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
The timing of dabbling duckling hatch, nest departure and depredation in Suisun Marsh, California from 2015-2017
Feather mercury concentrations in North American raptors sampled at migration monitoring stations
Variability of mercury concentrations among whole bird feathers, feather homogenates, and feather components quantified in California in 2017-2018
Wetland water-management may influence mercury bioaccumulation in songbirds and ducks at a mercury hotspot data release
Prey fish returned to Forsters tern colonies in South San Francisco Bay during 2005-2015
Mercury contamination in Annas hummingbirds
Summary of Total Mercury Concentrations in Dragonfly Larvae, Western Mosquitofish, and Tree Swallow Eggs Collected from Cosumnes River Preserve 2011 2013
Fluctuating asymmetry in waterbirds in relation to mercury exposure
Historical methyl mercury in San Francisco Bay
Nocturnal incubation recess and flushing behavior by duck hens
Demethylation of methylmercury in bird, fish, and earthworm
Foraging in marine habitats increases mercury concentrations in a generalist seabird
Isotope fractionation from In Vivo methylmercury detoxification in waterbirds
Egg morphometrics and egg shape coefficients for White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi)
Interrupted incubation: How dabbling ducks respond when flushed from the nest
Waterfowl use of wetland habitats informs wetland restoration designs for multi‐species benefits
Ecological insights from three decades of animal movement tracking across a changing Arctic
Mercury exposure in mammalian mesopredators inhabiting a brackish marsh
Influenza A viruses remain infectious for more than seven months in northern wetlands of North America
Establishing Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri) nesting sites at pond A16 using social attraction for the South Bay Salt Pond restoration project
Nesting ecology of White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) in Great Salt Lake, Utah
Science and Products
- Science
Filter Total Items: 16
- Data
Filter Total Items: 33
The timing of dabbling duckling hatch, nest departure and depredation in Suisun Marsh, California from 2015-2017
These data include a row for each duck nest equipped with a small video camera. We present the location of the nest, the timing of the start of hatch, the timing of the end of hatch, and the timing of the departure of the hen and ducklings from the nest. Additionally, this table includes any predators that were observed at the nest depredating eggs prior to hatch and any predators that were observFeather mercury concentrations in North American raptors sampled at migration monitoring stations
We assessed total mercury concentrations in breast feathers of diurnal North American raptors collected at migration monitoring stations. We sampled raptor feathers from 9 species in the Pacific Flyway and compared species, sex, date, and flyway effects on mercury concentrations. We also explored year effects on 3 species of raptors in the Pacific Flyway during 13-years (2002-2014). Finally, we coVariability of mercury concentrations among whole bird feathers, feather homogenates, and feather components quantified in California in 2017-2018
These data are the raw total mercury (THg) concentrations in whole feathers, feather homogenates, and feather components (i.e., rachis, vane, calamus) that are presented in the Journal Article "Mercury concentrations vary within and among individual bird feathers: A critical evaluation and guidelines for feather use in mercury monitoring programs" in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry by PeterWetland water-management may influence mercury bioaccumulation in songbirds and ducks at a mercury hotspot data release
We examined the role of wetland water-management on mercury bioaccumulation in songbirds and ducks. This database contains records of mercury concentrations in blood of wetland-foraging songbirds (80 common yellowthroats [Geothlypis trichas] and 14 Nelson's sparrows [Ammospiza nelsoni]) and eggs of upland-nesting ducks (28 gadwall [Mareca strepera], 19 blue-winged teal [Spatula discors], and 13 noPrey fish returned to Forsters tern colonies in South San Francisco Bay during 2005-2015
Prey fish were collected at 17 Forsters tern breeding colonies during colony visits from 2005-2015. Prey fish were identified to the lowest taxonomic category. We present relative abundances by colony and year for each of the 10 major species groups. Unidentified fish species or rarely observed species were combined into an Other category. We calculated an arithmetic mean, standard deviation (sd),Mercury contamination in Annas hummingbirds
Heavy metal contamination (n=17 metals) of feather and tissue samples from live and deceased Anna's hummingbirds (Calypte anna) was evaluated. Feathers taken from live birds are low in sample weight, therefore a novel method was used in feather sample preparation. Feather samples were then analyzed utilizing an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) assay. In addition, ICP-MS was usSummary of Total Mercury Concentrations in Dragonfly Larvae, Western Mosquitofish, and Tree Swallow Eggs Collected from Cosumnes River Preserve 2011 2013
The Cosumnes River Preserve in the Californias Central Valley contains a mosaic of managed wetlands where conditions may promote high levels of methylmercury bioaccumulation. In order to document potential environmental health risk in these wetlands due to mercury, we analyzed dragonfly larvae, western mosquitofish, and tree swallow eggs collected from wetlands and rice fields of the Preserve fromFluctuating asymmetry in waterbirds in relation to mercury exposure
The dataset includes the bird species, sex, mercury concentration in breast feathers and whole blood, and the composite measure of fluctuating asymmetry. Statistical models were developed for each species to analyze the relationship between mercury exposure in either breast feathers or whole blood and the composite measure of fluctuating asymmetry, while accounting for the sex of each bird.Historical methyl mercury in San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay, California is considered a mercury-impaired watershed. Elevated concentrations of mercury are found in water and sediment as well as fish and estuarine birds. Sources of mercury to the watershed since 1845 include sediment-associated mercury from mercury mining, mercury losses from gold amalgamation activities in mines of the Sierra Nevada, aerial deposition of mercury from gl - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 194
Nocturnal incubation recess and flushing behavior by duck hens
Incubating birds must balance the needs of their developing embryos with their own physiological needs, and many birds accomplish this by taking periodic breaks from incubation. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and gadwall (Mareca strepera) hens typically take incubation recesses in the early morning and late afternoon, but recesses can also take place at night. We examined nocturnal incubation recessAuthorsRebecca Croston, Sarah H. Peterson, C. Alex Hartman, Mark P. Herzog, Cliff L. Feldheim, Michael L. Casazza, Josh T. AckermanDemethylation of methylmercury in bird, fish, and earthworm
Toxicity of methylmercury (MeHg) to wildlife and humans results from its binding to cysteine residues of proteins, forming MeHg-cysteinate (MeHgCys) complexes that hinder biological functions. MeHgCys complexes can be detoxified in vivo, yet how this occurs is unknown. We report that MeHgCys complexes are transformed into selenocysteinate (Hg(Sec)4) complexes in multiple animals from two phyla (aAuthorsAlain Manceau, Jean-Paul Bourdineaud, Ricardo B. Oliveira, Sandra LF Sarrazin, David P. Krabbenhoft, Collin Eagles-Smith, Josh T. Ackerman, Robin Stewart, Christian Ward-Deitrich, M Estela del Castillo Busto, Heidi Goenaga-Infante, Aude Wack, Marius Retegan, Blanka Detlefs, Pieter Glatzel, Paco Bustamante, Kathryn L. Nagy, Brett PoulinForaging in marine habitats increases mercury concentrations in a generalist seabird
Methylmercury concentrations vary widely across geographic space and among habitat types, with marine and aquatic-feeding organisms typically exhibiting higher mercury concentrations than terrestrial-feeding organisms. However, there are few model organisms to directly compare mercury concentrations as a result of foraging in marine, estuarine, or terrestrial food webs. The ecological impacts of dAuthorsCorey A. Clatterbuck, Rebecca L. Lewison, Rachael A Orben, Josh T. Ackerman, Leigh G Torres, Robert M. Suryan, Peter Warzybok, Jaime Jahncke, Scott A. ShafferIsotope fractionation from In Vivo methylmercury detoxification in waterbirds
The robust application of stable mercury (Hg) isotopes for mercury source apportionment and risk assessment necessitates the understanding of mass-dependent fractionation (MDF) due to internal transformations within organisms. Here, we used high energy-resolution XANES spectroscopy and isotope ratios of total mercury (δ202THg) and methylmercury (δ202MeHg) to elucidate the chemical speciation of HgAuthorsBrett Poulin, Sarah Elizabeth Janssen, Tylor Rosera, David P. Krabbenhoft, Collin Eagles-Smith, Josh T. Ackerman, Robin Stewart, Eunhee Kim, Zofia Baumann, Jeong-Hoon Kim, Alain ManceauEgg morphometrics and egg shape coefficients for White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi)
Egg size is a useful metric for maternal investment, offspring quality, and contaminant studies. Yet these values and the egg shape coefficients required to estimate egg size are not available for many species, including White-faced-Ibis (Plegadis chihi). We provide egg morphometrics derived from 319 White-faced Ibis eggs sampled at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Great Salt Lake, Utah, from 201AuthorsMark P. Herzog, Josh T. Ackerman, C. Alex HartmanInterrupted incubation: How dabbling ducks respond when flushed from the nest
Nesting birds must provide a thermal environment sufficient for egg development while also meeting self‐maintenance needs. Many birds, particularly those with uniparental incubation, achieve this balance through periodic incubation recesses, during which foraging and other self‐maintenance activities can occur. However, incubating birds may experience disturbances such as predator or human activitAuthorsRebecca Croston, C. Alex Hartman, Mark P. Herzog, Sarah H. Peterson, Jeffrey Kohl, Cory T. Overton, Cliff L. Feldheim, Michael L. Casazza, Josh T. AckermanWaterfowl use of wetland habitats informs wetland restoration designs for multi‐species benefits
Extensive global estuarine wetland losses have prompted intensive focus on restoration of these habitats. In California, substantial tracts of freshwater, brackish and tidal wetlands have been lost. Given the anthropogenic footprint of development and urbanization in this region, wetland restoration must rely on conversion of existing habitat types rather than adding new wetlands. These restoratioAuthorsMichael L. Casazza, Fiona McDuie, Scott Jones, Austen Lorenz, Cory T. Overton, Julie L. Yee, Cliff L. Feldheim, Josh T. Ackerman, Karen M. ThorneEcological insights from three decades of animal movement tracking across a changing Arctic
The Arctic is entering a new ecological state, with alarming consequences for humanity. Animal-borne sensors offer a window into these changes. Although substantial animal tracking data from the Arctic and subarctic exist, most are difficult to discover and access. Here, we present the new Arctic Animal Movement Archive (AAMA), a growing collection of more than 200 standardized terrestrial and marAuthorsSarah C Davidson, Gil Bohrer, Eliezer Gurarie, Scott LaPoint, Peter J Mahoney, Natalie Boelman, Jan UH Eitel, Laura R. Prugh, Lee A. Vierling, Jyoti Jennewein, Emma Grier, Ophélie Couriot, Allicia P Kelly, Arjan JH Meddens, Ruth Y Oliver, Roland Kays, Martin Wikelski, Tomas Aarvak, Josh T. Ackerman, Mónica Almeida e Silva, José A. Alves, Erin Bayne, Bryan Bedrosian, Jerrold L. Belant, Andrew M Berdahl, Alicia Berlin, Dominique Berteaux, Joël Bêty, Dmitrij Boiko, Travis L. Booms, Bridget L Borg, Stan Boutin, W. Sean Boyd, Kane Brides, Stephen C. Brown, Victor N. Bulyuk, Kurt K Burnham, David Cabot, Michael L. Casazza, Katherine S. Christie, Erica H. Craig, Shanti E. Davis, Tracy Davison, Dominic Demma, Christopher R. DeSorbo, Andrew E. Dixon, Robert Domenech, Götz Eichhorn, Kyle Elliott, Joseph R. Evenson, Klaus-Michael Exo, Steven Ferguson, Wolfgang Fiedler, Aaron T. Fisk, J. Fort, Alastair Franke, Mark R. Fuller, Stefan Garthe, Gilles Gauthier, Grant Gilchrist, Petr Glazov, Carrie E. Gray, David Grémillet, Larry Griffin, Mike Hallworth, Autumn-Lynn Harrison, Holly Hennin, J Mark Hipfner, James Hodson, James A. Johnson, Kyle Joly, Kimberly Jones, Todd E. Katzner, Jeff W Kidd, Elly Knight, Michael N. Kochert, Andrea Kölzsch, Helmut Kruckenberg, Benjamin J Lagassé, Sandra Lai, Jean-François Lamarre, Richard B. Lanctot, Nicholas C Larter, A David Latham, Christopher J. Latty, James P. Lawler, Don-Jean Léandri-Breton, Hansoo Lee, Stephen B. Lewis, Oliver P. Love, Jesper Madsen, Mark Maftei, Mark L. Mallory, Buck Mangipane, Mikhail Y. Markovets, Peter P. Marra, Rebecca L McGuire, Carol McIntyre, Emily A McKinnon, Tricia A. Miller, Sander Moonen, Tong Mu, Gerhard JDM Müskens, Janet Ng, Kerry L Nicholson, Ingar Jostein Øien, Cory T. Overton, Patricia A Owen, Allison G. L. Patterson, Aevar Petersen, Ivan Pokrovsky, Luke L. Powell, Rui Prieto, Petra Quillfeldt, Jennie Rausch, Kelsey Russell, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Hans Schekkerman, Joel A. Schmutz, Philipp Schwemmer, Dale R. Seip, Adam Shreading, Mónica A. Silva, Brian W. Smith, Fletcher Smith, Jeff P. Smith, Katherine RS Snell, Aleksandr Sokolov, Vasiliy Sokolov, Diana V Solovyeva, Mathew S Sorum, Grigori Tertitski, J. F. Therrien, Kasper Thorup, Lee Tibbitts, Ingrid Tulp, Brian D. Uher-Koch, Rob SA van Bemmelen, Steve Van Wilgenburg, Andrew L. Von Duyke, Jesse Watson, Bryan D Watts, Judy A Williams, Matthew Wilson, Jay Wright, Michael A Yates, David Yurkowski, Ramūnas Žydelis, Mark HebblewhiteMercury exposure in mammalian mesopredators inhabiting a brackish marsh
Bioaccumulation of environmental contaminants in mammalian predators can serve as an indicator of ecosystem health. We examined mercury concentrations of raccoons (Procyon lotor; n = 37 individuals) and striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis; n = 87 individuals) in Suisun Marsh, California, a large brackish marsh that is characterized by contiguous tracts of tidal marsh and seasonally impounded wetlandAuthorsSarah H. Peterson, Josh T. Ackerman, C. Alex Hartman, Michael L. Casazza, Cliff L. Feldheim, Mark P. HerzogInfluenza 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 overwAuthorsAndrew M. Ramey, Andrew B. Reeves, Judith Z. Drexler, Josh T. Ackerman, Susan E. W. De La Cruz, Andrew S. Lang, Christina Leyson, Paul T. Link, Diann Prosser, Gregory J. Robertson, Jordan Wight, Sungsu Youk, Erica Spackman, Mary Pantin-Jackwood, Rebecca L. Poulson, David E. StallknechtEstablishing Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri) nesting sites at pond A16 using social attraction for the South Bay Salt Pond restoration project
Forster’s terns (Sterna forsteri), historically one of the most numerous colonial-breeding waterbirds in South San Francisco Bay, California, have experienced recent decreases in the number of nesting colonies and overall breeding population size. The South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project aims to restore 50–90 percent of former salt evaporation ponds to tidal marsh habitat in South San FranciscoAuthorsC. Alex Hartman, Josh T. Ackerman, Mark P. Herzog, Yiwei Wang, Cheryl StrongNesting ecology of White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) in Great Salt Lake, Utah
We studied the nesting ecology of White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) at 3 sites within the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA. Ibises built nests in small mounds (mean height = 14.4 ± 4.3 cm) above shallow water (mean depth = 12.0 ± 6.6 cm) located within patchy vegetation (mean percent vegetative cover = 17.2 ± 17.8% vegetative cover) with mean vegetation height of 31.7 ±AuthorsMark P. Herzog, Josh T. Ackerman, C. Alex Hartman, Howard Browers - Web Tools
- News
Filter Total Items: 17