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
Assessing potential health risks to fish and humans using mercury concentrations in inland fish from across western Canada and the United States
Mercury risk to avian piscivores across western United States and Canada
Waterbird nest-site selection is influenced by neighboring nests and island topography
Mercury in western North America: A synthesis of environmental contamination, fluxes, bioaccumulation, and risk to fish and wildlife
Spatial and temporal patterns of mercury concentrations in freshwater fish across the Western United States and Canada
Avian mercury exposure and toxicological risk across western North America: A synthesis
Hg concentrations in fish from coastal waters of California and Western North America
Differentiating sex and species of Western Grebes (Aechmophorus occidentalis) and Clark's Grebes (Aechmophorus clarkii) and their eggs using external morphometrics and discriminant function analysis
Evaluation of Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia) and snowy plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) nesting on modified islands at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, California—2015 Annual Report
It’s what’s inside that counts: Egg contaminant concentrations are influenced by estimates of egg density, egg volume, and fresh egg mass
Maternal transfer of contaminants in birds: Mercury and selenium concentrations in parents and their eggs
Mercury correlations among blood, muscle, and hair of northern elephant seals during the breeding and molting fasts
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Assessing potential health risks to fish and humans using mercury concentrations in inland fish from across western Canada and the United States
Fish represent high quality protein and nutrient sources, but Hg contamination is ubiquitous in aquatic ecosystems and can pose health risks to fish and their consumers. Potential health risks posed to fish and humans by Hg contamination in fish were assessed in western Canada and the United States. A large compilation of inland fish Hg concentrations was evaluated in terms of potential health risAuthorsJesse M. Lepak, Mevin Hooten, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Michael T. Tate, Michelle A. Lutz, Joshua T. Ackerman, James J. Willacker, Allyson K. Jackson, David C. Evers, James G. Wiener, Colleen Flanagan Pritz, Jay DavisMercury risk to avian piscivores across western United States and Canada
The widespread distribution of mercury (Hg) threatens wildlife health, particularly piscivorous birds. Western North America is a diverse region that provides critical habitat to many piscivorous bird species, and also has a well-documented history of mercury contamination from legacy mining and atmospheric deposition. The diversity of landscapes in the west limits the distribution of avian piscivAuthorsAllyson K. Jackson, David C. Evers, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Joshua T. Ackerman, James J. Willacker, John E. Elliott, Jesse M. Lepak, Stacy S. Vander Pol, Colleen E. BryanWaterbird nest-site selection is influenced by neighboring nests and island topography
Avian nest-site selection is influenced by factors operating across multiple spatial scales. Identifying preferred physical characteristics (e.g., topography, vegetation structure) can inform managers to improve nesting habitat suitability. However, social factors (e.g., attraction, territoriality, competition) can complicate understanding physical characteristics preferred by nesting birds. We siAuthorsC. Alex Hartman, Joshua T. Ackerman, John Y. Takekawa, Mark P. HerzogMercury in western North America: A synthesis of environmental contamination, fluxes, bioaccumulation, and risk to fish and wildlife
Western North America is a region defined by extreme gradients in geomorphology and climate, which support a diverse array of ecological communities and natural resources. The region also has extreme gradients in mercury (Hg) contamination due to a broad distribution of inorganic Hg sources. These diverse Hg sources and a varied landscape create a unique and complex mosaic of ecological risk fromAuthorsCollin A. Eagles-Smith, James G. Wiener, Chris S. Eckley, James J. Willacker, David C. Evers, Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale, Daniel Obrist, Jacob Fleck, George R. Aiken, Jesse M. Lepak, Allyson K. Jackson, Jackson Webster, A. Robin Stewart, Jay Davis, Charles N. Alpers, Joshua T. AckermanSpatial and temporal patterns of mercury concentrations in freshwater fish across the Western United States and Canada
Methylmercury contamination of fish is a global threat to environmental health. Mercury (Hg) monitoring programs are valuable for generating data that can be compiled for spatially broad syntheses to identify emergent ecosystem properties that influence fish Hg bioaccumulation. Fish total Hg (THg) concentrations were evaluated across the Western United States (US) and Canada, a region defined by eAuthorsCollin A. Eagles-Smith, Joshua T. Ackerman, James J. Willacker, Michael T. Tate, Michelle A. Lutz, Jacob Fleck, A. Robin Stewart, James G. Wiener, David C. Evers, Jesse M. Lepak, Jay A. Davis, Colleen Flanagan PritzAvian mercury exposure and toxicological risk across western North America: A synthesis
Methylmercury contamination of the environment is an important issue globally, and birds are useful bioindicators for mercury monitoring programs. The available data on mercury contamination of birds in western North America were synthesized. Original data from multiple databases were obtained and a literature review was conducted to obtain additional mercury concentrations. In total, 29219 origiAuthorsJoshua T. Ackerman, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Mark P. Herzog, C. Alex Hartman, Sarah H. Peterson, David C. Evers, Allyson K. Jackson, John E. Elliott, Stacy S. Vander Pol, Colleen E. BryanHg concentrations in fish from coastal waters of California and Western North America
The State of California conducted an extensive and systematic survey of mercury (Hg) in fish from the California coast in 2009 and 2010. The California survey sampled 3483 fish representing 46 species at 68 locations, and demonstrated that methylHg in fish presents a widespread exposure risk to fish consumers. Most of the locations sampled (37 of 68) had a species with an average concentration aboAuthorsJay Davis, John Ross, Shira Bezalel, Lawrence Sim, Autumn Bonnema, Gary Ichikawa, Wes Heim, Kenneth C Schiff, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Joshua T. AckermanDifferentiating sex and species of Western Grebes (Aechmophorus occidentalis) and Clark's Grebes (Aechmophorus clarkii) and their eggs using external morphometrics and discriminant function analysis
In birds where males and females are similar in size and plumage, sex determination by alternative means is necessary. Discriminant function analysis based on external morphometrics was used to distinguish males from females in two closely related species: Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) and Clark's Grebe (A. clarkii). Additionally, discriminant function analysis was used to evaluate morAuthorsC. Alex Hartman, Joshua T. Ackerman, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Mark P. HerzogEvaluation of Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia) and snowy plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) nesting on modified islands at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, California—2015 Annual Report
Executive Summary In order to address the 2008/10 NOAA Fisheries Biological Opinion for operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) have developed and begun implementation of Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia) management plans. This implementation includes relocating nesting Caspian terns out of the ColumAuthorsC. Alex Hartman, Joshua T. Ackerman, Mark P. Herzog, Cheryl Strong, David Trachtenbarg, Kimberley A. Sawyer, Crystal A. ShoreIt’s what’s inside that counts: Egg contaminant concentrations are influenced by estimates of egg density, egg volume, and fresh egg mass
In egg contaminant studies, it is necessary to calculate egg contaminant concentrations on a fresh wet weight basis and this requires accurate estimates of egg density and egg volume. We show that the inclusion or exclusion of the eggshell can influence egg contaminant concentrations, and we provide estimates of egg density (both with and without the eggshell) and egg-shape coefficients (used to eAuthorsMark P. Herzog, Joshua T. Ackerman, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, C. Alex HartmanMaternal transfer of contaminants in birds: Mercury and selenium concentrations in parents and their eggs
We conducted a detailed assessment of the maternal transfer of mercury and selenium to eggs in three bird species (n = 107 parents and n = 339 eggs), and developed predictive equations linking contaminant concentrations in eggs to those in six tissues of the mother (blood, muscle, liver, kidney, breast feathers, and head feathers). Mercury concentrations in eggs were positively correlated with merAuthorsJoshua T. Ackerman, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Mark P. Herzog, C. Alex HartmanMercury correlations among blood, muscle, and hair of northern elephant seals during the breeding and molting fasts
Mercury (Hg) biomonitoring and toxicological risk assessments for marine mammals commonly sample different tissues, making comparisons to toxicity benchmarks and among species and regions difficult. Few studies have examined how life history events, such as fasting, influence the relationship between total Hg (THg) concentrations in different tissues. We evaluated the relationships between THg conAuthorsSarah H. Peterson, Joshua T. Ackerman, Daniel P. Costa - Web Tools
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