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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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Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Seaduck Challenge Study

Male Lesser Scaup

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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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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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)

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: 16
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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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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 aims to improve our understanding of the migratory ecology of Blue-winged Teal and how this may impact the ability of this species to transmit avian influenza or other pathogens across the wild bird – domestic poultry interface.This project aims to improve our understanding of the migratory ecology of Blue-winged Teal and how this may impact the ability of this species to transmit...
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Ecosystems, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Blue-winged Teal and Cross Continental Avian Influenza Transmission

This project aims to improve our understanding of the migratory ecology of Blue-winged Teal and how this may impact the ability of this species to transmit avian influenza or other pathogens across the wild bird – domestic poultry interface.This project aims to improve our understanding of the migratory ecology of Blue-winged Teal and how this may impact the ability of this species to transmit...
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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, Fish & Wildlife Disease, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research 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, Fish & Wildlife Disease, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research 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, Fish & Wildlife Disease, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research 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, Fish & Wildlife Disease, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research 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 Restoration Site

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, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Productivity of Species of Concern – Least Tern and Common Tern on Poplar Island Restoration Site

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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Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Drone)

Using Advanced Technology to Enhance Research at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC) - 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, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
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Using Advanced Technology to Enhance Research at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC) - 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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GIS data layers visualization

Deriving Spatial Waterfowl Inputs for Disease Risk Modeling

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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Ecosystems, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Fish & Wildlife Disease, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Deriving Spatial Waterfowl Inputs for Disease Risk Modeling

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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Marsh

Sea-level Rise

Acceleration in sea-level rise and changing environmental stressors have important implications for the integrity of coastal wetlands and for efforts to restore and protect the ecosystem services they provide. Federal and state agencies need to make more detailed assessments of how different watersheds and shoreline types might influence an array of ecosystem functions and components and scientist...
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Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
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Sea-level Rise

Acceleration in sea-level rise and changing environmental stressors have important implications for the integrity of coastal wetlands and for efforts to restore and protect the ecosystem services they provide. Federal and state agencies need to make more detailed assessments of how different watersheds and shoreline types might influence an array of ecosystem functions and components and scientist...
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A hardened shoreline (rip-rap revetment)

Shoreline Changes and Impacts to Natural Resources in Chesapeake Bay

This project aims to improve our understanding of the impacts of shoreline hardening on aquatic ecosystems.
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Ecosystems, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Shoreline Changes and Impacts to Natural Resources in Chesapeake Bay

This project aims to improve our understanding of the impacts of shoreline hardening on aquatic ecosystems.
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Ditcher in Marsh

Coastal Salt Marsh Management Along the Atlantic

This project seeks to improve our understanding of how Open Marsh Water Management techniques aimed at mosquito reduction have impacted their target ecosystems along the Atlantic coast.
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Ecosystems, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Coastal Salt Marsh Management Along the Atlantic

This project seeks to improve our understanding of how Open Marsh Water Management techniques aimed at mosquito reduction have impacted their target ecosystems along the Atlantic coast.
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Models describing the distribution of chickens, ducks, and geese in China

This data release provides models detailing previous efforts to understand the distribution of domestic poultry throughout China. These data support a previous USGS publication.
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Species distribution models from a habitat suitability approach: waterfowl of China

This is a data release for models indicating suitable habitat for waterfowl at a 1km resolution across China. Faced with limited data, we built species distribution models using a habitat suitability approach for China's breeding and non-breeding waterfowl. An extensive review of the literature was used to determine model parameters for habitat modeling. Habitat relationships were implemented in G
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Spatial Models of Wild Bird Risk Factors for Highly Pathogenic A(H5N1) Avian Influenza Virus Transmission

Wild waterfowl (family Anatidae) are reported as secondary transmitters of HPAIV and primary reservoirs for low-pathogenic avian influenza viruses, yet spatial inputs for disease risk modeling for this group have been lacking. Using geographic information software and Monte Carlo simulations, we developed geospatial indices of waterfowl abundance at 1 km resolutions for the breeding and wintering
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Data concerning maintenance and dissemination of avian-origin influenza A virus within the Northern Atlantic Flyway of North America

This data release details the results of avian influenza sampling of dabbling ducks in Maine and Maryland. These data support an associated USGS publication.
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Predicted Avian Influenza Prevalence for Wild Waterfowl Species Across the Continental United States.

This data release provides the predicted proportion of birds testing positive for IAV for each species at weekly 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

Poplar Island Digitizing

In order to allow for a comparison across years we visually digitized landcover of Poplar Island from a single image per year at a 1:1000 spatial extent with a minimum mapping unit of 300 square meters (no minimum dimensions aside from area). Images used to assign landcover were provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and were captured between July and October of their respective years. All i
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Testing transmitter types, harness types, and harness materials for attachment of radio transmitters onto avian chicks

In an effort to facilitate research into the period between fledging and first breeding of juvenile terns we examined the impact of various combinations of harness types (backpack, leg-loop, and 3D printed harnesses), harness materials (Conrad-Jarvis automotive ribbon, Stretch Magic elastic thread, and Teflon ribbon), and transmitter types (CTT LifeTag and Lotek Nanotag) on a surrogate for juvenil
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Shoreline delineations for 21 Subestuaries in the Chesapeake Bay 2010-2014.

In many coastal regions throughout the world, there is increasing pressure to harden shorelines to protect human infrastructures against sea level rise, storm surge, and erosion. These data reflect the digitization of the shorelines of 21 sub-estuaries throughout the Chesapeake Bay (USA) as observed from 2010 through 2014. Shoreline segments are classified into one of seven shoreline types: bulkhe
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Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Assessing Nest Attentiveness of Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) via Video Cameras and Temperature Loggers

While nest attentiveness plays a critical role in the reproductive success of avian species, little is known regarding the nest attentiveness patterns of many species during incubation. However, improvements in both video monitoring and temperature logging devices present an opportunity to improve our understanding of this aspect of avian behavior. To evaluate the ability of these technologies to
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Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

Temporal Viral Viability Data from Avian Influenza A Viruses Maintained in North American Wetlands Under Experimental and Environmental Conditions

Data sets containing: (1) sample collection and influenza A virus (IAV) screening information for wild ducks, (2) water temperature data for six North American wetlands, (3) water quality measurement from those wetlands, (4) laboratory-based study of viral viability using Minnesota wetland water, (5) naive mallards challenged experimentally with IAVs identified from the field experiment, and (6) g
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Alaska Science Center

Waterfowl occurrence and residence time as indicators of H5 and H7 avian in?uenza in North American Poultry

This data release contains model outputs depicting the probability of an H5 or H7 avian influenza outbreak at any given point in the continental United States for each week of the year.
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Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

Using Thermal Infrared Cameras to Detect Avian Chicks at Various Distances and Vegetative Coverages

These data represent the ability of two thermal infrared cameras to detect a chicken chick under a variety of vegetation coverage's.
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Eastern Ecological Science Center
Filter Total Items: 91

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

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, 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, 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, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

The spatial-temporal relationship of blue-winged teal to domestic poultry: Movement state modeling of a highly mobile avian influenza host

1. Migratory waterfowl facilitate long distance dispersal of zoonotic pathogens and are increasingly recognized as contributing to the geographic spread of avian influenza viruses (AIV). AIV are globally distributed and have the potential to produce highly contagious poultry disease, economically impact both large-scale and backyard poultry producers, and raise the specter of epidemics and pandemi
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Ecosystems, Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

Do contrasting patterns of migration movements and disease outbreaks between congeneric waterfowl species reflect differing immunity?

Long-distance migrations influence the dynamics of hostpathogen interactions and understanding the role of migratory waterfowl in the spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) is important. While wild geese have been associated with outbreak events, disease ecology of closely related species has not been studied to the same extent. The swan goose (Anser cygnoides) and the bar

Crossroads of highly pathogenic H5N1: overlap between wild and domestic birds in the Black Sea-Mediterranean impacts global transmission

Understanding transmission dynamics that link wild and domestic animals is a key element of predicting the emergence of infectious disease, an event that has highest likelihood of occurring wherever human livelihoods depend on agriculture and animal trade. Contact between poultry and wild birds is a key driver of the emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), a process that allows for
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Ecosystems, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

Diurnal timing of nonmigratory movement by birds: The importance of foraging spatial scales

Timing of activity can reveal an organism's efforts to optimize foraging either by minimizing energy loss through passive movement or by maximizing energetic gain through foraging. Here, we assess whether signals of either of these strategies are detectable in the timing of activity of daily, local movements by birds. We compare the similarities of timing of movement activity among species using s
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Ecosystems, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

The pathogenesis of a North American H5N2 clade 2.3.4.4 group A highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in surf scoters (Melanitta perspicillata)

BackgroundAquatic waterfowl, particularly those in the order Anseriformes and Charadriiformes, are the ecological reservoir of avian influenza viruses (AIVs). Dabbling ducks play a recognized role in the maintenance and transmission of AIVs. Furthermore, the pathogenesis of highly pathogenic AIV (HPAIV) in dabbling ducks is well characterized. In contrast, the role of diving ducks in HPAIV mainten
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Ecosystems, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

Influenza A viruses remain infectious for more than seven months in northern wetlands of North America

In this investigation, we used a combination of field- and laboratory-based approaches to assess if influenza A viruses (IAVs) shed by ducks could remain viable for extended periods in surface water within three wetland complexes of North America. In a field experiment, replicate filtered surface water samples inoculated with duck swabs were tested for IAVs upon collection and again after an overw
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Ecosystems, Water Resources, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Alaska Science Center, California Water Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

Assessing nest attentiveness of Common Terns via video cameras and temperature loggers

While nest attentiveness plays a critical role in the reproductive success of avian species, little nest attentiveness data with high temporal resolution is available for many species. However, improvements in both video monitoring and temperature logging devices present an opportunity to improve our understanding of this aspect of avian behavior. To investigate nest attentiveness behaviors and ev
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Ecosystems, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

Waterfowl occurrence and residence time as indicators of H5 and H7 avian influenza in North American Poultry

Avian influenza (AI) affects wild aquatic birds and poses hazards to human health, food security, and wildlife conservation globally. Accordingly, there is a recognized need for new methods and tools to help quantify the dynamic interaction between wild bird hosts and commercial poultry. Using satellite-marked waterfowl, we applied Bayesian joint hierarchical modeling to concurrently model specie
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Ecosystems, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Alaska Science Center

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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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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