Diann Prosser, Ph.D.
Biography
Diann Prosser is a research wildlife ecologist at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. 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.
Education:
- 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
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
Recently Hosted Visiting Scientists from Chinese Academy of Sciences (2012-2013)
Science and Products
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-...
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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tracking Domestic Ducks through the Market Chain in China via Telemetry
This project seeks to improve our understanding of how domestic ducks move throughout the market chain in China and the role this may play in the amplification and spread of avian influenza viruses.
Waterfowl occurrence and residence time as indicators of H5 and H7 avian influenza 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.
Spatio-temporal distribution models for dabbling duck species across the continental United States
These data describe the spatio-temporal distribution of dabbling duck species across the continental United States during four biologically relevant seasons. This dataset contains two types of distribution models: (1) probability of presence, and (2) abundance. The model type, species, and season depicted in a raster are defined in the file name. File names begin with either ab
[Data Release] 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.
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 technologie...
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 factors....
Preliminary evaluation of behavioral response of nesting waterbirds to small unmanned aircraft flight
This dataset is comprised of 3 .csv files related to the use of unmanned aerial systems over waterbird colonies. Specifically, data detail the disturbance observed in birds during flights, the time required for traditional ground surveys to be conducted, and the distance at which birds flush during traditional ground surveys.
Molecular detection of avian influenza virus from sediment samples in waterfowl habitats on the Delmarva Peninsula, USA
Data were collected as part of an investigation developed by Leetown Science Center to investigate the comparative detection of avian influenza viruses from waterfowl and potential environmental reservoirs such as aquatic sediment from waterfowl habitat. This dataset identifies positive or negative test results for qRT-PCR (quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction) for avi...
Effects of local shoreline and subestuary watershed condition on waterbird use influences of geography scale and season in the Chesapeake Bay
This dataset is comprised of six files related to waterbird surveys and resulting Index of Waterbird Community Integrity (IWCI) scores in 21 subestuaries of the Chesapeake Bay from 2010-2014. Two .csv files (1 data file: Prosser et al 2017_IWCI Results MS_Bird Survey Raw Data.csv, 1 definitions file: Prosser et al 2017_IWCI Results MS_Bird Survey Raw Data_Definitions.csv) contain da
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...
Buck, Evan J; Sullivan, Jeffery D; Kent, Cody M.; Mullinax, Jennifer M.; Prosser, Diann 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...
Humphreys, John M.; Douglas, David C.; Ramey, Andrew M.; Mullinax, Jennifer M.; Soos, Catherine; Link, Paul T.; Walther, Patrick; Prosser, Diann 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...
Yin, Shenlai; Xu, Yanjie; Batbayar, Nyambyar; Takekawa, John Y.; Si, Yali; Prosser, Diann; Newman, Scott H.; Prins, Herbert H.T.; de Boer, Willem F. 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...
Hill, Nichola J.; Smith, Lacy M.; Muzaffar, Sabir B.; Nagel, Jessica L.; Prosser, Diann; Sullivan, Jeffery D.; Spragens, Kyle A.; DeMattos, Carlos A.; Demattos, Cecilia C.; El Sayed, Lu'ay; Erciyas-Yavuz, Kiraz; Davis, C. Todd; Jones, Joyce; Kis, Zoltan; Donis, Ruben O.; Newman, Scott H.; Takekawa, John Y. 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...
Mallon, Julie M.; Tucker, Marlee A.; Beard, Annalea; Bierregaard Jr., Richard O; Bildstein, Keith L.; Böhning-Gaese, Katrin; Brzorad, John N.; Buechley, Evan R.; Bustamante, Javier; Carrapato, Carlos; Castillo‐Guerrero, José Alfredo; Clingham, Elizabeth; Desholm, Mark; DeSorbo, Christopher R.; Domenech, Robert; Douglas, Hayley; Duriez, Olivier; Enggist, Peter; Farwig, Nina; Fiedler, Wolfgang; Gagliardo, Anna; García‐Ripollés, Clara; Gil Gallús, José Antonio; Gilmour, Morgan E.; Harel, Roi; Harrison, Autumn-Lynn; Henry, Leeann; Katzner, Todd E.; Kays, Roland; Kleyheeg, Erik; Limiñana, Rubén; López-López, Pascual; Lucia, Giuseppe; Maccarone, Alan; Mallia, Egidio; Mellone, Ugo; Mojica, E.K.; Nathan, Ran; Newman, Scott H.; Oppel, Steffen; Orchan, Yotam; Prosser, Diann J.; Riley, Hannah; Rösner, Sascha; Schabo, Dana G.; Schulz, Holger; Shaffer, Scott A.; Shreading, Adam; Silva, João Paulo; Sim, Jolene; Skov, Henrik; Spiegel, Orr; Stuber, Matthew J.; Takekawa, John Y.; Urios, Vicente; Vidal‐Mateo, Javier; Warner, Kevin; Watts, Bryan D.; Weber, Nicola; Weber, Sam; Wikelski, Martin; Zydelis, Ramunas; Mueller, Thomas; Fagan, William F. 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...
Luczo, Jasmine M.; Prosser, Diann; Pantin-Jackwood, Mary J.; Berlin, Alicia; Spackman, Erica 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...
Ramey, Andrew M.; Reeves, Andrew B.; Drexler, Judith Z.; Ackerman, Joshua T.; De La Cruz, Susan E. W.; Lang, Andrew S.; Leyson, Christina; Link, Paul T.; Prosser, Diann; Robertson, Gregory J.; Wight, Jordan; Youk, Sungsu; Spackman, Erica; Pantin-Jackwood, Mary; Poulson, Rebecca L.; Stallknecht, David E. 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...
Sullivan, Jeffery D.; Marban, Paul R.; Mullinax, Jennifer M.; Brinker, David F.; McGowan, Petter C.; Callahan, Carl C.; Prosser, Diann 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...
Humphreys, John M.; Ramey, Andy; Douglas, David C.; Mullinax, Jennifer M.; Soos, Catherine; Link, Paul T.; Walther, Patrick; Prosser, Diann J. Using thermal infrared cameras to detect avian chicks at various distances and vegetative coverages
Population monitoring of nesting waterbirds often involves frequent entries into the colony, but alternative methods such as local remotely sensed thermal imaging may help reduce disturbance while providing a cost-effective way to survey breeding populations. Such an approach can have high initial costs, however, which may have reduced the number...
Prosser, Diann; Collier, Tom; Sullivan, Jeffery D.; Dale, Katherine Emily; Callahan, Carl R.; McGowan, Peter C.; Gaylord, Edward; Geschke, Julia M.; Howell, Lucas; Marban, Paul R.; Raman, Saba Limited detection of antibodies to clade 2.3.4.4 A/Goose/Guangdong/1/1996 lineage highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza virus in North American waterfowl
During 2014, highly pathogenic (HP) influenza A viruses (IAVs) of the A/Goose/Guangdong/1/1996 lineage (GsGD-HP-H5), originating from Asia, were detected in domestic poultry and wild birds in Canada and the US. These clade 2.3.4.4 GsGD-HP-H5 viruses included reassortants possessing North American lineage gene segments; were detected in wild birds...
Stallknecht, David E.; Kienzle-Dean, Clara; Davis-Fields, Nick; Jennelle, Christopher S.; Bowman, Andrew S.; Nolting, Jacqueline M.; Boyce, Walter; Crum, James; Santos, Jefferson; Brown, Justin D.; Prosser, Diann; De La Cruz, Susan E. W.; Ackerman, Joshua T.; Casazza, Michael L.; Krauss, Scott; Perez, Daniel; Ramey, Andrew M.; Poulson, Rebecca L. Assessing beach and island habitat loss in the Chesapeake Bay and Delmarva coastal bay region, USA, through processing of Landsat TM and OLI imagery: A case study
Beaches and islands provide economic value to humans and critical habitat for breeding and foraging wildlife. These ecosystems, however, are being severely impacted by global climate change and sea level rise through increased erosion and frequency of inundation. The case study presented here aimed to document island loss in the Chesapeake Bay and...
Marban, Paul R.; Mullinax, Jennifer M.; Resop, Jonathan P.; Prosser, Diann
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, to the island of Aruba, off the coast of Venezuela.
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 greatest risk to avian influenza viruses from one species of migratory waterfowl.
Waterbirds at Risk in the Chesapeake Bay
Scientists investigate the impacts of shoreline armoring
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 prevalence of such viruses in our wild waterfowl.