Collin Eagles-Smith
I am a Research Ecologist with the USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center in Corvallis, Oregon. My research focuses on the interactions among ecological processes, contaminant bioaccumulation, and effects on wild populations.
My work specifically focuses on (1) the ecological factors regulating contaminant bioaccumulation and trophic transfer, with an emphasis on food web processes and contaminant cycling, (2) land use practices and ecosystem restoration effects on contaminant cycling through food webs, and (3) the sublethal effects of contaminants on individuals and contaminant-induced impairment to reproduction in the wild. My research is broadly applied across taxa - primarily fish and waterbirds, and habitat types - including lakes, freshwater wetlands, agricultural fields, and estuarine habitats.
Professional Experience
2010-present: Supervisory Research Ecologist, USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR
2007-2010: Wildlife Biologist, USGS Western Ecological Research Center, Davis, CA
2003-2007: Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento, CA
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA (2006)
B.S., Environmental Resource Sciences - Magna Cum Laude, University of California, Davis, CA (2000)
Science and Products
Contaminant Ecology Research Team (FRESC)
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Anticoagulant rodenticide exposure in Barred Owls (Strix varia) collected in Washington and Oregon 2015-2017
Mercury concentrations in songbird feathers and tissues
Total Mercury and Methylmercury in Riparian Songbirds and Aquatic Invertebrates from the Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2013-2014
Pacific Northwest Avian Scavenger Lead and Mercury Dataset, 2012-2016
Data for Biogeochemical and Physical Processes Controlling Mercury and Selenium Bioaccumulation in Bighorn Lake, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Montana and Wyoming, 2015-2016
A Baseline Assessment of Contaminant Concentrations in Sediment and Biota in Proximity to Coal Transport Tracks in the Pacific Northwest (2014)
Summary of Total Mercury Concentrations in Dragonfly Larvae, Western Mosquitofish, and Tree Swallow Eggs Collected from Cosumnes River Preserve 2011 2013
Fluctuating asymmetry in waterbirds in relation to mercury exposure
Bullet fragments in Belding's ground squirrels in Oregon and California in 2014-2015
Total Mercury Concentrations in Fish Muscle from the Colorado River and Bright Angel Creek, AZ, USA (2015)
Historical methyl mercury in San Francisco Bay
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Fish habitat use and food web structure following pond and plug restoration of a Montane Meadow in the Sierra Nevada, California
Surface-air mercury fluxes and a watershed mass balance in forested and harvested catchments
Long-term trends in regional wet mercury deposition and lacustrine mercury concentrations in four lakes in Voyageurs National Park
From forests to fish: Mercury in mountain lake food webs influenced by factors at multiple scales
A national-scale assessment of mercury bioaccumulation in United States National Parks using dragonfly larvae as biosentinels through a citizen-science framework
Do two wrongs make a right? Persistent uncertainties regarding environmental selenium-mercury interactions
Mercury bioaccumulation in freshwater fishes of the Chesapeake Bay watershed
The lead (Pb) lining of agriculture‐related subsidies: enhanced Golden Eagle growth rates tempered by Pb exposure
Mercury and selenium concentrations in fishes of the Upper Colorado River Basin, southwestern United States: A retrospective assessment
Synthesis of maternal transfer of mercury in birds: Implications for altered toxicity risk
Methylmercury exposure in wildlife: A review of the ecological and physiological processes affecting contaminant concentrations and their interpretation
Contaminant concentrations in sediments, aquatic invertebrates, and fish in proximity to rail tracks used for coal transport in the Pacific Northwest: A baseline assessment
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
To request an interview, contact fresc_outreach@usgs.gov or call (541) 750-1030.
Science and Products
- Science
Contaminant Ecology Research Team (FRESC)
The FRESC Contaminant Ecology research program evaluates the distribution, movement, and ecological effects of environmental contaminants across the landscape and strives to provide relevant science in support of natural resource conservation, management, and decision making.Filter Total Items: 18 - Data
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Filter Total Items: 35Anticoagulant rodenticide exposure in Barred Owls (Strix varia) collected in Washington and Oregon 2015-2017
This dataset includes anticoagulant rodenticide (AR) screening results of 40 Barred Owls (Strix varia) collected in forested landscapes of Washington and Oregon from 2015-2017. Liver tissue was collected from each owl and screened for exposure to eight AR compounds, including 4 first-generation ARs (warfarin, diphacinone, chlorophacinone, and coumachlor), and 4 second-generation ARs (brodifacoum,Mercury concentrations in songbird feathers and tissues
This dataset includes the bird species, sex, age, and total mercury concentrations in feathers, muscle, liver, and nail tissues.Total Mercury and Methylmercury in Riparian Songbirds and Aquatic Invertebrates from the Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2013-2014
This dataset includes bird species, invertebrate order and family, sample identification codes, capture date, latitude, longitude, habitat, site name, bird age, total mercury concentrations in bird blood, and methylmercury concentrations in whole body aquatic invertebrates.Pacific Northwest Avian Scavenger Lead and Mercury Dataset, 2012-2016
The dataset includes the bird species, region where sampled, sampling site, capture location, mercury concentration in whole blood, lead concentration in whole blood, sulfur stable isotope concentration in blood plasma, carbon isotope concentration in blood plasma, whole blood ALAD activity, and fecal corticosterone concentrations.Data for Biogeochemical and Physical Processes Controlling Mercury and Selenium Bioaccumulation in Bighorn Lake, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Montana and Wyoming, 2015-2016
This dataset includes the field measurements and laboratory analyses of surface water, seston, fish tissue, and sediment samples collected from Bighorn Lake, within Bighorn Canyon National Recreation area (BICA), during high flow (July 2015) and low flow (August 2016) conditions. The study area includes 7-9 sampling sites that follow a transect spanning the entire length of the reservoir from theA Baseline Assessment of Contaminant Concentrations in Sediment and Biota in Proximity to Coal Transport Tracks in the Pacific Northwest (2014)
This dataset provides baseline concentrations (from 2014) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), other aromatic organic compounds, mercury (Hg), and trace metal concentrations in sediment and biota collected from two sites along an existing rail line used for coal transport in the Columbia River Gorge, Washington. For this study, aquatic surface sediments, aquatic insects, and juvenile fish werSummary of Total Mercury Concentrations in Dragonfly Larvae, Western Mosquitofish, and Tree Swallow Eggs Collected from Cosumnes River Preserve 2011 2013
The Cosumnes River Preserve in the Californias Central Valley contains a mosaic of managed wetlands where conditions may promote high levels of methylmercury bioaccumulation. In order to document potential environmental health risk in these wetlands due to mercury, we analyzed dragonfly larvae, western mosquitofish, and tree swallow eggs collected from wetlands and rice fields of the Preserve fromFluctuating asymmetry in waterbirds in relation to mercury exposure
The dataset includes the bird species, sex, mercury concentration in breast feathers and whole blood, and the composite measure of fluctuating asymmetry. Statistical models were developed for each species to analyze the relationship between mercury exposure in either breast feathers or whole blood and the composite measure of fluctuating asymmetry, while accounting for the sex of each bird.Bullet fragments in Belding's ground squirrels in Oregon and California in 2014-2015
The dataset includes specifics on fragments of bullets recovered from shot Belding's ground squirrels from Oregon and California. Ground squirrels were radiographed and then we used ImageJ software to count and measure the area of those bullet fragments. A subset of shot carcasses were then digested and bullet fragments were recovered. Statistical models were developed to predict either the numberTotal Mercury Concentrations in Fish Muscle from the Colorado River and Bright Angel Creek, AZ, USA (2015)
Mercury is a globally distributed pollutant that threatens human and ecosystem health. Even protected areas, such as national parks, are subjected to mercury contamination because it is delivered via atmospheric deposition, often after long-range transport. In aquatic ecosystems, certain environmental conditions can promote microbial processes that convert inorganic mercury to an organic form (metHistorical methyl mercury in San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay, California is considered a mercury-impaired watershed. Elevated concentrations of mercury are found in water and sediment as well as fish and estuarine birds. Sources of mercury to the watershed since 1845 include sediment-associated mercury from mercury mining, mercury losses from gold amalgamation activities in mines of the Sierra Nevada, aerial deposition of mercury from gl - Multimedia
- Publications
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Filter Total Items: 134Fish habitat use and food web structure following pond and plug restoration of a Montane Meadow in the Sierra Nevada, California
Montane meadows are areas of high biodiversity and provide many important ecosystem services; however, degradation of 40–60% of these habitats in the Sierra Nevada region of California has left many of these areas impaired. The “pond-and-plug” meadow-restoration technique is 1 type of treatment implemented to restore montane meadows. The objectives of this technique are to re-water the meadow andAuthorsLora Tennant, Collin Eagles-Smith, James Willacker, Matthew JohnsonSurface-air mercury fluxes and a watershed mass balance in forested and harvested catchments
Forest soils are among the world’s largest repositories for long-term accumulation of atmospherically deposited mercury (Hg), and understanding the potential for remobilization through gaseous emissions, aqueous dissolution and runoff, or erosive particulate transport to down-gradient aquatic ecosystems is critically important for projecting ecosystem recovery. Forestry operations, especially cleaAuthorsChris S. Eckley, Collin Eagles-Smith, Michael T. Tate, David P. KrabbenhoftLong-term trends in regional wet mercury deposition and lacustrine mercury concentrations in four lakes in Voyageurs National Park
Although anthropogenic mercury (Hg) releases to the environment have been substantially lowered in the United States and Canada since 1990, concerns remain for contamination in fish from remote lakes and rivers where atmospheric deposition is the predominant source of mercury. How have aquatic ecosystems responded? We report on one of the longest known multimedia data sets for mercury in atmospherAuthorsMark E. Brigham, David D. VanderMeulen, Collin Eagles-Smith, David P. Krabbenhoft, Ryan P. Maki, John F. DeWildFrom forests to fish: Mercury in mountain lake food webs influenced by factors at multiple scales
Mountain lakes, while seemingly pristine, have been subjected to historical fish stocking practices and exposure to atmospherically deposited contaminants like mercury. Mercury bioaccumulation in these ecosystems varies widely due to strong environmental gradients, and there are complex, hierarchical factors that affect mercury transport and loading, methylmercury production, and food web biomagniAuthorsAriana M. Chiapella, Collin Eagles-Smith, Angela L StreckerA national-scale assessment of mercury bioaccumulation in United States National Parks using dragonfly larvae as biosentinels through a citizen-science framework
We conducted a national-scale assessment of mercury (Hg) bioaccumulation in aquatic ecosystems using dragonfly larvae as biosentinels, by developing a citizen science network to facilitate biological sampling. Implementing a carefully designed sampling methodology for citizen scientists, we developed an effective framework for landscape-level inquiry that might otherwise be resource limited. We asAuthorsCollin Eagles-Smith, James Willacker, Sarah J. Nelson, Collen M Flanagan Pritz, David P. Krabbenhoft, Celia Y. Chen, Joshua T. Ackerman, Evan H. Campbell Grant, David PilliodDo two wrongs make a right? Persistent uncertainties regarding environmental selenium-mercury interactions
Mercury (Hg) is a pervasive environmental pollutant and contaminant of concern for both people and wildlife that has been a focus of environmental remediation efforts for decades. A growing body of literature has motivated calls for revising Hg consumption advisories to co-consider selenium (Se) levels in seafood and implies that remediating aquatic ecosystems with ecosystem-scale Se additions couAuthorsJacqueline R. Gerson, David Walters, Collin Eagles-Smith, Emily S. Bernhardt, Jessica E BrandtMercury bioaccumulation in freshwater fishes of the Chesapeake Bay watershed
Chemical contaminants are a threat to the Chesapeake Bay watershed, with mercury (Hg) among the most prevalent causes of impairment. Despite this, large-scale patterns of Hg concentrations, and the potential risks to fish, wildlife, and humans across the watershed, are poorly understood. We compiled fish Hg data from state monitoring programs and recent research efforts to address this knowledge gAuthorsJames Willacker, Collin Eagles-Smith, Vicki S. BlazerThe lead (Pb) lining of agriculture‐related subsidies: enhanced Golden Eagle growth rates tempered by Pb exposure
Supplementary food resources (e.g., subsidies) associated with agriculture can benefit wildlife species, increasing predictability and availability of food. Avian scavengers including raptors often utilize subsidies associated with both recreational hunting and pest shooting on agricultural lands. However, these subsidies can contain lead (Pb) fragments if they are culled with Pb‐based ammunition,AuthorsGarth Herring, Collin Eagles-Smith, Jeremy A. Buck, Alyssa E. Shiel, Chris R. Vennum, Colleen Emery, Branden L. Johnson, David Leal, Julie A. Heath, Benjamin M Dudek, Charles R. Preston, Brian WoodbridgeMercury and selenium concentrations in fishes of the Upper Colorado River Basin, southwestern United States: A retrospective assessment
Mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) are contaminants of concern for fish in the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB). We explored Hg and Se in fish tissues (2,324 individuals) collected over 50 years (1962–2011) from the UCRB. Samples include native and non-native fish collected from lotic waterbodies spanning 7 major tributaries to the Colorado River. There was little variation of total mercury (THg) inAuthorsNatalie K. Day, Travis Schmidt, James Roberts, Barbara C. Osmundson, James Willacker, Collin Eagles-SmithSynthesis of maternal transfer of mercury in birds: Implications for altered toxicity risk
Maternal transfer is the predominant route of methylmercury (MeHg) exposure to offspring. We reviewed and synthesized published and unpublished data on maternal transfer of MeHg in birds. Using paired samples of females’ blood (n=564) and their eggs (n=1814) from 26 bird species in 6 taxonomic orders, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate whether maternal transfer of MeHg to eggs differed amoAuthorsJoshua T. Ackerman, Mark P. Herzog, David C. Evers, Daniel A. Cristol, Kevin P. Kenow, Gary Heinz, Raphael A Lavoie, Rebecka Brasso, Mark L. Mallory, Jennifer F Provencher, Birgit M Braune, Angela Matz, Joel A. Schmutz, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Lucas J Savoy, Michael W. Meyer, C. Alex HartmanMethylmercury exposure in wildlife: A review of the ecological and physiological processes affecting contaminant concentrations and their interpretation
Exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) can result in detrimental health effects in wildlife. With advances in ecological indicators and analytical techniques for measurement of MeHg in a variety of tissues, numerous processes have been identified that can influence MeHg concentrations in wildlife. This review presents a synthesis of theoretical principals and applied information for measuring MeHg exposAuthorsJohn Chételat, Joshua T. Ackerman, Collin Eagles-Smith, Craig E. HebertContaminant concentrations in sediments, aquatic invertebrates, and fish in proximity to rail tracks used for coal transport in the Pacific Northwest: A baseline assessment
Railway transport of coal poses an environmental risk because coal dust contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), mercury (Hg), and other trace metals. In the Pacific Northwest, proposed infrastructure projects could result in an increase in coal transport by train through the Columbia River corridor. Baseline information is needed on current distributions, levels, and spatial patterns ofAuthorsWhitney B Hapke, Robert W. Black, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Cassandra Smith, Lyndal Johnson, Gina M Ylitalo, Daryle Boyd, Jay W. Davis, Sara L. Caldwell Eldridge, Elena NilsenNon-USGS Publications**
Suchanek, T.H., Cooke, J., Keller, K., Richerson, P.J., Eagles-Smith, C.A., Harner, E.J., Adam, D.P., 2009, A mass balance mercury budget for a mine-dominated lake - Clear Lake, California: Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, v. 196, p. 51-73.Richerson, P.J., Suchanek, T.H., Zierenberg, R.A., Osleger, D.A., Heyvaert, A.C., Slotton, D.G., Eagles-Smith, C.A., Vaughn, C.E., 2008, Anthropogenic stressors and changes in the Clear Lake ecosystem as recorded in sediment cores: Ecological Applications, v. 18, no. 8, p. A257-A283.Suchanek, T.H., Eagles-Smith, C.A., Harner, E.J., 2008, Is Clear Lake methylmercury distribution decoupled from bulk mercury loading?: Ecological Applications, v. 18, no. 8, p. A107-A127.Suchanek, T.H., Eagles-Smith, C.A., Slotton, D.G., Harner, E.J., Adam, D.P., 2008, Mercury in abiotic matrices of Clear Lake, California- Human health and ecotoxicological implications: Ecological Applications, v. 18, no. 8, p. A128-A157.Anderson, D.W., Suchanek, T.H., Eagles-Smith, C.A., Cahill, Jr., T.M., 2008, Mercury residues and productivity in osprey and grebes from a mine-dominated ecosystem: Ecological Applications, v. 18, no. 8, p. A227-A238.Suchanek, T.H., Eagles-Smith, C.A., Slotton, D.G., Harner, E.J., Adam, D.P., Colwell, A.E., Anderson, N.L., Woodward, D.L., 2008, Mine-derived mercury- Effects on lower trophic species in Clear Lake, California: Ecological Applications, v. 18, no. 8, p. A158-A176.Suchanek, T.H., Eagles-Smith, C.A., Slotton, D.G., Harner, E.J., Colwell, A.E., Anderson, N.L., Mullen, L.H., Flanders, J.R., Adam, D.P., McElroy, K.J., 2008, Spatiotemporal trends in fish mercury from a mine-dominated ecosystem- Clear Lake, California: Ecological Applications, v. 18, no. 8, p. A177-A195.McEachern, M.B., Eagles-Smith, C.A., Efferson, C.M., Van Vuren, D.H., 2006, Evidence for local specialization in a generalist mammalian herbivore, Neotoma fuscipes: Oikos, v. 113, p. 440-448.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
- Software
- News
To request an interview, contact fresc_outreach@usgs.gov or call (541) 750-1030.
Filter Total Items: 29