David R Smith, Ph.D.
Dave is a Research Statistician (Biology) at the Eastern Ecological Science Center in Kearneysville, WV.
Dave Smith graduated from Colorado State (MS in Fish and Wildlife Biology) and University of Georgia (MS in Statistics and PhD in Forest Resources). Currently, he is a biological statistician at the USGS Leetown Science Center where he focuses on applied quantitative ecology in support of natural resource management and environmental decision making.
His research activities mostly focus on the following topics:
- Adaptive sampling of rare and clustered populations
- Conservation and science of horseshoe crabs in North America and Asia
- Conservation of freshwater mussels
- Application of structured decision making and adaptive management to natural resource management
Science and Products
Sustaining Horseshoe Crabs and Supporting Migratory Shorebirds in the Delaware Bay
USGS is developing predictive models to inform sustainable harvest of horseshoe crabs ( Limulus polyphemus) in Delaware Bay to help managers make decisions to support needs of people and shorebirds including rufa red knot ( Calidris canutus rufa ).
Predicted consequences of detecting dreissenid mussel eDNA in Jordanelle Reservoir Utah, 2021
U.S. Geological Survey decision analysts and technical experts worked with representatives from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and Central Utah Water Conservancy District to predict the consequences of alternative actions following environmental DNA detections of dreissenid mussel eDNA in Jordanelle Reservor, Utah. This dataset provides the consequence and mod
Datasets used to map the potentiometric surface, Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer, spring 2018
A potentiometric-surface map for spring 2018 was created for the Mississippi River Valley alluvial (MRVA) aquifer, which was referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88), using most of the available groundwater-altitude data from wells and surface-water-altitude data from streamgages. Most of the wells were measured annually or one time, after installation, but some wells were
Waterborne resistivity surveys for streams in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, 2017
This data release has three components for each of the eight stream lengths: 1) a geospatial dataset of the processed data; 2) tabular data of the processed waterborne resistivity profiling data and associated water-quality data; 3) tabular data of the raw waterborne resistivity data and associated water-quality data. In fresh water aquifers, the geoelectric resistivity of earth materials comm
Metals and Other Constituent Concentrations in Sediment of Selected Streams Draining the Tri-State Mining District, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas, 201112
Lead and zinc were mined in the Tri-State Mining District (TSMD) of southwest Missouri, northeast Oklahoma, and southeast Kansas for more than 100 years. The effects of mining on the landscape are still evident, nearly 50 years after the last mine ceased operation. The legacies of mining are the mine waste and discharge of groundwater from underground mines. The mine-waste piles and underground mi
Filter Total Items: 113
Plant size, latitude, and phylogeny explain within-population variability in herbivory
Interactions between plants and herbivores are central in most ecosystems, but their strength is highly variable. The amount of variability within a system is thought to influence most aspects of plant-herbivore biology, from ecological stability to plant defense evolution. Our understanding of what influences variability, however, is limited by sparse data. We collected standardized surveys of he
Authors
Moria Robinson, Karen C Abbott, Warwick J. Allen, Janete Andrade, Diego Angulo, Diego Anjos, Daniel Anstett, Robert Bagchi, Sumanta Bagchi, Milton Barbosa, Sarah Barrett, Carina Baskett, Eyal Ben-Simchon, Kathryn Bloodworth, Judith L. Bronstein, Emilio Bruna, Yvonne Buckley, Karin Burghardt, Carlos Bustos-Segura, N. Ivalú Cacho, Eduardo Soares Calixto, Raquel Carvalho, Bastien Castagneyrol, Mariana Chiuffo, Damla Cinoğlu, Elizeth Cinto Mejia, Marina Cock, Rodrigo Cogni, Olivia Cope, Tatiana Cornelissen, Dezirea Cortez, David Crowder, Caroline Dallstream, Wesley Dáttilo, Julien Davis, Romina Dimarco, Haley Dole, Lee Dyer, Ikponmwosa Egbon, Afure Ejomah, Bret D Elderd, María-José Endara, Micky D. Eubanks, Susan Everingham, Keiko Farah, Rafael de Paiva Farias, Geraldo Fernandes, Marco Ferrante, Alain Finn, Grace Florjancic, Matthew L. Forister, Quinn Fox, Enric Frago, Filipe M. França, Abigail Getman-Pickering, Zoe Getman-Pickering, Ben Gooden, Martin M. Gossner, Keri Greig, Sofia Gripenberg, Ronny Groenteman, Patrick Grof-Tisza, Nora Haack, Lisa Hahn, Philip Hahn, Shiekh Marifatul Haq, Justus Hennecke, Sara Hermann, Liza M. Holeski, Matthew Hutchinson, Brian Inouye, Eleanor Jackson, Shinnosuke Kagiya, Michael Kalwajtys, Richard Karban, Rupesh Kariyat, Tamar Keasar, Monica Kersch-Becker, Heather Kharouba, Tania Kim, Duncan Kimuyu, Jennifer Kluse, Sally E. Koerner, Kimberly Komatsu, Sushmita Krishnan, Miika Laihonen, Lucas Lamelas-López, Michael LaScaleia, Nicolas Lecomte, Carlos Lehn, Xiaofei Li, Richard L Lindroth, Eric LoPresti, María Losada, Allison M Louthan, Victoria Luizzi, Joshua Lynn, Nicholas Lyon, Laís Maia, Renata Maia, Tosca Mannall, Bruce Martin, Tara Massad, Andrew McCall, Kelsey McGurrin, Andrew Merwin, Zarluis Mijango-Ramos, Charlotte Mills, Angela Moles, Christopher Moore, Colin Morrison, Moleseng Moshobane, Anne Muola, Ryosuke Nakadai, Kazuhide Nakajima, Samuel Novais, Charlee Ogbebor, Haruna Ohsaki, Vincent Pan, Nicholas Pardikes, Narayanaswamy Parthasarathy, Rohit Pawar, Quentin Paynter, Ian Pearse, Rachel Penczykowski, Adam Pepi, Cássio Pereira, Shyam Phartyal, Frida I. Piper, Katja Poveda, Elizabeth Pringle, Javier Puy, Teresa Quijano, Carolina Quintero, Sergio Rasmann, Christoph Rosche, Leah Rosenheim, Justin B. Runyon, Asaf Sadeh, Yuzu Sakata, Danielle Salcido, Cristian Salgado-Luarte, Bráulio Santos, Yuval Sapir, Yamila Sasal, Yasuhiro Sato, Manasi Sawant, Hayley Schroeder, Isabell Schumann, Michal Segoli, Hila Segre, Oren Shelef, Naoto Shinohara, Rachit Pratap Singh, David Smith, Mar Sobral, Gisela Stotz, Ayco Tack, Mandeep Tayal, John Tooker, Daniel Torrico-Bazoberry, Kévin Tougeron, Nora Underwood, Shunsuke Utsumi, Osariyekemwen Uyi, Jessica Vaca-Uribe, Anu Valtonen, Laura van Dijk, Vigdis Vandvik, Jesus Villellas, Lauren Waller, Marjorie G. Weber, William C. Wetzel, Susan Whitehead, Akira Yamawo, Samantha Yim, Luke Zehr, Zhiwei Zhong
Application of the technology readiness levels framework to natural resource management tools
Technology advancements in fisheries science can provide useful tools to support natural resource management and conservation. However, new technologies may also present challenges for decision makers due to the lack of a standardized process to assess technologies for consideration within management plans. Future technology development in fishery and water resources could benefit from a framework
Authors
Aaron R. Cupp, Andrea K. Fritts, Marybeth K. Brey, Christa M. Woodley, David Smith, Mark Cornish, Amy McGovern, Rob Simmonds, Neal Jackson
Assessment of recovery potential for the American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus): An application of the IUCN green status process
According to an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessment (RLA), the American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus), an iconic coastal species, is at risk of extirpation in some regions within its range where small and vulnerable populations occur. However, the RLA does not consider future status beyond viability and does not attempt to identify the conservation neces
Authors
David R. Smith, H. Jane Brockmann, Ruth H. Carmichael, Eric M. Hallerman, W.M. Watson, Jaime Zaldivar-Rae
A science and management partnership to restore coregonine diversity to the Laurentian Great Lakes
Similar to many freshwater ecosystems, the Laurentian Great Lakes of North America have undergone numerous anthropogenic stressors resulting in considerable loss of biodiversity and habitat. Among Great Lakes fishes, the coregonine sub-family has endured the most extensive declines, including extinction of several species (Coregonus johannae, C. alpenae, and C. kiyi orientalis) and at least 10 ins
Authors
David Bunnell, Amanda Susanne Ackiss, Karen M Alofs, Cory Brant, Charles R. Bronte, Randall M. Claramunt, John M. Dettmers, Andrew Edgar Honsey, Nicholas E. Mandrak, Andrew M. Muir, Victor Santucci, David R. Smith, Russell M. Strach, John A. Sweka, Brian C. Weidel, William Mattes, Kurt R. Newman
When are environmental DNA early detections of invasive species actionable?
Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling provides sensitive early detection capabilities for recently introduced taxa. However, natural resource managers struggle with how to integrate eDNA results into an early detection rapid response program because positive eDNA detections are not always indicative of an eventual infestation. We used a structured decision making (SDM) framework to evaluate appropriat
Authors
Adam Sepulveda, Christine E. Dumoulin, Denise L. Blanchette, John Mcphedran, Colin Holme, Nathan Whalen, Margaret Hunter, Christopher M. Merkes, Catherine A. Richter, Matthew Neilson, Wesley M. Daniel, Devin Nicole Jones, David R. Smith
Creating conservation strategies with value-focused thinking
Biodiversity and human well-being strategies are only as good as the set of ideas that people think about. This article evaluates value-focused thinking (VFT), a framework that focuses on creating objectives and strategy ideas that are responsive to the objectives. We performed a proof-of-concept study of VFT on six planning teams at a global conservation organization. We developed a package of su
Authors
David M. Martin, Joshua Goldstein, David R. Smith, Jessica Musengezi, Jessie G. Rountree, Pabodha G. A. Galgamuwe, Aileen Craig, Michelle Dietz, Caitlin Kerr
Multispecies approaches to status assessments in support of endangered species classifications
Multispecies risk assessments have developed within many international conservation programs, reflecting a widespread need for efficiency. Under the United States Endangered Species Act (ESA), multispecies assessments ultimately lead to species-level listing decisions. Although this approach provides opportunities for improved efficiency, it also risks overwhelming or biasing the assessment proces
Authors
Daniel Bruce Fitzgerald, Mary Freeman, Kelly O. Maloney, John A. Young, Amanda E. Rosenberger, David C. Kazyak, David R. Smith
Using structured decision making to evaluate potential management responses to detection of dreissenid mussel (Dreissena spp.) environmental DNA
Environmental (e)DNA tools are sensitive and cost-effective for early detection of invasive species. However, the uncertainty associated with the interpretation of positive eDNA detections makes it challenging to determine appropriate natural resource management responses. Multiple sources of error can give rise to positive detections of eDNA in a sample when individuals of that species are not pr
Authors
Adam Sepulveda, David R. Smith, Katherine M O'Donnell, Nathan Owens, Brittany White, Cathy A. Richter, Christopher M. Merkes, Skylar Wolf, Mike Rau, Matthew Neilson, Wesley M. Daniel, Christine E. Dumoulin, Margaret Hunter
Performance of a carbon dioxide injection system at a navigation lock to control the spread of aquatic invasive species
Natural resource agencies need effective strategies to control the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) such as invasive fish, which can expand their range using rivers as hydrological pathways to access new areas. Lock and dam structures within major rivers are prospective locations to deploy techniques, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) infusion into lock water, that could impede upstream AIS mig
Authors
Thomas J. Zolper, David Smith, P. Ryan Jackson, Aaron R. Cupp
Telemetry reveals migratory drivers and disparate space use across seasons and age-groups in American horseshoe crabs
Identifying mechanisms that underpin animal migration patterns and examining variability in space use within populations is crucial for understanding population dynamics and management implications. In this study, we quantified the migration rates, seasonal changes in migratory connectivity, and residency across population demographics (age and sex) to understand the proximate cues of migration ti
Authors
Justin J. Bopp, Matthew Sclafani, Michael G. Frisk, Kim McKown, Catherine Zeigler, David R. Smith, Robert Cerrato
Adaptive two-stage inverse sampling design to estimate density, abundance, and occupancy of rare and clustered populations
Sampling rare and clustered populations is challenging because of the effort required to find rare units. Heuristically, a practitioner would prefer to discontinue sampling in areas where rare units of interest are apparently extremely sparse or absent. We take advantage of the characteristics of inverse sampling to adaptively inform practitioners when it is efficient to move on to sample new area
Authors
Mohammad Salehi, David R. Smith
Optimal horseshoe crab harvest policies via approximate dynamic programming
Approximate Dynamic Programming relies on forward simulation of the system, so two population projection models are used, one for crabs and one for red knots. The two models are linked: HSC abundance is a predictor variable in the REKN model. Other useful outputs are produced as well, such as predictions of future harvest.
Science and Products
Sustaining Horseshoe Crabs and Supporting Migratory Shorebirds in the Delaware Bay
USGS is developing predictive models to inform sustainable harvest of horseshoe crabs ( Limulus polyphemus) in Delaware Bay to help managers make decisions to support needs of people and shorebirds including rufa red knot ( Calidris canutus rufa ).
Predicted consequences of detecting dreissenid mussel eDNA in Jordanelle Reservoir Utah, 2021
U.S. Geological Survey decision analysts and technical experts worked with representatives from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and Central Utah Water Conservancy District to predict the consequences of alternative actions following environmental DNA detections of dreissenid mussel eDNA in Jordanelle Reservor, Utah. This dataset provides the consequence and mod
Datasets used to map the potentiometric surface, Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer, spring 2018
A potentiometric-surface map for spring 2018 was created for the Mississippi River Valley alluvial (MRVA) aquifer, which was referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88), using most of the available groundwater-altitude data from wells and surface-water-altitude data from streamgages. Most of the wells were measured annually or one time, after installation, but some wells were
Waterborne resistivity surveys for streams in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, 2017
This data release has three components for each of the eight stream lengths: 1) a geospatial dataset of the processed data; 2) tabular data of the processed waterborne resistivity profiling data and associated water-quality data; 3) tabular data of the raw waterborne resistivity data and associated water-quality data. In fresh water aquifers, the geoelectric resistivity of earth materials comm
Metals and Other Constituent Concentrations in Sediment of Selected Streams Draining the Tri-State Mining District, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas, 201112
Lead and zinc were mined in the Tri-State Mining District (TSMD) of southwest Missouri, northeast Oklahoma, and southeast Kansas for more than 100 years. The effects of mining on the landscape are still evident, nearly 50 years after the last mine ceased operation. The legacies of mining are the mine waste and discharge of groundwater from underground mines. The mine-waste piles and underground mi
Filter Total Items: 113
Plant size, latitude, and phylogeny explain within-population variability in herbivory
Interactions between plants and herbivores are central in most ecosystems, but their strength is highly variable. The amount of variability within a system is thought to influence most aspects of plant-herbivore biology, from ecological stability to plant defense evolution. Our understanding of what influences variability, however, is limited by sparse data. We collected standardized surveys of he
Authors
Moria Robinson, Karen C Abbott, Warwick J. Allen, Janete Andrade, Diego Angulo, Diego Anjos, Daniel Anstett, Robert Bagchi, Sumanta Bagchi, Milton Barbosa, Sarah Barrett, Carina Baskett, Eyal Ben-Simchon, Kathryn Bloodworth, Judith L. Bronstein, Emilio Bruna, Yvonne Buckley, Karin Burghardt, Carlos Bustos-Segura, N. Ivalú Cacho, Eduardo Soares Calixto, Raquel Carvalho, Bastien Castagneyrol, Mariana Chiuffo, Damla Cinoğlu, Elizeth Cinto Mejia, Marina Cock, Rodrigo Cogni, Olivia Cope, Tatiana Cornelissen, Dezirea Cortez, David Crowder, Caroline Dallstream, Wesley Dáttilo, Julien Davis, Romina Dimarco, Haley Dole, Lee Dyer, Ikponmwosa Egbon, Afure Ejomah, Bret D Elderd, María-José Endara, Micky D. Eubanks, Susan Everingham, Keiko Farah, Rafael de Paiva Farias, Geraldo Fernandes, Marco Ferrante, Alain Finn, Grace Florjancic, Matthew L. Forister, Quinn Fox, Enric Frago, Filipe M. França, Abigail Getman-Pickering, Zoe Getman-Pickering, Ben Gooden, Martin M. Gossner, Keri Greig, Sofia Gripenberg, Ronny Groenteman, Patrick Grof-Tisza, Nora Haack, Lisa Hahn, Philip Hahn, Shiekh Marifatul Haq, Justus Hennecke, Sara Hermann, Liza M. Holeski, Matthew Hutchinson, Brian Inouye, Eleanor Jackson, Shinnosuke Kagiya, Michael Kalwajtys, Richard Karban, Rupesh Kariyat, Tamar Keasar, Monica Kersch-Becker, Heather Kharouba, Tania Kim, Duncan Kimuyu, Jennifer Kluse, Sally E. Koerner, Kimberly Komatsu, Sushmita Krishnan, Miika Laihonen, Lucas Lamelas-López, Michael LaScaleia, Nicolas Lecomte, Carlos Lehn, Xiaofei Li, Richard L Lindroth, Eric LoPresti, María Losada, Allison M Louthan, Victoria Luizzi, Joshua Lynn, Nicholas Lyon, Laís Maia, Renata Maia, Tosca Mannall, Bruce Martin, Tara Massad, Andrew McCall, Kelsey McGurrin, Andrew Merwin, Zarluis Mijango-Ramos, Charlotte Mills, Angela Moles, Christopher Moore, Colin Morrison, Moleseng Moshobane, Anne Muola, Ryosuke Nakadai, Kazuhide Nakajima, Samuel Novais, Charlee Ogbebor, Haruna Ohsaki, Vincent Pan, Nicholas Pardikes, Narayanaswamy Parthasarathy, Rohit Pawar, Quentin Paynter, Ian Pearse, Rachel Penczykowski, Adam Pepi, Cássio Pereira, Shyam Phartyal, Frida I. Piper, Katja Poveda, Elizabeth Pringle, Javier Puy, Teresa Quijano, Carolina Quintero, Sergio Rasmann, Christoph Rosche, Leah Rosenheim, Justin B. Runyon, Asaf Sadeh, Yuzu Sakata, Danielle Salcido, Cristian Salgado-Luarte, Bráulio Santos, Yuval Sapir, Yamila Sasal, Yasuhiro Sato, Manasi Sawant, Hayley Schroeder, Isabell Schumann, Michal Segoli, Hila Segre, Oren Shelef, Naoto Shinohara, Rachit Pratap Singh, David Smith, Mar Sobral, Gisela Stotz, Ayco Tack, Mandeep Tayal, John Tooker, Daniel Torrico-Bazoberry, Kévin Tougeron, Nora Underwood, Shunsuke Utsumi, Osariyekemwen Uyi, Jessica Vaca-Uribe, Anu Valtonen, Laura van Dijk, Vigdis Vandvik, Jesus Villellas, Lauren Waller, Marjorie G. Weber, William C. Wetzel, Susan Whitehead, Akira Yamawo, Samantha Yim, Luke Zehr, Zhiwei Zhong
Application of the technology readiness levels framework to natural resource management tools
Technology advancements in fisheries science can provide useful tools to support natural resource management and conservation. However, new technologies may also present challenges for decision makers due to the lack of a standardized process to assess technologies for consideration within management plans. Future technology development in fishery and water resources could benefit from a framework
Authors
Aaron R. Cupp, Andrea K. Fritts, Marybeth K. Brey, Christa M. Woodley, David Smith, Mark Cornish, Amy McGovern, Rob Simmonds, Neal Jackson
Assessment of recovery potential for the American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus): An application of the IUCN green status process
According to an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessment (RLA), the American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus), an iconic coastal species, is at risk of extirpation in some regions within its range where small and vulnerable populations occur. However, the RLA does not consider future status beyond viability and does not attempt to identify the conservation neces
Authors
David R. Smith, H. Jane Brockmann, Ruth H. Carmichael, Eric M. Hallerman, W.M. Watson, Jaime Zaldivar-Rae
A science and management partnership to restore coregonine diversity to the Laurentian Great Lakes
Similar to many freshwater ecosystems, the Laurentian Great Lakes of North America have undergone numerous anthropogenic stressors resulting in considerable loss of biodiversity and habitat. Among Great Lakes fishes, the coregonine sub-family has endured the most extensive declines, including extinction of several species (Coregonus johannae, C. alpenae, and C. kiyi orientalis) and at least 10 ins
Authors
David Bunnell, Amanda Susanne Ackiss, Karen M Alofs, Cory Brant, Charles R. Bronte, Randall M. Claramunt, John M. Dettmers, Andrew Edgar Honsey, Nicholas E. Mandrak, Andrew M. Muir, Victor Santucci, David R. Smith, Russell M. Strach, John A. Sweka, Brian C. Weidel, William Mattes, Kurt R. Newman
When are environmental DNA early detections of invasive species actionable?
Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling provides sensitive early detection capabilities for recently introduced taxa. However, natural resource managers struggle with how to integrate eDNA results into an early detection rapid response program because positive eDNA detections are not always indicative of an eventual infestation. We used a structured decision making (SDM) framework to evaluate appropriat
Authors
Adam Sepulveda, Christine E. Dumoulin, Denise L. Blanchette, John Mcphedran, Colin Holme, Nathan Whalen, Margaret Hunter, Christopher M. Merkes, Catherine A. Richter, Matthew Neilson, Wesley M. Daniel, Devin Nicole Jones, David R. Smith
Creating conservation strategies with value-focused thinking
Biodiversity and human well-being strategies are only as good as the set of ideas that people think about. This article evaluates value-focused thinking (VFT), a framework that focuses on creating objectives and strategy ideas that are responsive to the objectives. We performed a proof-of-concept study of VFT on six planning teams at a global conservation organization. We developed a package of su
Authors
David M. Martin, Joshua Goldstein, David R. Smith, Jessica Musengezi, Jessie G. Rountree, Pabodha G. A. Galgamuwe, Aileen Craig, Michelle Dietz, Caitlin Kerr
Multispecies approaches to status assessments in support of endangered species classifications
Multispecies risk assessments have developed within many international conservation programs, reflecting a widespread need for efficiency. Under the United States Endangered Species Act (ESA), multispecies assessments ultimately lead to species-level listing decisions. Although this approach provides opportunities for improved efficiency, it also risks overwhelming or biasing the assessment proces
Authors
Daniel Bruce Fitzgerald, Mary Freeman, Kelly O. Maloney, John A. Young, Amanda E. Rosenberger, David C. Kazyak, David R. Smith
Using structured decision making to evaluate potential management responses to detection of dreissenid mussel (Dreissena spp.) environmental DNA
Environmental (e)DNA tools are sensitive and cost-effective for early detection of invasive species. However, the uncertainty associated with the interpretation of positive eDNA detections makes it challenging to determine appropriate natural resource management responses. Multiple sources of error can give rise to positive detections of eDNA in a sample when individuals of that species are not pr
Authors
Adam Sepulveda, David R. Smith, Katherine M O'Donnell, Nathan Owens, Brittany White, Cathy A. Richter, Christopher M. Merkes, Skylar Wolf, Mike Rau, Matthew Neilson, Wesley M. Daniel, Christine E. Dumoulin, Margaret Hunter
Performance of a carbon dioxide injection system at a navigation lock to control the spread of aquatic invasive species
Natural resource agencies need effective strategies to control the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) such as invasive fish, which can expand their range using rivers as hydrological pathways to access new areas. Lock and dam structures within major rivers are prospective locations to deploy techniques, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) infusion into lock water, that could impede upstream AIS mig
Authors
Thomas J. Zolper, David Smith, P. Ryan Jackson, Aaron R. Cupp
Telemetry reveals migratory drivers and disparate space use across seasons and age-groups in American horseshoe crabs
Identifying mechanisms that underpin animal migration patterns and examining variability in space use within populations is crucial for understanding population dynamics and management implications. In this study, we quantified the migration rates, seasonal changes in migratory connectivity, and residency across population demographics (age and sex) to understand the proximate cues of migration ti
Authors
Justin J. Bopp, Matthew Sclafani, Michael G. Frisk, Kim McKown, Catherine Zeigler, David R. Smith, Robert Cerrato
Adaptive two-stage inverse sampling design to estimate density, abundance, and occupancy of rare and clustered populations
Sampling rare and clustered populations is challenging because of the effort required to find rare units. Heuristically, a practitioner would prefer to discontinue sampling in areas where rare units of interest are apparently extremely sparse or absent. We take advantage of the characteristics of inverse sampling to adaptively inform practitioners when it is efficient to move on to sample new area
Authors
Mohammad Salehi, David R. Smith
Optimal horseshoe crab harvest policies via approximate dynamic programming
Approximate Dynamic Programming relies on forward simulation of the system, so two population projection models are used, one for crabs and one for red knots. The two models are linked: HSC abundance is a predictor variable in the REKN model. Other useful outputs are produced as well, such as predictions of future harvest.