Josh T Ackerman
Dr. Ackerman is a Principal Investigator with USGS and an Associate in the Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology at the University of California-Davis.
His research expertise is in wildlife ecology and ecotoxicology, and his research program focuses on bird ecology, wetland management and restoration, contaminant bioaccumulation in fish and wildlife, and effects of contaminants on animal health and populations.
Education
- Ph.D. 2002, Ecology, University of California-Davis
- B.S. 1997 (Magna Cum Laude), Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California-Davis
Professional Experience
- Research Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, California (2006-present)
- Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Francisco Bay Estuary Field Station, Vallejo, California (2004-2006)
- Post-doctoral Researcher, John Muir Institute of the Environment, University of California-Davis (2003-2004)
- Post-doctoral Researcher, Dept. of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California-Davis (2002-2003)
- Teaching Assistant, Ecology and Management of Waterfowl and Game Birds (Spring 2002) and Field Methods in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology (Summer 2001), Dept. of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California-Davis
- Waterfowl Researcher (1999-2000), Crew Leader (Spring 1998, 1999, 2000), and Technician (Spring 1997), California Waterfowl Association, Sacramento, California
- Doctoral Research, Dept. of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California-Davis (1997-2002)
- Biological Technician (Summer 1995) and Biological Aid (Summer 1994), U.S. Forest Service, Tahoe National Forest, Nevada City, California
Selected Publications
2020 Ackerman, JT, MP Herzog, DC Evers, DA Cristol, KP Kenow, GH Heinz, RA Lavoie, RL Brasso, ML Mallory, JF Provencher, BM Braune, A Matz, JA Schmutz, CA Eagles-Smith, LJ Savoy, MW Meyer, and CA Hartman. Synthesis of maternal transfer of mercury in birds: implications for altered toxicity risk. Environmental Science and Technology 54:2878-2891.
2016 Ackerman, JT, CA Eagles-Smith, MP Herzog, CA Hartman, SH Peterson, DC Evers, AK Jackson, JE Elliott, SS Vander Pol, and CE Bryan. Avian mercury exposure and toxicological risk across western North America: a synthesis. Science of the Total Environment 568:749-769.
2014 Ackerman, JT, MP Herzog, GS Yarris, ML Casazza, E Burns, and JM Eadie. Chapter 5: Waterfowl ecology and management in Suisun Marsh: Ecological History and Possible Futures. University of California Press: Berkeley, California.
Science and Products
Postfledging Forster's Tern movements, habitat selection, and colony attendance in San Francisco Bay
Integrating toxicity risk in bird eggs and chicks: Using chick down feathers to estimate mercury concentrations in eggs
Rapid changes in small fish mercury concentrations in estuarine wetlands: Implications for wildlife risk and monitoring programs
Mercury bioaccumulation and risk to three waterbird foraging guilds is influenced by foraging ecology and breeding stage
A nonlethal microsampling technique to monitor the effects of mercury on wild bird eggs
Mercury demethylation in waterbird livers: Dose-response thresholds and differences among species
Mercury bioaccumulation and effects on birds in San Francisco Bay
Survival of postfledging Forster's terns in relation to mercury exposure in San Francisco Bay
Mercury concentrations in blood and feathers of prebreeding Forster's terns in relation to space use of San Francisco Bay, California, USA, habitats
Gender identification of Caspian Terns using external morphology and discriminant function analysis
Mercury contamination and effects on survival of American avocet and black-necked stilt chicks in San Francisco Bay
Mercury correlations among six tissues for four waterbird species breeding in San Francisco Bay, California, USA
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Postfledging Forster's Tern movements, habitat selection, and colony attendance in San Francisco Bay
Relatively little is known about birds during the postfledging period when flighted chicks have left the nest and must learn to forage independently. We examined postfledging movements, habitat selection, and colony attendance of Forster's Terns (Sterna forsteri) radio-marked just before they fledged in San Francisco Bay, California. The proportion of the day spent at their natal colony declined aAuthorsJoshua T. Ackerman, Jill D. Bluso-Demers, John Y. TakekawaIntegrating toxicity risk in bird eggs and chicks: Using chick down feathers to estimate mercury concentrations in eggs
The concentration of mercury (Hg) in eggs that causes reduced hatching success is regarded as a critical end point for Hg toxicity in birds. However, incorporating effects of in ovo mercury exposure on chick health and survival could improve risk assessment. We developed equations to predict Hg in eggs using Hg in chick down feathers, and vice versa, by assessing the relationship between Hg in feaAuthorsJoshua T. Ackerman, Collin A. Eagles-SmithRapid changes in small fish mercury concentrations in estuarine wetlands: Implications for wildlife risk and monitoring programs
Small fish are commonly used to assess mercury (Hg) risk to wildlife and monitor Hg in wetlands. However, limited research has evaluated short-term Hg variability in small fish, which can have important implications for monitoring programs and risk assessment. We conducted a time-series study of Hg concentrations in two small fish species representing benthic (longjaw mudsuckers [Gillichthys mirabAuthorsCollin A. Eagles-Smith, Joshua T. AckermanMercury bioaccumulation and risk to three waterbird foraging guilds is influenced by foraging ecology and breeding stage
We evaluated mercury (Hg) in five waterbird species representing three foraging guilds in San Francisco Bay, CA. Fish-eating birds (Forster's and Caspian terns) had the highest Hg concentrations in thier tissues, but concentrations in an invertebrate-foraging shorebird (black-necked stilt) were also elevated. Foraging habitat was important for Hg exposure as illustrated by within-guild differencesAuthorsCollin A. Eagles-Smith, Joshua T. Ackerman, S.E.W. de la Cruz, John Y. TakekawaA nonlethal microsampling technique to monitor the effects of mercury on wild bird eggs
Methylmercury is the predominant chemical form of mercury reported in the eggs of wild birds, and the embryo is the most sensitive life stage to methylmercury toxicity. Protective guidelines have been based mainly on captive-breeding studies with chickens (Gallus gallus), mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), and ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) or on field studies where whole eggs were colleAuthorsKatherine R. Stebbins, Jon D. Klimstra, Joshua T. Ackerman, Gary HeinzMercury demethylation in waterbird livers: Dose-response thresholds and differences among species
We assessed methylmercury (MeHg) demethylation in the livers of adults and chicks of four waterbird species that commonly breed in San Francisco Bay: American avocets, black-necked stilts, Caspian terns, and Forster's terns. In adults (all species combined), we found strong evidence for a threshold, model where MeHg demethylation occurred above a hepatic total mercury concentration threshold of 8.AuthorsCollin A. Eagles-Smith, Joshua T. Ackerman, Y.E.E. Julie, T.L. AdelsbachMercury bioaccumulation and effects on birds in San Francisco Bay
Highlights San Francisco Bay is an important wintering and breeding ground for more than 1 million waterbirds annually Mercury concentrations are highest in birds that eat fish and that reside in the Lower South Bay When Forster’s terns arrive in the Bay in spring to breed, mercury concentrations in their blood increase by four-fold in a six week period Based on mercury concentrations in blood, nAuthorsCollin A. Eagles-Smith, Joshua T. AckermanSurvival of postfledging Forster's terns in relation to mercury exposure in San Francisco Bay
We examined factors influencing mercury concentrations in 90 fledgling Forster's terns (Sterna forsteri) and evaluated whether mercury influenced postfledging survival in San Francisco Bay, California. Mercury concentrations (??SE) in chicks 21-29 days old (just before fledging) were 0.33 ?? 0.01 ??g g-1 ww for blood and 6.44 ?? 0.28 ??g g -1 fw for breast feathers. Colony site had an overriding iAuthorsJoshua T. Ackerman, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, John Y. Takekawa, S. A. IversonMercury concentrations in blood and feathers of prebreeding Forster's terns in relation to space use of San Francisco Bay, California, USA, habitats
We examined mercury concentrations and space use of prebreeding Forster's terns (Sterna forsteri) in San Francisco Bay, California, USA, to assess factors influencing mercury levels in piscivorous birds. In 2005 and 2006, we collected blood and feathers from 122 Forster's terns and radio-marked and tracked 72 terns to determine locations of dietary mercury uptake. Capture site and capture date werAuthorsJoshua T. Ackerman, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, John Y. Takekawa, J.D. Bluso, T.L. AdelsbachGender identification of Caspian Terns using external morphology and discriminant function analysis
Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia) plumage characteristics are sexually monochromatic and gender cannot easily be distinguished in the field without extensive behavioral observations. We assessed sexual size dimorphism and developed a discriminant function to assign gender in Caspian Terns based on external morphology. We collected and measured Caspian Terns in San Francisco Bay, California, and confirmAuthorsJoshua T. Ackerman, John Y. Takekawa, J.D. Bluso, J.L. Yee, Collin A. Eagles-SmithMercury contamination and effects on survival of American avocet and black-necked stilt chicks in San Francisco Bay
We evaluated whether mercury influenced survival of free-ranging American avocet (Recurvirostra americana) and black-necked stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) chicks in San Francisco Bay, California. Using radio telemetry, we radio-marked 158 avocet and 79 stilt chicks at hatching and tracked them daily until their fate was determined. We did not find strong support for an influence of in ovo mercury exAuthorsJoshua T. Ackerman, John Y. Takekawa, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, S. A. IversonMercury correlations among six tissues for four waterbird species breeding in San Francisco Bay, California, USA
Despite a large body of research concerning mercury (Hg) in birds, no single tissue has been used consistently to assess Hg exposure, and this has hampered comparisons across studies. We evaluated the relationships of Hg concentrations among tissues in four species of waterbirds (American avocets [Recurvirostra americana], black-necked stilts [Himantopus mexicanus], Caspian terns [Hydroprogne caspAuthorsCollin A. Eagles-Smith, Joshua T. Ackerman, T.L. Adelsbach, John Y. Takekawa, A.K. Miles, R.A. Keister - Web Tools
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