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
North to Alaska: Evidence for conveyor belt transport of Dungeness crab larvae along the west coast of the United States and Canada
Polar bear research in Alaska
A model for autumn pelagic distribution of adult female polar bears in the Chukchi Seas, 1987-1994
Correlated declines in Pacific arctic snow and sea ice cover
Polar climate: Arctic sea ice
Polar bear research in the Beaufort Sea 2005
Cause and effect of variations in western arctic snow and sea ice cover
Distribution of pelagic forage fishes in relation to the oceanography of Glacier Bay
Spatial and temporal variations in the age structure of Arctic sea ice
Variations in the Arctic's multiyear sea ice cover: A neural network analysis of SMMR-SSM/I data, 1979-2004
Duration of the Arctic sea ice melt season: Regional and interannual variability, 1979-2001
Diminishing sea ice in the western Arctic Ocean
Science and Products
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North to Alaska: Evidence for conveyor belt transport of Dungeness crab larvae along the west coast of the United States and Canada
We propose and evaluate the hypothesis that Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) larvae from the northwestern coast of the United States and Canada can be transported northward to southeastern Alaska. Larvae collected in southeastern Alaska during May and June 1997–2004 had abundances and stages that varied seasonally, interannually, and spatially. An unexpected presence of late-stage larvae in springAuthorsW. Park, David C. Douglas, Thomas C. ShirleyPolar bear research in Alaska
Since the 13th Working Meeting of the Polar Bear Specialist Group the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has seen the completion of many research projects and the start of many new ones. Much has been accomplished and yet we have new challenges awaiting us. This report summarises our focal questions and progress in those areas.AuthorsGeorge M. Durner, Steven C. Amstrup, Geoff S. York, Eric V. Regehr, Kristin S. Simac, Tom S. Smith, Steven T. Partridge, Torsten Bentzen, Kristin S. Amstrup, David C. DouglasA model for autumn pelagic distribution of adult female polar bears in the Chukchi Seas, 1987-1994
We made predictions of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) autumn distribution in the Chukchi Sea with a Resource Selection Function (RSF) developed from 1198 satellite radio-collar locations on 124 adult female polar bears, 1987 – 1994. The RSF was created to assist in an aerial survey design for polar bears proposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The RSF was based on bathymetry and daily sea icAuthorsGeorge M. Durner, David C. Douglas, R. M. Nielson, Steven C. AmstrupCorrelated declines in Pacific arctic snow and sea ice cover
Simulations of future climate suggest that global warming will reduce Arctic snow and ice cover, resulting in decreased surface albedo (reflectivity). Lowering of the surface albedo leads to further warming by increasing solar absorption at the surface. This phenomenon is referred to as “temperature–albedo feedback.” Anticipation of such a feedback is one reason why scientists look to the Arctic fAuthorsRobert P. Stone, David C. Douglas, Gennady I. Belchansky, Sheldon DrobotPolar climate: Arctic sea ice
Recent decreases in snow and sea ice cover in the high northern latitudes are among the most notable indicators of climate change. Northern Hemisphere sea ice extent for the year as a whole was the third lowest on record dating back to 1973, behind 1995 (lowest) and 1990 (second lowest; Hadley Center–NCEP). September sea ice extent, which is at the end of the summer melt season and is typically thAuthorsR. S. Stone, David C. Douglas, G. I. Belchansky, S. D. DrobotPolar bear research in the Beaufort Sea 2005
No abstract available.AuthorsSteven C. Amstrup, George M. Durner, E.V. Regehr, G.S. York, T. S. Smith, Steven T. Partridge, David C. DouglasCause and effect of variations in western arctic snow and sea ice cover
[No abstract available]AuthorsR. S. Stone, David C. Douglas, G. I. Belchansky, S. D. Drobot, J. HarrisDistribution of pelagic forage fishes in relation to the oceanography of Glacier Bay
No abstract available.AuthorsMayumi L. Arimitsu, John F. Piatt, Marc D. Romano, David C. DouglasSpatial and temporal variations in the age structure of Arctic sea ice
Spatial and temporal variations in the age structure of Arctic sea ice are investigated using a new reverse chronology algorithm that tracks ice-covered pixels to their location and date of origin based on ice motion and concentration data. The Beaufort Gyre tends to harbor the oldest (>10 years old) sea ice in the western Arctic while direct ice advection pathways toward the Transpolar Drift StreAuthorsG. I. Belchansky, David C. Douglas, Nikita G. PlatonovVariations in the Arctic's multiyear sea ice cover: A neural network analysis of SMMR-SSM/I data, 1979-2004
A 26-year (1979-2004) observational record of January multiyear sea ice distributions, derived from neural network analysis of SMMR-SSM/I passive microwave satellite data, reveals dense and persistent cover in the central Arctic basin surrounded by expansive regions of highly fluctuating interannual cover. Following a decade of quasi equilibrium, precipitous declines in multiyear ice area commenceAuthorsG. I. Belchansky, David C. Douglas, V.A. Eremeev, Nikita G. PlatonovDuration of the Arctic sea ice melt season: Regional and interannual variability, 1979-2001
Melt onset dates, freeze onset dates, and melt season duration were estimated over Arctic sea ice, 1979–2001, using passive microwave satellite imagery and surface air temperature data. Sea ice melt duration for the entire Northern Hemisphere varied from a 104-day minimum in 1983 and 1996 to a 124-day maximum in 1989. Ranges in melt duration were highest in peripheral seas, numbering 32, 42, 44, aAuthorsG. I. Belchansky, David C. Douglas, Nikita G. PlatonovDiminishing sea ice in the western Arctic Ocean
Since the advent of satellite passive microwave radiometry (1978), variations in sea ice extent and concentration have been carefully monitored from space. An estimated 7.4% decrease in sea ice extent has occurred in the last 25 yr (Johannessen et al. 2004), with recent record minima (e.g., Maslanik et al. 1999; Serreze et al. 2003) accounting for much of the decline. Comparisons between the timeAuthorsR. S. Stone, G. I. Belchansky, Sheldon Drobot, 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