John M. Pearce, Ph.D.
I am the Program Manager for marine and terrestrial ecosystems research at the USGS Alaska Science Center. I also coordinate the USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems Initiative and provide outreach to the public about our research. I have been a research biologist in Alaska for 25 plus years studying migratory birds, avian disease, and population genetics.
Professional Experience
2011 - Present Associate Center Director for Ecosystems, USGS Alaska Science Center
1999 - 2011 Research Wildlife Biologist, USGS Alaska Science Center
1997 - 1999 Geneticist, USGS Alaska Biological Science Center
1990 - 1997 Biological Science Technician, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and National Biological Service
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 2008 University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK Biology
M.S. 1996 University of Idaho, Moscow, ID Zoology
B.S. 1990 Lewis and Clark College, Portland, OR Biology
Science and Products
Minding the gap: Frequency of indels in mtDNA control region sequence data and influence on population genetic analyses
Demography, genetics, and the value of mixed messages
Effects of abdominally implanted radiotransmitters with percutaneous antennas on migration, reproduction, and survival of Canada geese
Geographic variation in survival and migratory tendency among North American Common Mergansers
Limited genetic differentiation among breeding, molting, and wintering groups of the threatened Steller's eider: The role of historic and contemporary factors
Lack of spatial genetic structure among nesting and wintering King Eiders
Effects of implanted radio transmitters with percutaneous antennas on the behavior of Canada Geese
Morphological traits of Pacific Flyway Canada Geese as an aid to subspecies identification and management
Molecular status of the dusky Canada goose (Branta canadensis occidentalis): A genetic assessment of a translocation effort
Phylogeography of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) in western North America
First record of a Greater Shearwater (Puffinus gravis) in Alaska
Sex-biased gene flow in spectacled eiders (Anatidae): Inferences from molecular markers with contrasting modes of inheritance
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Minding the gap: Frequency of indels in mtDNA control region sequence data and influence on population genetic analyses
Insertions and deletions (indels) result in sequences of various lengths when homologous gene regions are compared among individuals or species. Although indels are typically phylogenetically informative, occurrence and incorporation of these characters as gaps in intraspecific population genetic data sets are rarely discussed. Moreover, the impact of gaps on estimates of fixation indices, such asAuthorsJohn M. PearceDemography, genetics, and the value of mixed messages
Iverson et al. (2004) used estimates of the homing rate for molting adult Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) in Alaska to draw inferences about population structure. Homing rates, defined as one minus the ratio of birds recaptured elsewhere to those recaptured at the original banding site, were high (0.95–1.00) for males and females. Iverson et al. (2004) concluded that these high rates oAuthorsJohn M. Pearce, Sandra L. TalbotEffects of abdominally implanted radiotransmitters with percutaneous antennas on migration, reproduction, and survival of Canada geese
Abdominally implanted radiotransmitters with percutaneous antennas are increasingly used to monitor movements, survival, and reproduction of waterbirds. However, there has been relatively little assessment of the effects of such radios on avian demographic parameters or migration. We implanted either a 26- or 35-g abdominal transmitter with percutaneous antenna in 198 adult female lesser Canada geAuthorsJerry W. Hupp, John M. Pearce, Daniel M. Mulcahy, David A. MillerGeographic variation in survival and migratory tendency among North American Common Mergansers
Movement ecology and demographic parameters for the Common Merganser (Mergus merganser americanus) in North America are poorly known. We used band-recovery data from five locations across North America spanning the years 1938–1998 to examine migratory patterns and estimate survival rates. We examined competing time-invariant, age-graduated models with program MARK to study sources of variation inAuthorsJohn M. Pearce, John A. Reed, Paul L. FlintLimited genetic differentiation among breeding, molting, and wintering groups of the threatened Steller's eider: The role of historic and contemporary factors
Due to declines in the Alaska breeding population, the Steller's eider (Polysticta stelleri) was listed as threatened in North America in 1997. Periodic non-breeding in Russia and Alaska has hampered field-based assessments of behavioral patterns critical to recovery plans, such as levels of breeding site fidelity and movements among three regional populations: Atlantic-Russia, Pacific-Russia andAuthorsJohn M. Pearce, Sandra L. Talbot, Margaret R. Petersen, Jolene R. RearickLack of spatial genetic structure among nesting and wintering King Eiders
The King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) has been delineated into two broadly distributed breeding populations in North America (the western and eastern Arctic) on the basis of banding data and their use of widely separated Pacific and Atlantic wintering areas. Little is known about the level of gene flow between these two populations. Also unknown is whether behavioral patterns common among migratoAuthorsJohn M. Pearce, Sandra L. Talbot, Barbara J. Pierson, Margaret R. Petersen, Kim T. Scribner, D. Lynne. Dickson, Anders MosbechEffects of implanted radio transmitters with percutaneous antennas on the behavior of Canada Geese
We examined whether surgically-implanted radio transmitters with percutaneous antennas affected behavior of Lesser Canada Geese (Branta canadensis parvipes) in Anchorage, Alaska. We implanted either a 26-g VHF radio transmitter or a larger VHF radio that was the same mass (35 g) and shape as a satellite transmitter in the coelom of adult females captured during molt in 2000. A control group of femAuthorsJerry W. Hupp, G.A. Ruhl, John M. Pearce, Daniel M. Mulcahy, M.A. TomeoMorphological traits of Pacific Flyway Canada Geese as an aid to subspecies identification and management
Subspecies of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) exhibit wide variation in body size across their range. To monitor harvest levels in the Pacific Flyway, biologists commonly use culmen length and plumage color to differentiate among subspecies on sympatric wintering grounds. Among the four large-bodied Pacific subspecies (B. c. parvipes, B. c. occidentalis, B. c. fulva, and B. c. moffitti), overlapAuthorsJohn M. Pearce, Karen S. BollingerMolecular status of the dusky Canada goose (Branta canadensis occidentalis): A genetic assessment of a translocation effort
Until recently, the dusky Canada goose (Branta canadensis occidentalis) was managedas one breeding population from the CopperRiver Delta (CRD), Alaska. Population numberson the CRD have declined precipitously over thelast three decades, due in part to changes inhabitat. In 1981, a pair of Canada geese,presumably B.c. occidentalis, wasreported nesting on Middleton Island (MID), inthe Gulf of AlaskaAuthorsSandra L. Talbot, John M. Pearce, Barbara J. Pierson, Dirk V. Derksen, Kim T. ScribnerPhylogeography of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) in western North America
Using molecular genetic markers that differ in mode of inheritance and rate of evolution, we examined levels and partitioning of genetic variation for seven nominal subspecies (11 breeding populations) of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) in western North America. Gene trees constructed from mtDNA control region sequence data show that subspecies of Canada Geese do not have distinct mtDNA. Large- aAuthorsKim T. Scribner, Sandra L. Talbot, John M. Pearce, Barbara J. Pierson, K.S. Bollinger, Dirk V. DerksenFirst record of a Greater Shearwater (Puffinus gravis) in Alaska
The Greater Shearwater (Puffinus gravis) breeds in the southern Atlantic Ocean and disperses after breeding to the North Atlantic. On 3 August 2001, I observed and photographed an unidentified shearwater (Figure 1) in the Gulf of Alaska, about 30 km off the southern coast of Montague Island (59°50' N, 148°00' W). The bird was subsequently identified as a Greater Shearwater. This observation and phAuthorsJohn M. PearceSex-biased gene flow in spectacled eiders (Anatidae): Inferences from molecular markers with contrasting modes of inheritance
Genetic markers that differ in mode of inheritance and rate of evolution (a sex-linked Z-specific microsatellite locus, five biparentally inherited microsatellite loci, and maternally inherited mitochondrial [mtDNA] sequences) were used to evaluate the degree of spatial genetic structuring at macro- and microgeographic scales, among breeding regions and local nesting populations within each regionAuthorsKim T. Scribner, Margaret R. Petersen, Raymond L. Fields, Sandra L. Talbot, John M. Pearce, Ronald K. Chesser - News