven species of North American birds
Avian keratin disorder (AKD), a disease of unknown etiology characterized by debilitating beak overgrowth, has increasingly affected wild bird populations since the 1990s. A novel picornavirus, poecivirus, is closely correlated with disease status in Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) in Alaska. However, our knowledge of the...
Zylberberg, Maxine; Van Hemert, Caroline R.; Handel, Colleen M.; Liu, Rachel; DeRisi, Joseph L. Acute oral toxicity and tissue residues of saxitoxin in the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Since 2014, widespread, annual mortality events involving multiple species of seabirds have occurred in the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, and Chukchi Sea. Among these die-offs, emaciation was a common finding with starvation often identified as the cause of death. However, saxitoxin (STX) was detected in many carcasses, indicating exposure of these...
Dusek, Robert J.; Smith, Matthew M.; Van Hemert, Caroline R.; Shearn-Bochsler, Valerie I.; Hall, Sherwood; Ridge, Clark D.; Hardison, Ransome; Kaler, Robert; Bodenstein, Barbara; Hofmeister, Erik K.; Hall, Jeffrey S. Cryptic and extensive hybridization between ancient lineages of American crows
Most species and therefore most hybrid zones have historically been defined using phenotypic characters. However, both speciation and hybridization can occur with negligible morphological differentiation. Recently developed genomic tools provide the means to better understand cryptic speciation and hybridization. The Northwestern Crow (Corvus...
Slager, David; Epperly, Kevin; Ha, Renee; Rohwer, Sievert; Woodall, Christopher W.; Van Hemert, Caroline R.; Klicka, John Algal toxins in Alaskan seabirds: Evaluating the role of saxitoxin and domoic acid in a large-scale die-off of Common Murres
Elevated seawater temperatures are linked to the development of harmful algal blooms (HABs), which pose a growing threat to marine birds and other wildlife. During late 2015 and early 2016, a massive die-off of Common Murres (Uria algae; hereafter, murres) was observed in the Gulf of Alaska coincident with a strong marine heat wave. Previous...
Van Hemert, Caroline R.; Schoen, Sarah K.; Litaker, R. Wayne; Smith, Matthew M.; Arimitsu, Mayumi L.; Piatt, John F.; Holland, William C.; Hardison, Ransom; Pearce, John M. Drivers of landscape change in the northwest boreal region
The northwest boreal region (NWB) of North America is a land of extremes. Extending more than 1.3 million square kilometers (330 million acres), it encompasses the entire spectrum between inundated wetlands below sea level to the tallest peak in North America. Permafrost gradients span from nearly continuous to absent. Boreal ecosystems are...
Markon, Carl; Sesser, Amanda; Rockhill, Aimee P.; Magness, Dawn R; Reid, Don; DeLapp, John; Burton, Phil; Schroff, Eric; Barber, Valerie 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. Evidence of Culiseta mosquitoes as vectors for Plasmodium parasites in Alaska
Mosquito vectors play a crucial role in the distribution of avian Plasmodium parasites worldwide. At northern latitudes, where climate warming is most pronounced, there are questions about possible changes in the abundance and distribution of Plasmodium parasites, their vectors, and their impacts to avian hosts. To better...
Smith, Matthew M.; Van Hemert, Caroline R.; Handel, Colleen M. Serologic evidence for influenza A virus exposure in three loon species (Gavia spp.) breeding in Alaska
Limited information exists about exposure to influenza A viruses (IAVs) in many wild waterbird species, including loons. We analyzed serum samples from breeding adult Pacific (Gavia pacifica), Red-throated (Gavia stellata), and Yellow-billed (Gavia adamsii) loons sampled at three locations along the coast of Alaska, US from 2008 to 2017 to gain a...
Uher-Koch, Brian D.; Spivey, Timothy J.; Van Hemert, Caroline R.; Schmutz, Joel A.; Jiang, Kaijun; Wan, Xiu-Feng; Ramey, Andrew 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