David Douglas
Satellite remote sensing of landscape features that possess high-frequency dynamics, such as sea ice distribution and vegetation phenology, and spatial analyses of how wildlife migrations are influenced by habitat and weather dynamics.
My projects aim to pioneer new analytical avenues in applied wildlife research by combining remote sensing with traditional wildlife studies to answer questions about habitat use and animal movements at landscape scales. The studies I engage align with Department of Interior priorities in the Arctic by addressing a growing need to understand how changes in climate or land use practices affect wildlife migrations, habitat availability, habitat quality, and population dynamics. Climate is the overarching force that controls wildlife habitat resources in the Arctic, so understanding linkages between the physical and biological environment is critical for making informed management decisions in the face of accelerating warming and expanding human activities. My expertise includes tracking wildlife by satellite, monitoring sea ice and vegetation changes by satellite, and the implications of future climate change on Arctic wildlife in general.
Professional Experience
1986 - Present Research Wildlife Biologist USGS Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska
1985 - 1986 Biological Technician Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Fairbanks, Alaska
1980 - 1984 Biological Technician US Forest Service, Region 4, Ogden, Utah
Education and Certifications
M.S. 1986 Washington State University, Pullman, WA Wildlife Biology
B.A. 1982 Utah State University, Logan, UT Biology
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Science and Products
Seasonal movements and pelagic habitat use of Murres and Puffins determined by satellite telemetry
Classification methods for monitoring Arctic sea ice using OKEAN passive/active two-channel microwave data
Alagnak watershed rainbow trout seasonal movement
Comparative analysis of multisensor satellite monitoring of Arctic sea-ice
At-sea distribution of Spectacled Eiders: A 120-year-old mystery resolved
Satellite telemetry: A new tool for wildlife research and management
Distribution and stability of eelgrass beds at Izembek Lagoon, Alaska
Migration behavior of tundra swans from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska
Assessing variability and trends in Arctic sea ice distribution using satellite data
Use of implanted satellite transmitters to locate Spectacled Eiders at-sea
Successful performance of satellite transmitters attached to migrating lesser snow geese
Seasonal movements of adult female polar bears in the Bering and Chukchi seas
Science and Products
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Seasonal movements and pelagic habitat use of Murres and Puffins determined by satellite telemetry
We tracked the movements of Common Murres (Uria aalge), Thick-billed Murres (U. lomvia), and Tufted Puffins (Fratercula cirrhata) using surgically implanted satellite transmitters. From 1994–1996, we tagged 53 birds from two colonies in the Gulf of Alaska (Middleton Island and Barren Islands) and two colonies in the Chukchi Sea (Cape Thompson and Cape Lisburne). Murres and puffins ranged 100 km orAuthorsScott A. Hatch, P.M. Meyers, D.M. Mulcahy, David C. DouglasClassification methods for monitoring Arctic sea ice using OKEAN passive/active two-channel microwave data
This paper presents methods for classifying Arctic sea ice using both passive and active (2-channel) microwave imagery acquired by the Russian OKEAN 01 polar-orbiting satellite series. Methods and results are compared to sea ice classifications derived from nearly coincident Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) image data of the Barents, KaraAuthorsGennady I. Belchansky, David C. DouglasAlagnak watershed rainbow trout seasonal movement
Adult rainbow trout were radio-tagged in two locations in the Alagnak River drainage in 1997 and 1998 and radio-tracked until March 1999. The telemetry data indicate the two different sample groups exhibited independent movements with little geographic overlap. However, some tagged fish from each sample group migrated downstream to the same general area during the spawning season. Rainbow trout wiAuthorsJulie M. Meka, E. Eric Knudsen, David C. DouglasComparative analysis of multisensor satellite monitoring of Arctic sea-ice
This report represents comparative analysis of nearly coincident Russian OKEAN-01 polar orbiting satellite data, Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) imagery. OKEAN-01 ice concentration algorithms utilize active and passive microwave measurements and a linear mixture model for measured values of the brightness temperature and the radar backscAuthorsG. I. Belchansky, Ilia N. Mordvintsev, David C. DouglasAt-sea distribution of Spectacled Eiders: A 120-year-old mystery resolved
The at-sea distribution of the threatened Spectacled Eider (Somateria fischeri) has remained largely undocumented. We identified migration corridors, staging and molting areas, and wintering areas of adult Spectacled Eiders using implanted satellite-transmitters in birds from each of the three extant breeding grounds (North Slope and Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in Alaska and arctic Russia). Based on traAuthorsMargaret R. Petersen, William W. Larned, David C. DouglasSatellite telemetry: A new tool for wildlife research and management
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game have cooperated since 1984 to develop and evaluate satellite telemetry as a means of overcoming the high costs and logistical problems of conventional VHF (very high frequency) radiotelemetry systems. Detailed locational and behavioral data on caribou (Rangifer tarandus), polar bears (Ursus maritimus), and other large maAuthorsSteven G. Fancy, Larry F. Pank, David C. Douglas, Catherine H. Curby, Gerald W. Garner, Steven C. Amstrup, Wayne L. RegelinDistribution and stability of eelgrass beds at Izembek Lagoon, Alaska
Spatial change in eelgrass meadows, Zostera marina L., was assessed between 1978 and 1987 and between 1987 and 1995 at Izembek Lagoon, Alaska. Change in total extent was evaluated through a map to map comparison of data interpreted from a 1978 Landsat multi-spectral scanner image and 1987 black and white aerial photographs. A ground survey in 1995 was used to assess spatial change from 1987. EelgrAuthorsDavid H. Ward, Carl J. Markon, David C. DouglasMigration behavior of tundra swans from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska
No abstract available.AuthorsCraig R. Ely, David C. Douglas, A. C. Fowler, Colleen A. Babcock, D.V. Derksen, John Y. TakekawaAssessing variability and trends in Arctic sea ice distribution using satellite data
Trends in the annual minimum, minimum monthly-mean, and the sea ice extent at the end of August were investigated for the Barents and western Kara Seas and adjacent parts of the Arctic Ocean during 1966 to 1994 using data from Russian ice maps (1974-1994), Kosmos-Okean and ALMAZ SAR satellite series (1984-1994), and published literature. Four definitions of sea ice extent were examined based on thAuthorsG. I. Belchansky, Ilia N. Mordvintsev, David C. DouglasUse of implanted satellite transmitters to locate Spectacled Eiders at-sea
Population estimates of Spectacled Eiders (Somateria fischeri) on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (YKD), Alaska, suggest that by 1992 the number of birds on this major nesting area had declined to 1,721 pairs, 4% of that estimated in the 1970s (Stehn st al 1993). Consequently, Spectacled Eiders were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. As nesting habitats for this species are believedAuthorsMargaret R. Petersen, David C. Douglas, Daniel M. MulcahySuccessful performance of satellite transmitters attached to migrating lesser snow geese
No abstract available at this timeAuthorsDavid C. Douglas, John Y. Takekawa, Mark S. UdevitzSeasonal movements of adult female polar bears in the Bering and Chukchi seas
Ten adult female polar bears (Ursus maritimus) were fitted with satellite telemetry collars during March 1986 in the Kotzebue Sound area of the Chukchi Sea. During March-April 1987, 2 of these bears were refitted with satellite telemetry collars and an additional 10 adult females were collared in the northern Bering and eastern Chukchi seas. Data for 1,560 point locations recorded through May 1988AuthorsGerald W. Garner, Steven T. Knick, David C. Douglas - Software
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*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government