Dan Slone works with population and habitat data analyses and simulation models, generally with West Indian manatees, Florida crocodillians, and seagrasses.
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Entomology, Oregon State University, 1999 [Ph.D. Dissertation: Spatial Patterns of Predaceous and Phytophagous Apple Mites (Acari: Eriophyidae, Phytoseiidae, Stigmaeidae, Tetranychidae): Intra- and Interspecific Relationships]
B.A., Biology (with honors) and B.A., Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1992
BACKGROUND
Research Ecologist, USGS Florida Integrated Science Center, Sirenia Project, Gainesville, FL: August 2004 – Present.
Research Ecologist, USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, Forest insect Research, Pineville, LA: June 2001 – August 2004.
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Entomology/Nematology Dept., University of Florida: April 1999 – May 2001.
Substitute instructor for Insect Population Biology, Ent./Nem. Dept., University of Florida: March 2000.
Graduate Research Assistant, Entomology Department, Oregon State University: June 1995 - April 1999.
Instructor for Map-Making and Orienteering workshop, H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest: June 1997.
Teaching Assistant for Integrated Pest Management, Entomology Dept., Oregon State U.: Sept-Dec 1997.
Assistant instructor, computer and statistical techniques for Computers and I.P.M., Entomology Department, Oregon State University: Jan-Mar 1998.
Committee member for Ph.D Student, ECOSUR. 2007 – Present.
Committee member and thesis project advisor (not major advisor) for Ph.D Student, University of Florida Entomology Dept. 2005 – Present.
Provided graduate research assistantship, served on committee, and advised on thesis project for MS Student, University of Florida Entomology Dept. 2001 – 2005.
Provided graduate assistantship to MS student, University of Florida Fish and Wildlife Co-op unit, 2002 – 2003.
Science and Products
Analysis of body condition indices reveals different ecotypes of the Antillean manatee
Invasion frustration: Can biotic resistance explain the small geographic range of non-native croaking gourami Trichopsis vittata (Cuvier, 1831) in Florida, USA?
Traveling to thermal refuges during stressful temperatures leads to foraging constraints in a central-place forager
Coastal habitat change and marine megafauna behavior: Florida manatees encountering reduced food provisions in a prominent winter refuge
Movements and habitat use locations of manatees within Kings Bay Florida during the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge winter season (November 15–March 31)
Consortial brown tide − picocyanobacteria blooms in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba
Timing of warm water refuge use in Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge by manatees—Results and insights from Global Positioning System telemetry data
Landscape complementation revealed through bipartite networks: An example with the Florida manatee
Manatee grazing impacts on a mixed species seagrass bed
Volume of larvae Is the most important single predictor of mass temperatures in the forensically important Calliphorid, Chrysomya megacephala (Diptera: Calliphoridae)
Development of the oriental latrine fly, Chrysomya megacephala (Diptera: Calliphoridae), at five constant temperatures
Evaluating effects of Everglades restoration on American crocodile populations in south Florida using a spatially-explicit, stage-based population model
Health Effects and Behavioral Response of Florida Manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) to Persistent Algal Bloom and Associated Loss of Seagrass Resources in Brevard County, Florida
Effects of Native and Non-native Fishes on Native Apple Snail Population Dynamics
Development of a Quantitative Risk Assessment Tool to Predict Invasiveness of Non-native Freshwater Fishes in Everglades National Park
Past and Future Modeling of Ecological Indicators for the South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative
Manatee Distribution and Habitat Use in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
Monitoring and Assessing Effects of the Picayune Strand Restoration Project (PSRP) on the Florida Manatee
Seagrass Beds and Manatee Foraging Areas in the Ten Thousand Islands: Mapping and Characterizing by Incorporating Manatee GPS Tracking Data and Habitat Information
Winter Manatee Foraging Behavior and the Decline of Seagrass Beds in the Northern Indian River Lagoon
How will Florida’s Biodiversity Respond to Climate Change?
Morphological measurements of Antillean manatees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
Can biotic resistance explain the small geographic range of non-native croaking gourami Trichopsis vittata (Cuvier, 1831) in Florida, USA?
Water temperature in Three Sisters Springs, and water temperature and level in Magnolia Spring: Winter 2014-15
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 31
Analysis of body condition indices reveals different ecotypes of the Antillean manatee
Assessing the body condition of wild animals is necessary to monitor the health of the population and is critical to defining a framework for conservation actions. Body condition indices (BCIs) are a non-invasive and relatively simple means to assess the health of individual animals, useful for addressing a wide variety of ecological, behavioral, and management questions. The Antillean manatee (TrInvasion frustration: Can biotic resistance explain the small geographic range of non-native croaking gourami Trichopsis vittata (Cuvier, 1831) in Florida, USA?
Croaking gourami Trichopsis vittata is a non-native fish species that has maintained a reproducing population in Florida, USA, since at least the 1970s. However, unlike most other non-native fishes in Florida, T. vittata has not spread beyond its very small (ca. 5 km²) range. We suspected the inability of T. vittata to colonize new habitats may be due to biotic resistance by the native eastern mosTraveling to thermal refuges during stressful temperatures leads to foraging constraints in a central-place forager
Central-place foragers can be constrained by the distance between habitats. When an organism relies on a central place for thermal refuge, the distance to food resources can potentially constrain foraging behavior. We investigated the effect of distance between thermal refuges and forage patches of the cold-intolerant marine mammal, the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris), on foragingCoastal habitat change and marine megafauna behavior: Florida manatees encountering reduced food provisions in a prominent winter refuge
A decline in submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) within Florida’s spring-fed thermal refuges raises questions about how these systems support winter foraging of Florida manatees Trichechus manatus latirostris. We analyzed telemetry data for 12 manatees over 7 yr to assess their use of Kings Bay, a winter refuge with diminished SAV. After accounting for the effect of water temperature, we hypothesizMovements and habitat use locations of manatees within Kings Bay Florida during the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge winter season (November 15–March 31)
Kings Bay, Florida, is one of the most important natural winter habitat locations for the federally threatened Trichechus manatus latirostris (Florida manatee). Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1983 specifically to provide protection for manatees and their critical habitat. To aid managers at the refuge and other agencies with this task, spatial analyses of local habitat uConsortial brown tide − picocyanobacteria blooms in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba
A brown tide bloom of Aureoumbra lagunensis developed in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba during a period of drought in 2013 that followed heavy winds and rainfall from Hurricane Sandy in late October 2012. Based on satellite images and water turbidity measurements, the bloom appeared to initiate in January 2013. The causative species (A. lagunensis) was confirmed by microscopic observation, and pigment and gTiming of warm water refuge use in Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge by manatees—Results and insights from Global Positioning System telemetry data
Managers at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge (CRNWR) desire to update their management plan regarding the operation of select springs including Three Sisters Springs. They wish to refine existing parameters used to predict the presence of federally threatened Trichechus manatus latirostris (Florida manatee) in the springs and thereby improve their manatee mLandscape complementation revealed through bipartite networks: An example with the Florida manatee
Context Landscape complementation, or how landscapes that contain two or more non-substitutable and spatially separated resources facilitate resource use, is critical for many populations. Implicit to the problem of landscape complementation is the movement of individuals to access multiple resources. Conventional measures of complementation, such as habitat area or distance between habitats, do nManatee grazing impacts on a mixed species seagrass bed
The endangered manatee Trichechus manatus is one of few large grazers in seagrass systems. To assess the long-term impacts of repeated grazing on seagrasses, we selected a study site within Kennedy Space Center in the northern Banana River, Brevard County, Florida, that was typically grazed by large numbers of manatees in spring. Two 13x13 m manatee exclosures and 2 paired open plots of equal sizeVolume of larvae Is the most important single predictor of mass temperatures in the forensically important Calliphorid, Chrysomya megacephala (Diptera: Calliphoridae)
Calliphorid species form larval aggregations that are capable of generating heat above ambient temperature. We wanted to determine the relationship between volume, number of larvae, and different combinations of instars on larval mass heat generation. We compared different numbers of Chrysomya megacephala (F.) larvae (40, 100, 250, 600, and 2,000), and different combinations of instars (∼50/50 firDevelopment of the oriental latrine fly, Chrysomya megacephala (Diptera: Calliphoridae), at five constant temperatures
Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) is a forensically important fly that is found throughout the tropics and subtropics. We calculated the accumulated development time and transition points for each life stage from eclosion to adult emergence at five constant temperatures: 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 °C. For each transition, the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles were calculated with a logistic linear modeEvaluating effects of Everglades restoration on American crocodile populations in south Florida using a spatially-explicit, stage-based population model
The distribution and abundance of the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) in the Florida Everglades is dependent on the timing, amount, and location of freshwater flow. One of the goals of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) is to restore historic freshwater flows to American crocodile habitat throughout the Everglades. To predict the impacts on the crocodile population from pl - Science
Health Effects and Behavioral Response of Florida Manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) to Persistent Algal Bloom and Associated Loss of Seagrass Resources in Brevard County, Florida
USGS researchers are working with partners to assess the health and foraging behavior of Florida manatees in the northern Indian River Lagoon and Banana River, areas that have experienced declining seagrasses due to an extended phytoplankton bloom.Effects of Native and Non-native Fishes on Native Apple Snail Population Dynamics
The Florida apple snail is a critical component of the state's wetland food webs. USGS scientists assess the effects of native and non-native fishes on the native snail populations.Development of a Quantitative Risk Assessment Tool to Predict Invasiveness of Non-native Freshwater Fishes in Everglades National Park
The introduction of non-native fishes is a problem across the United States, particularly in Florida. USGS scientists are developing a decision support tool to help natural resourece managers prioritize which species to focus prevention, detection, rapid response, and control efforts.Past and Future Modeling of Ecological Indicators for the South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative
The South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative (LCC) has developed a Conservation Blueprint: a “living spatial plan to conserve natural and cultural resources for future generations.” This blueprint is a data-driven plan based on terrestrial, freshwater, marine, and cross-ecosystem indicators to measure the overall health of South Atlantic ecosystems.Manatee Distribution and Habitat Use in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
USGS works with partners to assess manatee distribution and habitat use throughout the Northern Gulf of Mexico.Monitoring and Assessing Effects of the Picayune Strand Restoration Project (PSRP) on the Florida Manatee
Critical information predicting condition changes in manatee habitat resulting from the alteration of freshwater flows to estuaries is needed to develop the PSRP Detailed Design and PSRP Operations Plan components and complete consultation under the Endangered Species Act.Seagrass Beds and Manatee Foraging Areas in the Ten Thousand Islands: Mapping and Characterizing by Incorporating Manatee GPS Tracking Data and Habitat Information
Turbid water conditions make the delineation and characterization of benthic habitats difficult by traditional in situ and remote sensing methods. Consequently, only a small fraction of this valuable resource has been mapped or characterized.Winter Manatee Foraging Behavior and the Decline of Seagrass Beds in the Northern Indian River Lagoon
With high numbers of manatees using the Florida Power and Light power plant warm water refuge during winter, their impact on the seagrass beds in the Indian River Lagoon is considered an important indicator of the long-term capacity of the area to support the manatees. USGS is working with partners to investigate the spatial extent and intensity of manatee use of seagrass beds in the area.How will Florida’s Biodiversity Respond to Climate Change?
Florida is home to 50 endangered species, 23 National Wildlife Refuges, 9 national parks, and 119 state parks. Straddling both temperate and sub-tropical zones, the state is also unique in that it is a long and narrow peninsula, surrounded on three sides by warm water, creating a dynamic environment. The impacts of climate change, such as sea-level rise and severe storms, threaten the state’s uniq... - Data
Morphological measurements of Antillean manatees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
The data were collected by U.S.G.S. biologists and their partners during several field trips from March 2013 to April 2014 in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Data were collected during the manatee health assessments. The U.S. Geological Survey's Sirenia Project is a federal research effort focusing on manatee biology and ecology with a long history of studies in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the internationalCan biotic resistance explain the small geographic range of non-native croaking gourami Trichopsis vittata (Cuvier, 1831) in Florida, USA?
In this report, we evaluate this hypothesis for croaking gourami Trichopsis vittata, a non-native species that has established a reproducing population, but has not successfully spread beyond its very small (5 km2) range. We suspected the inability of T. vittata to colonize new habitats may be due to biotic resistance by the native eastern mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki.Water temperature in Three Sisters Springs, and water temperature and level in Magnolia Spring: Winter 2014-15
Water level and water temperature from Magnolia Spring were recorded with a level datalogger (HOBO U20-001-01-Ti; Onset Computer Corp., Bourne, MA) set to record every 15 min. The datalogger was attached to a Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge signpost (LAT 28.8913, LONG -82.5925). Data were reported in meters of water depth to the logger and degrees Celcius. Water temperature from Three Siste