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
Filter Total Items: 113
Seeing the elephant: Importance of spatial and temporal coverage in a large-scale volunteer-based program to monitor horseshoe crabs
As in John Godfrey Saxe's poem about six blind men and an elephant, conclusions drawn from a monitoring program depend critically on where and when observations are made. We examined results from the Delaware Bay horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) spawning survey to evaluate the effect of spatial and temporal coverage on conclusions about spawning activity. Declines due to previously unregulated
Authors
D. R. Smith, S.F. Michels
Albatross species demonstrate regional differences in North Pacific marine contamination
Recent concern about negative effects on human health from elevated organochlorine and mercury concentrations in marine foods has highlighted the need to understand temporal and spatial patterns of marine pollution. Seabirds, long-lived pelagic predators with wide foraging ranges, can be used as indicators of regional contaminant patterns across large temporal and spatial scales. Here we evaluate
Authors
M. Finkelstein, B.S. Keitt, D.A. Croll, B. Tershy, Walter M. Jarman, S. Rodriguez-Pastor, D.J. Anderson, P.R. Sievert, D. R. Smith
Transport of horseshoe crab eggs by waves and swash on an estuarine beach: Implications for foraging shorebirds
The abundance of horseshoe crab eggs in the swash zone and remaining on the beach after tide levels fall was evaluated to identify how numbers of eggs available to shorebirds differ with fluctuations in spawning numbers of horseshoe crabs, wave energies and beach elevation changes. Field data were gathered 1-6 June 2004 at Slaughter Beach on the west side of Delaware Bay, USA. Counts of spawning c
Authors
K.F. Nordstrom, N.L. Jackson, D. R. Smith, R.G. Weber
Survey design for detecting rare freshwater mussels
A common objective when surveying freshwater mussels is to detect the presence of rare populations. In certain situations, such as when endangered or threatened species are potentially in the area of a proposed impact, the survey should be designed to ensure a high probability of detecting species presence. Linking survey design to probability of detecting species presence has been done for quanti
Authors
D. R. Smith
Abundance of adult horseshoe crabs (Limulus polylphemus) in Delaware Bay estimated from a bay-wide mark-recapture study
Estimates of the abundance of American horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) are important to determine egg production and to manage populations for the energetic needs of shorebirds that feed on horseshoe crab eggs. In 2003, over 17,500 horseshoe crabs were tagged and released throughout Delaware Bay, and recaptured crabs came from spawning surveys that were conducted during peak spawning. We used
Authors
D. R. Smith, M. J. Millard, S. Eyler
Two-stage sequential sampling: A neighborhood-free adaptive sampling procedure
Designing an efficient sampling scheme for a rare and clustered population is a challenging area of research. Adaptive cluster sampling, which has been shown to be viable for such a population, is based on sampling a neighborhood of units around a unit that meets a specified condition. However, the edge units produced by sampling neighborhoods have proven to limit the efficiency and applicability
Authors
M. Salehi, D. R. Smith
Optimal sampling design for estimating spatial distribution and abundance of a freshwater mussel population
We compared the ability of simple random sampling (SRS) and a variety of systematic sampling (SYS) designs to estimate abundance, quantify spatial clustering, and predict spatial distribution of freshwater mussels. Sampling simulations were conducted using data obtained from a census of freshwater mussels in a 40 X 33 m section of the Cacapon River near Capon Bridge, West Virginia, and from a simu
Authors
P.S. Pooler, D. R. Smith
Influence of waves and horseshoe crab spawning on beach morphology and sediment grain-size characteristics on a sandy estuarine beach
The effects of wave action and horseshoe crab spawning on the topography and grain-size characteristics on the foreshore of an estuarine sand beach in Delaware Bay, New Jersey, USA were evaluated using data collected over six consecutive high tides. Data were gathered inside and outside a 25 m long exclosure constructed to create a control area free of disturbance by crabs. The density of crabs in
Authors
N.L. Jackson, K.F. Nordstrom, D. R. Smith
Comparison of sediment grain size characteristics on nourished and un-nourished estuarine beaches and impacts on horseshoe crab habitat, Delaware Bay, New Jersey
This study was undertaken to determine whether nourished and un-nourished estuarine beaches have conspicuous differences in sediment size and sorting that could affect their value as habitat for horseshoe crabs. Comparisons are made of beach profiles and sediment samples gathered at 0.15 m and 0.30 m depths on the backshore, at spring tide elevation, neap tide elevation, and the lower foreshore on
Authors
N.L. Jackson, D. R. Smith, K.F. Nordstrom
Acoustic-tracking and radio-tracking of horseshoe crabs to assess spawning behavior and subtidal habitat use in delaware bay
This study used telemetry to determine spawning behavior and subtidal habitat use of horseshoe crabs Limulus polyphemus. We attached combined acoustic and radio transmitters to 12 gravid female horseshoe crabs at Ted Harvey Beach and 12 at North Bowers Beach (both on the western shore of Delaware Bay) over a 5-d period before peak spawning on the new moon. Horseshoe crabs were acoustically tracked
Authors
L. J. Brousseau, M. Sclafani, D. R. Smith, Daniel B. Carter
Immunomodulation and disease resistance in postyearling rainbow trout infected with Myxobolus cerebralis, the causative agent of whirling disease
Myxobolus cerebralis, the myxosporean parasite that causes whirling disease, has a number of deleterious effects on its salmonid host. Although it is well established that juvenile salmonids in the active stages of whirling disease mount an immune response to the pathogen, the occurrence and longevity of any related immunomodulatory effects are unknown. In this study, postyearling rainbow trout On
Authors
Christine L. Densmore, Christopher A. Ottinger, Vicki S. Blazer, Luke R. Iwanowicz, D. R. Smith
Estimating survival and recruitment in a freshwater mussel population using mark-recapture techniques
We used a mark-recapture method and model averaging to estimate apparent survival, recruitment and rate of population growth in a native freshwater mussel population at a site on the Cacapon River, which is a tributary to the Potomac River. Over 2200 Elliptio complanata, E. fisheriana and Lampsilis cariosa were uniquely tagged over a period of 4 y. Recapture probabilities were higher in spring and
Authors
R.F. Villella, D. R. Smith, D. P. Lemarie
Science and Products
- Science
- Data
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 113
Seeing the elephant: Importance of spatial and temporal coverage in a large-scale volunteer-based program to monitor horseshoe crabs
As in John Godfrey Saxe's poem about six blind men and an elephant, conclusions drawn from a monitoring program depend critically on where and when observations are made. We examined results from the Delaware Bay horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) spawning survey to evaluate the effect of spatial and temporal coverage on conclusions about spawning activity. Declines due to previously unregulatedAuthorsD. R. Smith, S.F. MichelsAlbatross species demonstrate regional differences in North Pacific marine contamination
Recent concern about negative effects on human health from elevated organochlorine and mercury concentrations in marine foods has highlighted the need to understand temporal and spatial patterns of marine pollution. Seabirds, long-lived pelagic predators with wide foraging ranges, can be used as indicators of regional contaminant patterns across large temporal and spatial scales. Here we evaluateAuthorsM. Finkelstein, B.S. Keitt, D.A. Croll, B. Tershy, Walter M. Jarman, S. Rodriguez-Pastor, D.J. Anderson, P.R. Sievert, D. R. SmithTransport of horseshoe crab eggs by waves and swash on an estuarine beach: Implications for foraging shorebirds
The abundance of horseshoe crab eggs in the swash zone and remaining on the beach after tide levels fall was evaluated to identify how numbers of eggs available to shorebirds differ with fluctuations in spawning numbers of horseshoe crabs, wave energies and beach elevation changes. Field data were gathered 1-6 June 2004 at Slaughter Beach on the west side of Delaware Bay, USA. Counts of spawning cAuthorsK.F. Nordstrom, N.L. Jackson, D. R. Smith, R.G. WeberSurvey design for detecting rare freshwater mussels
A common objective when surveying freshwater mussels is to detect the presence of rare populations. In certain situations, such as when endangered or threatened species are potentially in the area of a proposed impact, the survey should be designed to ensure a high probability of detecting species presence. Linking survey design to probability of detecting species presence has been done for quantiAuthorsD. R. SmithAbundance of adult horseshoe crabs (Limulus polylphemus) in Delaware Bay estimated from a bay-wide mark-recapture study
Estimates of the abundance of American horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) are important to determine egg production and to manage populations for the energetic needs of shorebirds that feed on horseshoe crab eggs. In 2003, over 17,500 horseshoe crabs were tagged and released throughout Delaware Bay, and recaptured crabs came from spawning surveys that were conducted during peak spawning. We usedAuthorsD. R. Smith, M. J. Millard, S. EylerTwo-stage sequential sampling: A neighborhood-free adaptive sampling procedure
Designing an efficient sampling scheme for a rare and clustered population is a challenging area of research. Adaptive cluster sampling, which has been shown to be viable for such a population, is based on sampling a neighborhood of units around a unit that meets a specified condition. However, the edge units produced by sampling neighborhoods have proven to limit the efficiency and applicabilityAuthorsM. Salehi, D. R. SmithOptimal sampling design for estimating spatial distribution and abundance of a freshwater mussel population
We compared the ability of simple random sampling (SRS) and a variety of systematic sampling (SYS) designs to estimate abundance, quantify spatial clustering, and predict spatial distribution of freshwater mussels. Sampling simulations were conducted using data obtained from a census of freshwater mussels in a 40 X 33 m section of the Cacapon River near Capon Bridge, West Virginia, and from a simuAuthorsP.S. Pooler, D. R. SmithInfluence of waves and horseshoe crab spawning on beach morphology and sediment grain-size characteristics on a sandy estuarine beach
The effects of wave action and horseshoe crab spawning on the topography and grain-size characteristics on the foreshore of an estuarine sand beach in Delaware Bay, New Jersey, USA were evaluated using data collected over six consecutive high tides. Data were gathered inside and outside a 25 m long exclosure constructed to create a control area free of disturbance by crabs. The density of crabs inAuthorsN.L. Jackson, K.F. Nordstrom, D. R. SmithComparison of sediment grain size characteristics on nourished and un-nourished estuarine beaches and impacts on horseshoe crab habitat, Delaware Bay, New Jersey
This study was undertaken to determine whether nourished and un-nourished estuarine beaches have conspicuous differences in sediment size and sorting that could affect their value as habitat for horseshoe crabs. Comparisons are made of beach profiles and sediment samples gathered at 0.15 m and 0.30 m depths on the backshore, at spring tide elevation, neap tide elevation, and the lower foreshore onAuthorsN.L. Jackson, D. R. Smith, K.F. NordstromAcoustic-tracking and radio-tracking of horseshoe crabs to assess spawning behavior and subtidal habitat use in delaware bay
This study used telemetry to determine spawning behavior and subtidal habitat use of horseshoe crabs Limulus polyphemus. We attached combined acoustic and radio transmitters to 12 gravid female horseshoe crabs at Ted Harvey Beach and 12 at North Bowers Beach (both on the western shore of Delaware Bay) over a 5-d period before peak spawning on the new moon. Horseshoe crabs were acoustically trackedAuthorsL. J. Brousseau, M. Sclafani, D. R. Smith, Daniel B. CarterImmunomodulation and disease resistance in postyearling rainbow trout infected with Myxobolus cerebralis, the causative agent of whirling disease
Myxobolus cerebralis, the myxosporean parasite that causes whirling disease, has a number of deleterious effects on its salmonid host. Although it is well established that juvenile salmonids in the active stages of whirling disease mount an immune response to the pathogen, the occurrence and longevity of any related immunomodulatory effects are unknown. In this study, postyearling rainbow trout OnAuthorsChristine L. Densmore, Christopher A. Ottinger, Vicki S. Blazer, Luke R. Iwanowicz, D. R. SmithEstimating survival and recruitment in a freshwater mussel population using mark-recapture techniques
We used a mark-recapture method and model averaging to estimate apparent survival, recruitment and rate of population growth in a native freshwater mussel population at a site on the Cacapon River, which is a tributary to the Potomac River. Over 2200 Elliptio complanata, E. fisheriana and Lampsilis cariosa were uniquely tagged over a period of 4 y. Recapture probabilities were higher in spring andAuthorsR.F. Villella, D. R. Smith, D. P. Lemarie - Software
- News