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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.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...
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Ecosystems, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research 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.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...
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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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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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Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research 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

Promoting Change in Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) Nest Site Selection to Minimize Construction Related Disturbance

These data describe the status of eggs in nests which had a foster egg added to them as part of an effort to relocate a common tern colony on Poplar Island. One data file (McGowanEtAl2018_FosterNestData_Data.csv) contains the data regarding the observations, while one definitions file (McGowanEtAl2018_FosterNestData_Definitions.csv) details the data.
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Ecosystems, Wildlife Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

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 abun (indicating that
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

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 avian in
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Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

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.
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Ecosystems, Wildlife Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

Effects of local shoreline and subestuary watershed condition on waterbird use: influences of geography, scale, and season in the Chesapeake Bay

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. This study examines waterbird community integrity in relation to shoreline hardening and land use characteristics at three geographic scales: (1) the subestuary scale characterized by seven shoreline types: bulkhead, ripr
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Wildlife Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

Standardization and Application of an Index of Community Integrity for Waterbirds in the Chesapeake Bay

In recent decades, there has been increasing interest in the application of ecological indices to assess ecosystem condition in response to anthropogenic activities. DeLuca et al. (2008) developed an Index of Waterbird Community Integrity (IWCI) to evaluate breeding waterbird response to anthropogenic activities in the Chesapeake Bay, USA. As we attempted to apply this index to a study in the same
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Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
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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

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, Climate Adaptation Science Center, 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

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 of studies investigating functionality of paired th
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Ecosystems, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

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 in the Pacific, Central, and Mississippi flyways; a
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Ecosystems, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Alaska Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Patuxent Wildlife Research 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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