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Diann Prosser, Ph.D.

Diann is a research wildlife ecologist at the Eastern Ecological Science Center located in Laurel, MD

Modeling Waterfowl Distribution

Model outputs for American black duck (Anas rubripes)

This project is an effort to create spatially and temporally explicit models for waterfowl distribution across the United States for use in avian influenza transmission risk modeling.

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Productivity of Species of Concern – Least Tern and Common Tern on Poplar Island Restoration Site

Common Tern Chick and Egg

This project aims to understand the factors driving breeding success of multiple waterbird species, with special emphasis on Least and Common Terns (two species of concern) on Poplar Island Environmental Restoration Project.

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Prosser Lab Personnel

Group of people

Current and past members of Diann Prosser’s lab at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Eastern Ecological Science Center.

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She began working at Patuxent in 1999. Her background is in wetland ecology and ornithology and her research interests include using spatial modeling techniques to help answer questions related to wildlife and stressors such as climate change and disease.

Recently Hosted Visiting Scientists from Chinese Academy of Sciences (2012-2013)

Professional Experience

  • 2012 - present Research Wildlife Biologist, USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center, Laurel, MD

  • 2004 - 2012 Wildlife Biologist, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD

  • 1998 - 2004 Biological Scientist, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD

  • 1993 - 1998 Research Associate, Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center, State College, PA

Education and Certifications

  • B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science (1995) from the Pennsylvania State University

  • M.S. in Ecology (1998) from the Pennsylvania State University

  • Ph.D. (2012) from the University of Maryland’s Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences interdisciplinary ecology program

Honors and Awards

  • 2017 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)

  • University of Maryland Goldhaber Travel Grant

  • 2011 NSF SGER Grant

  • 2007 NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes

  • 2005 University of Maryland Nagel Travel Grant

  • 2005 USGS, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Star Award 2000  

Science and Products

Filter Total Items: 99

Waterfowl recently infected with low pathogenic avian influenza exhibit reduced local movement and delayed migration

Understanding relationships between infection and wildlife movement patterns is important for predicting pathogen spread, especially for multispecies pathogens and those that can spread to humans and domestic animals, such as avian influenza viruses (AIVs). Although infection with low pathogenic AIVs is generally considered asymptomatic in wild birds, prior work has shown that influenza-infected b
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

A comparison of direct & indirect survey methods for estimating colonial nesting waterbird populations

Population estimates derived from monitoring efforts can be sensitive to the survey method selected, potentially leading to biased estimates and low precision relative to true population size. While small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) present a unique opportunity to survey avian populations while limiting disturbance, relatively little is known about how this method compares with more traditional
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center

An evaluation of transmitter effects on adult and juvenile Common Terns using leg-loop harness attachments

Marking birds with transmitters allows for the collection of data that are critical for fully understanding avian life history, but researchers must also be confident that performing such studies is as safe as possible for transmittered individuals. While much could be learned from tracking juveniles across dependency periods and first migration, doing so would require a harness-based attachment m
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Comparing Landsat Dynamic Surface Water Extent to alternative methods of measuring inundation in developing waterbird habitats

This study investigates the applicability of the Landsat Dynamic Surface Water Extent (DSWE) science product for waterbird habitat modeling in multiple non-canopied habitat types. We compare surface water distribution estimates derived from DSWE to two site-specific survey methods: visual surveys and digitized aerial imagery. These site-specific surveys were conducted on Poplar Island, a restorati

Avian influenza antibody prevalence increases with mercury contamination in wild waterfowl

Environmental contamination is widespread and can negatively impact wildlife health. Some contaminants, including heavy metals, have immunosuppressive effects, but prior studies have rarely measured contamination and disease simultaneously, which limits our understanding of how contaminants and pathogens interact to influence wildlife health. Here, we measured mercury concentrations, influenza inf
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

Spatiotemporal changes in influenza A virus prevalence among wild waterfowl inhabiting the continental United States throughout the annual cycle

Avian influenza viruses can pose serious risks to agricultural production, human health, and wildlife. An understanding of viruses in wild reservoir species across time and space is important to informing surveillance programs, risk models, and potential population impacts for vulnerable species. Although it is recognized that influenza A virus prevalence peaks in reservoir waterfowl in late summe
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Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

A lesser scaup (Aythya affinis ) naturally infected with Eurasian 2.3.4.4 highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus – Movement ecology and host factors

Despite the recognized role of wild waterfowl in the potential dispersal and transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus, little is known about how infection affects these birds. This lack of information limits our ability to estimate viral spread in the event of an HPAI outbreak, thereby limiting our abilities to estimate and communicate risk. Here we present telemetry data fro
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Chesapeake Bay Activities

Maintenance and dissemination of avian-origin influenza A virus within the northern Atlantic Flyway of North America

Wild waterbirds, the natural reservoirs for avian influenza viruses, undergo migratory movements each year, connecting breeding and wintering grounds within broad corridors known as flyways. In a continental or global view, the study of virus movements within and across flyways is important to understanding virus diversity, evolution, and movement. From 2015 to 2017, we sampled waterfowl from bree
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Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Poplar Island: Understanding the development of a beneficial use restoration site

Poplar Island, like many other islands throughout the Chesapeake Bay, eroded from 460 hectares in 1847 to only 1.5 hectares by the 1990’s. However, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Maryland Department of Transportation, and numerous other state and federal agencies selected this site as the location of a beneficial use project aimed at restoring remote island habitat in the Chesapeake Bay using c
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Chesapeake Bay Activities

Highly pathogenic avian influenza is an emerging disease threat to wild birds in North America

Prior to the emergence of the A/goose/Guangdong/1/1996 (Gs/GD) H5N1 influenza A virus, the long-held and well-supported paradigm was that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks were restricted to poultry, the result of cross-species transmission of precursor viruses from wild aquatic birds that subsequently gained pathogenicity in domestic birds. Therefore, management agencies typicall
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Pathways for avian influenza virus spread: GPS reveals wild waterfowl in commercial livestock facilities and connectivity with the natural wetland landscape

Zoonotic diseases are of considerable concern to the human population and viruses such as avian influenza (AIV) threaten food security, wildlife conservation and human health. Wild waterfowl and the natural wetlands they use are known AIV reservoirs, with birds capable of virus transmission to domestic poultry populations. While infection risk models have linked migration routes and AIV outbreaks,
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

A comparison of methods for the long-term harness-based attachment of radio-transmitters to juvenile Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica)

BackgroundWhile the period from fledging through first breeding for waterbird species such as terns (e.g., genus Sterna, Sternula) is of great interest to researchers and conservationists, this period remains understudied due in large part to the difficulty of marking growing juveniles with radio transmitters that remain attached for extended periods.MethodsIn an effort to facilitate such research
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
Filter Total Items: 17
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Nine ducks in flight above a grassy area

Avian Influenza Prevalence Correlated to Mercury Concentrations in Wild Waterfowl

Low pathogenic avian influenza infections were directly correlated with blood mercury concentrations in wild waterfowl, indicating that mercury exposure may be related to pathogen susceptibility. Further study is needed to determine if and how mercury and other environmental contaminant exposures may affect disease susceptibility in wildlife.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Environmental Health Program
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Avian Influenza Prevalence Correlated to Mercury Concentrations in Wild Waterfowl

Low pathogenic avian influenza infections were directly correlated with blood mercury concentrations in wild waterfowl, indicating that mercury exposure may be related to pathogen susceptibility. Further study is needed to determine if and how mercury and other environmental contaminant exposures may affect disease susceptibility in wildlife.
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Image: Northern Pintail Ducks

Disease Decision Analysis and Research

The Disease Decision Analysis and Research group is a multi-disciplinary team based out of the Eastern Ecological Science Center whose strengths are in ecology, decision sciences and quantitative modeling.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Disease Decision Analysis and Research

The Disease Decision Analysis and Research group is a multi-disciplinary team based out of the Eastern Ecological Science Center whose strengths are in ecology, decision sciences and quantitative modeling.
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Image: Black-Footed Ferret

COVID-19 Pathways and Wildlife Dynamics

Below are the USGS 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) research projects related to COVID-19 pathways and wildlife dynamics. Select tabs above for related items.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Western Fisheries Research Center
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COVID-19 Pathways and Wildlife Dynamics

Below are the USGS 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) research projects related to COVID-19 pathways and wildlife dynamics. Select tabs above for related items.
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conceptual diagram

Advancing Risk Modeling for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

Southeast Asia has long been the epicenter of AIV emergence. However, as demonstrated by H5NX, these viruses can quickly reach global spread and have significant impacts on poultry production and human health. We have two ongoing efforts funded by the National Science Foundation to help improve our understanding of AIV emergence, spread, and transmission in today’s rapidly changing landscape.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Advancing Risk Modeling for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

Southeast Asia has long been the epicenter of AIV emergence. However, as demonstrated by H5NX, these viruses can quickly reach global spread and have significant impacts on poultry production and human health. We have two ongoing efforts funded by the National Science Foundation to help improve our understanding of AIV emergence, spread, and transmission in today’s rapidly changing landscape.
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Diann Prosser, PhD

Asian Flyways Collaborative for Waterbirds (AFCoW)

The Asian Flyways Collaborative for Waterbirds (AFCoW) is a collaborative group effort that brings together research scientists engaged in understanding waterbird ecology in Eastern Asia. Due to the complexity of waterbird biology and unique threats to their populations in East Asia, we have established a voluntary international network of collaborators to promote advanced studies of large-scale...
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Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Asian Flyways Collaborative for Waterbirds (AFCoW)

The Asian Flyways Collaborative for Waterbirds (AFCoW) is a collaborative group effort that brings together research scientists engaged in understanding waterbird ecology in Eastern Asia. Due to the complexity of waterbird biology and unique threats to their populations in East Asia, we have established a voluntary international network of collaborators to promote advanced studies of large-scale...
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A male Blue-winged Teal with an inset image of an avian influenza virus.

Blue-winged Teal and Cross Continental Avian Influenza Transmission

This project focused on improving our understanding of the migratory ecology of Blue-winged Teal and their ability to transmit avian influenza or other pathogens across the wild bird – domestic poultry interface.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Blue-winged Teal and Cross Continental Avian Influenza Transmission

This project focused on improving our understanding of the migratory ecology of Blue-winged Teal and their ability to transmit avian influenza or other pathogens across the wild bird – domestic poultry interface.
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Ruddy Duck drakes Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Seaduck Challenge Study

This project seeks to improve our understanding of the susceptibility and pathogenesis of pertinent strains of avian influenza viruses in diving duck species.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Seaduck Challenge Study

This project seeks to improve our understanding of the susceptibility and pathogenesis of pertinent strains of avian influenza viruses in diving duck species.
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American Black Duck

Avian Influenza Surveillance in Waterfowl in the Atlantic Flyway

This project seeks to quantify the strains and prevalence of avian influenza viruses circulating in wild waterfowl across the Atlantic Flyway, and allow comparison with the nations other flyways.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Avian Influenza Surveillance in Waterfowl in the Atlantic Flyway

This project seeks to quantify the strains and prevalence of avian influenza viruses circulating in wild waterfowl across the Atlantic Flyway, and allow comparison with the nations other flyways.
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Mallard

Pathogens in the Aquatic Environment – Waterfowl, Avian Influenza

This project focuses on understanding the prevalence and strains of avian influenza viruses in the aquatic environment and how this compares to those circulating within wild birds in the same area.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Environmental Health Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Pathogens in the Aquatic Environment – Waterfowl, Avian Influenza

This project focuses on understanding the prevalence and strains of avian influenza viruses in the aquatic environment and how this compares to those circulating within wild birds in the same area.
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Tracking migratory movements with satellite telemetry.

USGS Wild Bird Avian Influenza Program – Studies from Endemic Regions of Eurasia

This project focuses on tracking wild birds throughout Eurasia via satellite telemetry to better understand their spatiotemporal movement patterns, relationship to domestic birds, and potential role in the spread, persistence, and amplification of avian influenza viruses.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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USGS Wild Bird Avian Influenza Program – Studies from Endemic Regions of Eurasia

This project focuses on tracking wild birds throughout Eurasia via satellite telemetry to better understand their spatiotemporal movement patterns, relationship to domestic birds, and potential role in the spread, persistence, and amplification of avian influenza viruses.
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Research Team Banding chicks on Poplar Island

Productivity of Species of Concern – Least Tern and Common Tern on Poplar Island

This project aims to understand the factors driving breeding success of multiple waterbird species, with special emphasis on Least and Common Terns (two species of concern) on Poplar Island Environmental Restoration Project.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Productivity of Species of Concern – Least Tern and Common Tern on Poplar Island

This project aims to understand the factors driving breeding success of multiple waterbird species, with special emphasis on Least and Common Terns (two species of concern) on Poplar Island Environmental Restoration Project.
Learn More
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Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Drone)

Using Advanced Technology to Enhance Research, a Public-Private Partnership

This project is focused on exploring the use of new technology to collect data on colonially nesting waterbird species in ways that reduce disturbance, improve data accuracy, or allow for the examination of previously unanswerable questions.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Using Advanced Technology to Enhance Research, a Public-Private Partnership

This project is focused on exploring the use of new technology to collect data on colonially nesting waterbird species in ways that reduce disturbance, improve data accuracy, or allow for the examination of previously unanswerable questions.
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Filter Total Items: 31

Predicted H5 and H7 subtype Avian Influenza Prevalence for Wild Waterfowl Species Across the Continental United States

This data release provides the predicted proportion of influenza-positive birds testing positive for H5 and H7 subtypes of IAV for each species at monthly intervals for each county centroid in the continental United States. This data supports a paired USGS publication.
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Data regarding the efficacy of management practices for controlling gull use of Common Tern nesting colonies

These data, which support a paired USGS publication, describe the efficacy of several management practices for reducing the presence of herring gulls in the nesting colonies of Common Terns. This data was collected on Poplar Island, located in the Chesapeake Bay portion of Maryland.
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Data describing the effects of elastic leg-loop harnesses on adult and juvenile Common Terns

These data describe the affects of elastic leg-loop harnesses on the reproductive success and behavior of adult Common Terns and the growth and behavior of juvenile Common Terns. These data support a USGS authored manuscript.
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Data describing infection status and movement ecology of North American waterfowl

These data, which support a USGS authored manuscript, describe how active and previous previous infection with avian influenza impacts the movement ecology of several wild waterfowl species that overwinter in California. Results varied by species and demonstrate that the relationships between avian influenza infection and wild bird movements are context- and species-dependent.
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Surface water estimates for a complex study site derived from traditional and emerging methods

These data describe the area of different habitat covered in water as determined via three approaches: manual surveys, digitized aerial imagery, and categorization of the newly available dynamic surface water extent dataset derived from satellite imagery. These data support a scientific publication.
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Spatial models indicating avian influenza transmission risk at the interface of domestic poultry and wild birds in China

Emergence of avian influenza viruses with high lethality to humans, such as the currently circulating highly pathogenic A(H5N1) and A(H7N9) cause serious concern for the global economic and public health sectors. To improve our understanding of the spatial and temporal trends in transmission risk we developed a model that predicts hotspots of novel virus emergence between domestic and wild birds a
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Data measuring avian influenza infection, mercury concentration, and body condition in wild waterfowl

These data represent mercury contamination, influenza infection, and body condition in 11 species of dabbling and diving ducks in the Pacific Flyway. These data support a USGS lead scientific publication.
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Weekly relative effective waterfowl populations across the United States based upon predicted abundance and viral prevalence by species - Initial phase models

This data layer depicts the weekly relative effective waterfowl populations across the United States based upon predicted abundance and viral prevalence by species. These data have been produced to allow for visualization of how different factors impact transmission risk and may be advanced in future iterations to include additional species.
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Weekly estimates of the risk of avian influenza transmission from wild waterfowl to domestic poultry - Initial phase models

This data layer depicts the weekly estimates of the relative risk of avian influenza transmission from wild waterfowl to domestic poultry. These data represent an early phase of ongoing model development and the inclusion of additional parameters is upcoming.
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Relative susceptibility of poultry to the transmission of Avian Influenza from wild birds based upon poultry type and density

This data layer depicts the relative susceptibility of poultry to the transmission of Avian Influenza from wild birds based upon poultry type and density for the contiguous United States.
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Comparing various survey methods for estimating the number of colonial nesting white egret pairs

While small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) present a unique opportunity to survey avian populations while limiting disturbance, relatively little is known about how this method compares with more traditional approaches. In this study we compared population estimates of a mixed-species egret colony in the Chesapeake Bay (Maryland, USA) derived from UAS photo counts, flush counts, flight-line surveys
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Telemetry data of a Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) positive for 2.3.4.4 Highly Pathogenic H5N1

Wild lesser scaup from the Chesapeake Bay, captured and implanted with satellite transmitters for a separate ecology study, were opportunistically sampled for avian influenza. These data detail the virological sampling results, obtained post release, which include a single positive for clade 2.3.4.4 H5N1 virus of the A/goose/Guangdong/1/1996 (Gs/GD) H5N1 lineage of highly pathogenic IAV. These dat
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Eastern Ecological Science Center
Geese on a small pond, poultry house in background
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Dots representing raw movement data
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conceptual diagram
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Image: Bar-headed Goose
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Visualizing Models for Avian Influenza Viruses

Emergence of avian influenza viruses with the potential to be highly pathogenic to poultry, wild birds, & humans, such as the highly pathogenic H5N1 and H7N9 cause serious concern for the global economic & public health sectors. Visual representations of model data can be effective in helping to discover how the spread of the virus is influenced by environmental & human

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Eastern Ecological Science Center
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One Health and Structured Decision Making

November 3 is One Health Day. One Health is the idea that the health of people is connected to the health of animals and our shared environment.

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First Study to Track a Wild Bird Known to Have Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

LAUREL, Md. — For the first time, scientists have tracked the movement of a wild bird known to be infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza in...

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Chesapeake Bay Tern carrying new style of radio harness observed in Aruba

A Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) fitted with a new style of radio harness traveled over 1850 miles from its breeding grounds on Poplar Island, Maryland...

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New Insight on the Potential for Blue-Winged Teal to Transfer Avian Influenza to Domestic Poultry

A first-of-its-kind study by the USGS and partners provides an initial analysis of when commercial chicken and turkey facilities in the U.S. are at...

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Waterbirds at Risk in the Chesapeake Bay

Scientists investigate the impacts of shoreline armoring

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Unusual Suspects: Diving Ducks and Avian influenza

Due to the global threat to health and human safety posed by avian influenza monitoring has been conducted in the United States to determine the...

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