This picture, taken June 6, 2008 at Dahomey National Wildlife Refuge near Benoit, MS, shows a shallow pond in a former agricultural area planted with hardwood tree species typical of restoration areas in the Mississippi Delta region of northwestern Mississippi.
Hardin Waddle, Ph.D.
Hardin Waddle currently works as a research ecologist for the USGS, where he serves as the principal investigator for the south-central region of the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI). His research interests include population ecology and conservation of amphibians and reptiles, primarily in the wetlands and swamps of the southeastern United States.
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Wildlife Ecology, University of Florida, 2006
M.S. Biology, Florida International University, 2000
B.S., Wildlife Science, Auburn University, 1996
Science and Products
Mark-Recapture Estimation of Razor-backed Musk Turtle Abundance in Louisiana
Understanding Avian Habitat Availability and Use After Barrier Island Restoration in Coastal Louisiana
Using Occupancy Analysis to Understand Ecological and Environmental Stressors that Affect the Range and Abundance of Gulf Coast Waterdogs (Necturus beyeri) in Louisiana Bayous
Monitoring and Removal of Invasive Cuban Treefrogs (Osteopilus septentrionalis) on the Gulf Coast
Prevalence Rates of Snake Fungal Disease and Its Population-level Impacts in a Snake Assemblage in Southwest Louisiana
Effects of Saltwater Intrusion on Anuran Occupancy in Big Thicket National Preserve, Texas
Acoustic Monitoring for Two Rare Frog Species in Northwest Louisiana
Amphibian Research and Occupancy Modeling in the South-Central Region of the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI)
Interaction of Environmental Stressors and Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) Pathogen Loads on Survival of Green Frogs (Lithobates clamitans)
Diet and Reproductive Phenology in a Recently Established Population of Invasive Cuban Treefrogs (Osteopilus septentrionalis)
Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) Research in Louisiana in Support of the Species Status Assessment and Listing Decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Capture-Mark-Recapture of Treefrogs at Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge
Mercury concentrations in amphibian tissues across the United States, 2016-2021
Carbon and nitrogen isotopic values from three omnivorous turtles, vegetation, and potential prey resources in the Santa Fe River, Florida sampled 2019-2020
Data for analysis of open removal models with temporary emigration and population dynamics to inform invasive animal management
Data from a 2019 occupancy survey of alligator snapping turtles, Macrochelys temminckii, in south-central Louisiana
Data from a turtle trapping effort at a release site of head-started alligator snapping turtles, Macrochelys temminckii, in southwest Louisiana in 2018
Data from a turtle trapping effort targeting alligator snapping turtles (Macrochelys temminckii) in the Atchafalaya Basin beginning in 2019
Data from: ''Evaluating the effect of expert elicitation techniques on population status assessment in the face of large uncertainty''
Data for Estimating detection and occupancy of secretive marsh bird species in low and high saline marshes in southwestern Louisiana using automated recording units
Data from visual encounter and acoustic monitoring surveys targeting amphibians and reptiles in Big Thicket National Preserve in southeast Texas from August 2010 to September 2018
Data from a 2015 trapping survey targeting the Gulf Coast Waterdog, Necturus beyeri, in Saint Tammany Parish, Louisiana
Amphibian monitoring data collected from Indiana hardwood forests, 2015-2016
Data from a national survey for the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans
This picture, taken June 6, 2008 at Dahomey National Wildlife Refuge near Benoit, MS, shows a shallow pond in a former agricultural area planted with hardwood tree species typical of restoration areas in the Mississippi Delta region of northwestern Mississippi.
When to target control efforts? Using novel GPS telemetry to quantify drivers of invasive Argentine black and white tegu (Salvator merianae) movement
An introduction to the evaluation of restoration for avian species at Caminada Headland and Whiskey Island in Louisiana
Conclusions of evaluation of restoration for avian species at Caminada Headland and Whiskey Island, Louisiana
Broad-scale assessment of methylmercury in adult amphibians
Mercury (Hg) is a toxic contaminant that has been mobilized and distributed worldwide and is a threat to many wildlife species. Amphibians are facing unprecedented global declines due to many threats including contaminants. While the biphasic life history of many amphibians creates a potential nexus for methylmercury (MeHg) exposure in aquatic habitats and subsequent health effects, the broad-scal
Thirteen years of turtle capture–mark–recapture in a small urban pond complex in Louisiana, USA
Dietary niche of three omnivorous turtle species in a northern Florida river: Insights from stable isotope analysis
Shorebird monitoring using spatially explicit occupancy and abundance
Burmese pythons in Florida: A synthesis of biology, impacts, and management tools
Range-wide population projections for Northern Red-Bellied Cooters (Pseudemys rubriventris)
Open removal models with temporary emigration and population dynamics to inform invasive animal management
Estimating detection and occupancy of secretive marsh bird species in low and high saline marshes in southwestern Louisiana using automated recording units
Evaluating the effect of expert elicitation techniques on population status assessment in the face of large uncertainty
Code for: Small enzootic survival costs mask the potential for long-term population size suppression
Science and Products
- Science
Filter Total Items: 19
Mark-Recapture Estimation of Razor-backed Musk Turtle Abundance in Louisiana
USGS scientists are working to determine the baseline population numbers of the Razor-backed Musk Turtle.Understanding Avian Habitat Availability and Use After Barrier Island Restoration in Coastal Louisiana
Using ecological and geographical data, WARC researchers and their partners are analyzing avian and benthic sampling on Whiskey Island and Caminda Headland to compare pre- and post-restoration aspects of habitat occupancy, habitat availability, habitat use, and kernal density estimation.Using Occupancy Analysis to Understand Ecological and Environmental Stressors that Affect the Range and Abundance of Gulf Coast Waterdogs (Necturus beyeri) in Louisiana Bayous
Sampling for Gulf Coast waterdogs is providing essential information to better understand the factors that impact the species' occupancy across Louisiana.Monitoring and Removal of Invasive Cuban Treefrogs (Osteopilus septentrionalis) on the Gulf Coast
WARC researchers are performing visual encounter surveys and passively capturing Cuban treefrogs to remove as many of the invasive anurans as possible.Prevalence Rates of Snake Fungal Disease and Its Population-level Impacts in a Snake Assemblage in Southwest Louisiana
WARC researchers used visual encounter surveys to determine prevalence rates of snake fungal disease in south-central Louisiana.Effects of Saltwater Intrusion on Anuran Occupancy in Big Thicket National Preserve, Texas
WARC researchers sampled anuran populations at sites within Big Thicket National Preserve to explore saltwater intrusion on these populations.Acoustic Monitoring for Two Rare Frog Species in Northwest Louisiana
WARC researchers are using automated recording units to monitor southern crawfish frogs and Strecker's chorus frogs in Louisiana.Amphibian Research and Occupancy Modeling in the South-Central Region of the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI)
In response to growing public concerns about this loss of biodiversity, the U.S. Congress funded the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI), a national program coordinated by the U.S. Geological Survey.Interaction of Environmental Stressors and Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) Pathogen Loads on Survival of Green Frogs (Lithobates clamitans)
The U.S. Geological Survey Amphibian Research Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) is using a combination of swabbing, non-lethal tissue sampling, soil and water sampling, and collection of a variety of other environmental variables to determine the relationships between the prevalence and pathogen load of Bd infection and environmental stressors on green treefrog survival.Diet and Reproductive Phenology in a Recently Established Population of Invasive Cuban Treefrogs (Osteopilus septentrionalis)
WARC researchers are exploring relationships between body size, time of year, sex, and reproductive development to better understand the reproductive phenology of the New Orleans population of Cuban treefrogs compared to Florida populations.Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) Research in Louisiana in Support of the Species Status Assessment and Listing Decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
WARC researchers are investigating individual movement, growth, and population dynamics of alligator snapping turtles in a southwest Louisiana creek.Capture-Mark-Recapture of Treefrogs at Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge
WARC researchers are gathering amphibian data to better understand the impact of natural disasters on treefrog populations and examine post-event processes. - Data
Filter Total Items: 19
Mercury concentrations in amphibian tissues across the United States, 2016-2021
Comma-separated values (.csv) file containing data related to amphibian sampling across the United States between 2016 and 2021. Data files contain mercury concentrations in amphibian and dragonfly tissues, mercury concentrations in sediment, as well as amphibian morphometrics, and habitat and climate characteristics where the samples were collected.Carbon and nitrogen isotopic values from three omnivorous turtles, vegetation, and potential prey resources in the Santa Fe River, Florida sampled 2019-2020
All samples were collected within a 9km stretch of the Santa Fe River in northern Florida, USA. In 2019 and 2020 we sampled claw tissue from Macrochelys suwanniensis, Chelydra serpentina, and Trachemys scripta scripta, from three different sampling locations. We collected Vegetation and potential prey tissue samples within close proximity of turtle captures from two of the three capture locations.Data for analysis of open removal models with temporary emigration and population dynamics to inform invasive animal management
This data release includes the data and computer code that we produced to fit two open-robust design removal models developed to simultaneously model population dynamics, temporary emigration, and imperfect detection: a random walk linear trend model (estimable without ancillary information), and a 2-age class integrated population model (IPM) that used prior information for age-structured vital rData from a 2019 occupancy survey of alligator snapping turtles, Macrochelys temminckii, in south-central Louisiana
This dataset contains data on trapping methodology, turtle captures, and environmental variables from a trapping effort targeting alligator snapping turtles (Macrochelys temminckii) in south-central Louisiana in 2019.Data from a turtle trapping effort at a release site of head-started alligator snapping turtles, Macrochelys temminckii, in southwest Louisiana in 2018
This dataset contains initial data from head-started alligator snapping turtles released by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) from November 2015 to October 2016. In addition, it contains data from a five-day trapping effort at each of seven release sites by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) from late June to early October 2018. Trapping was completed using hoop nets ofData from a turtle trapping effort targeting alligator snapping turtles (Macrochelys temminckii) in the Atchafalaya Basin beginning in 2019
This dataset contains data from an ongoing trapping effort beginning in 2019 targeting alligator snapping turtles (Macrochelys temminckii) in the Atchafalaya Basin of south-central Louisiana.Data from: ''Evaluating the effect of expert elicitation techniques on population status assessment in the face of large uncertainty''
The dataset contains estimates (low, estimate, high) of 12 population parameters for the wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) from the literature and experts.Data for Estimating detection and occupancy of secretive marsh bird species in low and high saline marshes in southwestern Louisiana using automated recording units
This dataset compiles all data used in a study on occupancy of secretive marsh birds collected from automated audio recording units in southwest Louisiana. The main data files consist of detection histories for the 11 species across 20 sampling occasions at 33 sites. The sites were randomly selected, and all site level information is provided, including coordinates, marsh type, and habitat designaData from visual encounter and acoustic monitoring surveys targeting amphibians and reptiles in Big Thicket National Preserve in southeast Texas from August 2010 to September 2018
This dataset contains data from visual encounter and acoustic surveys in Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas from August 2010 to September 2018. This dataset also includes salinity measurements from nine salinity loggers deployed in the study area.Data from a 2015 trapping survey targeting the Gulf Coast Waterdog, Necturus beyeri, in Saint Tammany Parish, Louisiana
This dataset provides the data associated with a 2015 project to examine factors affecting the occupancy of Gulf Coast Waterdogs along Bayou Lacombe, Saint Tammany Parish, Louisiana. Data include site locations and distance from headwaters, water data (pH, turbidity, salinity, and depth), and capture data from trap checks. For Necturus beyeri captures, the datatset provides the sex of captures andAmphibian monitoring data collected from Indiana hardwood forests, 2015-2016
This data set contains information on detections of amphibians at four bottomland hardwood restoration sites in northeastern Indiana in 2015 and 2016. Amphibian communities were surveyed using four different methods - automated recording units, diurnal visual encounter surveys along transects, nocturnal transect surveys, and amphibian rapid assessments. The data set contains three tables: 1) siteData from a national survey for the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans
This dataset provides the results of a national survey of the conterminous U.S. for the salamander chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative from May 2014 to August 2017. Sites were sampled by capturing amphibians by hand or by traps or nets that were then swabbed individually using methods that prev - Multimedia
Dahomey National Wildlife Refuge
This picture, taken June 6, 2008 at Dahomey National Wildlife Refuge near Benoit, MS, shows a shallow pond in a former agricultural area planted with hardwood tree species typical of restoration areas in the Mississippi Delta region of northwestern Mississippi.
This picture, taken June 6, 2008 at Dahomey National Wildlife Refuge near Benoit, MS, shows a shallow pond in a former agricultural area planted with hardwood tree species typical of restoration areas in the Mississippi Delta region of northwestern Mississippi.
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 65
When to target control efforts? Using novel GPS telemetry to quantify drivers of invasive Argentine black and white tegu (Salvator merianae) movement
In South Florida, the Argentine black and white tegu (Salvator merianae), a large, omnivorous lizard, has become a recent threat to the Everglades ecosystem. The increase in tegu observations, especially near ecologically sensitive areas such as Everglades National Park, makes informed management critical to contain the tegu population. Using Very High Frequency (VHF) and Global Positioning SystemAuthorsBrittany M. Mason, Sergio A. Balaguera-Reina, Adam Benjamin, Frank J. Mazzotti, Hartwig H. Hochmair, Hardin WaddleAn introduction to the evaluation of restoration for avian species at Caminada Headland and Whiskey Island in Louisiana
Barrier islands are crucial for protecting Louisiana’s coastal communities and ecosystems as they reduce coastal erosion and help safeguard native flora and fauna. Along the Louisiana shoreline, these islands are mostly long and thin, running parallel to the shoreline. The islands typically consist of the following components: 1) a sandy beach facing the Gulf of Mexico; 2) vegetated and non-vegetaAuthorsDelaina LeBlanc, Amanda Nicole Anderson, Paul Leberg, Hardin Waddle, Nicholas Enwright, Hana R. Thurman, Theodore J. ZenzalConclusions of evaluation of restoration for avian species at Caminada Headland and Whiskey Island, Louisiana
We conducted various analyses to determine the impact of coastal restoration on several focal avian species at Caminada Headland and Whiskey Island, Louisiana. We assessed if restoration affected avian use of restored sites by determining overall habitat changes, occupancy trends, and impacts of construction activities. Here, we summarize our findings from Chapters 2-9. For more details and additiAuthorsDarin L. Lee, Amanda Nicole Anderson, Paul Leberg, Nicholas Enwright, J. Hardin Waddle, Delaina LeBlanc, Theodore J. ZenzalBroad-scale assessment of methylmercury in adult amphibians
Mercury (Hg) is a toxic contaminant that has been mobilized and distributed worldwide and is a threat to many wildlife species. Amphibians are facing unprecedented global declines due to many threats including contaminants. While the biphasic life history of many amphibians creates a potential nexus for methylmercury (MeHg) exposure in aquatic habitats and subsequent health effects, the broad-scal
AuthorsBrian J. Tornabene, Blake R. Hossack, Brian J. Halstead, Collin Eagles-Smith, Michael J. Adams, Adam R. Backlin, Adrianne Brand, Colleen Emery, Robert N. Fisher, Jillian Elizabeth Fleming, Brad Glorioso, Daniel A. Grear, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Patrick M. Kleeman, David Miller, Erin L. Muths, Christopher Pearl, Jennifer Rowe, Caitlin Teresa Rumrill, J. Hardin Waddle, Megan Winzeler, Kelly L. SmallingByEcosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Wetland and Aquatic Research CenterThirteen years of turtle capture–mark–recapture in a small urban pond complex in Louisiana, USA
Turtles are one of the most imperiled vertebrate groups in the world. With habitat destruction unabated in many places, urban and suburban greenspaces may serve as refugia for turtles, at least those species able to tolerate heavily altered landscapes. In south-central Louisiana, we have conducted a turtle capture–mark–recapture effort in two ponds in an urban greenspace for 13 yr to understand spAuthorsBrad Glorioso, Hardin Waddle, Doug P. ArmstrongDietary niche of three omnivorous turtle species in a northern Florida river: Insights from stable isotope analysis
Macrochelys suwanniensis (Suwannee Alligator Snapping Turtle) coexists with 2 other native large omnivorous turtle species (Chelydra serpentina [Snapping Turtle] and Trachemys scripta scripta [Yellow-bellied Slider]) in a 9-km section of the Santa Fe River in northern Florida. A major shift in dominant submersed aquatic vegetation prompted us to quantify trophic position and niche overlap among thAuthorsMathew Denton, Gerald R. Johnston, Travis M. Thomas, Hardin Waddle, Susan Walls, Kristen HartShorebird monitoring using spatially explicit occupancy and abundance
Loss of habitat and human disturbance are major factors in the worldwide decline of shorebird populations, including that of the threatened migratory piping plover (Charadrius melodus). From 2013 to 2018, we conducted land-based surveys of the shorebird community every other week during the peak piping plover season (September to March). We assessed the ability of a thin plate spline occupancy modAuthorsEve Bohnett, Jessica Schulz, Robert C. Dobbs, Thomas Hoctor, Dave Hulse, Bilal Ahmad, Wajid Rashid, Hardin WaddleBurmese pythons in Florida: A synthesis of biology, impacts, and management tools
Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) are native to southeastern Asia, however, there is an established invasive population inhabiting much of southern Florida throughout the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. Pythons have severely impacted native species and ecosystems in Florida and represent one of the most intractable invasive-species management issues across the globe. The difficulty stems fAuthorsJacquelyn C. Guzy, Bryan G. Falk, Brian J. Smith, John David Willson, Robert Reed, Nicholas Aumen, Michael L. Avery, Ian A. Bartoszek, Earl Campbell, Michael Cherkiss, Natalie M. Claunch, Andrea Faye Currylow, Tylan Dean, Jeremy Dixon, Richard M. Engeman, Sarah Funck, Rebekah Gibble, Kodiak C. Hengstebeck, John S. Humphrey, Margaret Hunter, Jillian Josimovich, Jennifer Ketterlin Eckles, Michael Kirkland, Frank J. Mazzotti, Robert A. McCleery, Melissa A. Miller, Matthew F. McCollister, M. Rockwell Parker, Shannon E. Pittman, Michael R. Rochford, Christina Romagosa, Art Roybal, Ray W. Snow, McKayla M. Spencer, Hardin Waddle, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Kristen HartRange-wide population projections for Northern Red-Bellied Cooters (Pseudemys rubriventris)
Northern Red-Bellied Cooters (Pseudemys rubriventris) have a disjunct distribution with a relictual population in southeastern Massachusetts and a larger range across the mid-Atlantic United States. The relictual population is currently listed with protections under the U.S. Endangered Species Act but the status of the population in the remainder of the species' range has not been assessed, and thAuthorsJillian Elizabeth Fleming, Jennifer F. Moore, Hardin Waddle, Julien Martin, Evan H. Campbell GrantOpen removal models with temporary emigration and population dynamics to inform invasive animal management
Removal sampling data are the primary source of monitoring information for many populations (e.g., invasive species, fisheries). Population dynamics, temporary emigration, and imperfect detection are common sources of variation in monitoring data and are key parameters for informing management. We developed two open robust-design removal models for simultaneously modeling population dynamics, tempAuthorsBradley Udell, Julien Martin, Christina Romagosa, J. Hardin Waddle, Fred Johnson, Bryan Falk, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Sarah Funck, Jennifer Ketterlin Eckles, Eric Suarez, Frank MazzottiEstimating detection and occupancy of secretive marsh bird species in low and high saline marshes in southwestern Louisiana using automated recording units
Secretive marsh birds (SMBs) are important indicator species of coastal wetlands but are difficult to detect and monitor. In coastal Louisiana, an important stronghold for these species, climate and hydrological models predict that freshwater and intermediate marshes will expand in the next 50 years, while brackish marshes will shrink. We used a multi-species Bayesian hierarchical occupancy modelAuthorsHardin Waddle, Landon R. Jones, Phillip L. Vasseur, Clint W. JeskeEvaluating the effect of expert elicitation techniques on population status assessment in the face of large uncertainty
Population projection models are important tools for conservation and management. They are often used for population status assessments, for threat analyses, and to predict the consequences of conservation actions. Although conservation decisions should be informed by science, critical decisions are often made with very little information to support decision-making. Conversely, postponing decisionAuthorsJennifer F. Moore, Julien Martin, Hardin Waddle, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Jillian Elizabeth Fleming, Eve Bohnett, Thomas S.B. Akre, Donald J. Brown, Michael T. Jones, Jessica R. Meck, Kevin J. Oxenrider, Anthony Tur, Lisabeth L. Willey, Fred A Johnson - Software
Code for: Small enzootic survival costs mask the potential for long-term population size suppression
This repository contains all of the scripts to reproduce the analyses, figures, and tables associated with the manuscript Glorioso et al. in review. The scripts are organized into folders, and the folders are numbered in the order in which they should be executed. Briefly, there are six folders that do the following: (1) format the data, (2) fit the model, (3) run the population projections, (4) r - News