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 avian ecology and ecotoxicology, and his research program focuses on waterbird ecology, wetlands, avian reproduction, mercury bioaccumulation, and effects of contaminants on bird 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 (2013-present)
• Research Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, UC Davis Field Station, California (2006-2013)
• 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, Dept. of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California-Davis (Spring 2002)
• Teaching Assistant, Field Methods in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, Dept. of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California-Davis (Summer 2001)
• Waterfowl Research Associate, California Waterfowl Association, Sacramento, California (1999-2000)
• Waterfowl Research Crew Leader, California Waterfowl Association, Sacramento, California (Spring 1998, 1999, 2000)
• Doctoral Research, Dept. of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California-Davis (1997-2002)
• Waterfowl Research Technician, California Waterfowl Association, Sacramento, California (Spring 1997)
• Biological Technician, U.S. Forest Service, Tahoe National Forest, Nevada City, California (Summer 1995)
• Biological Aid, U.S. Forest Service, Tahoe National Forest, Nevada City, California (Summer 1994)

Peer-Reviewed Publications

2019  Ackerman, JT, CA Hartman, and MP Herzog. Mercury contamination in resident and migrant songbirds and potential effects on body condition. Environmental Pollution 246:797-810.

2019  Bourbour, RP, BL Martinico, JT Ackerman, MP Herzog, AC Hull, A Fish, and JM Hull. Feather mercury concentrations in North American raptors sampled at migration monitoring stations. Ecotoxicology, available online.

2019  McDuie, F, ML Casazza, CT Overton, MP Herzog, CA Hartman, SH Peterson, CL Feldheim, and JT Ackerman. GPS tracking data reveals daily spatio-temporal movement patterns of waterfowl. Movement Ecology 7:6.

2019  Peterson, SP, JT Ackerman, MP Herzog, A Hartman, R Croston, CL Feldheim, and ML Casazza. Sitting ducklings: Timing of hatch, nest departure, and predation risk for dabbling duck broods. Ecology and Evolution, in press.

2018  Ackerman, JT, SH Peterson, DC Tsao, and JY Takekawa. California gull (Larus californicus) space use and timing of movements in relation to landfills and breeding colonies. Waterbirds 41(4):384-400.

2018  Burns, CE, JT Ackerman, NB Washburn, J Bluso-Demers, C Robinson-Nilsen, and C Strong. California gull population growth and ecological impacts in the San Francisco Bay estuary, 1980-2016. Pages 180-189 in Shuford, WD, RE Gill Jr., and CM Handel (editors): Trends and Traditions: Avifaunal Change in Western North America. Studies of Western Birds 3. Western Field Ornithologists: Camarillo, California. 466 pages.

2018  Croston, R, JT Ackerman, MP Herzog, JD Kohl, CA Hartman, SH Peterson, CT Overton, CL Feldheim, and ML Casazza. Duck nest depredation, predator behavior, and female response using video. Journal of Wildlife Management 82:1014-1025.

2018  Croston, R, CA Hartman, MP Herzog, ML Casazza, and JT Ackerman. A new approach to automated incubation recess detection using temperature loggers. Condor: Ornithological Applications 120:739-750.

2018  Feldheim, CL, JT Ackerman, SL Oldenburger, JM Eadie, JP Fleskes, and GS Yarris. California mallards: a review. California Fish and Game 104(2):49-66.

2018  Peterson, SH, JT Ackerman, DE Crocker, and DP Costa. Foraging and fasting can influence contaminant concentrations in animals: an example with mercury contamination in a free-ranging marine mammal. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 285:20172782.

2018  Peterson, SH, JT Ackerman, CA Eagles-Smith, MP Herzog, and CA Hartman. Prey fish returned to Forster’s tern colonies suggest spatial and temporal differences in fish composition and availability. PLoS ONE 13(3):e0193430.

2018  Skalos, S, M Falcon, O Wang, A Mott, M Hunt, W Thein, O Rocha, JT Ackerman, M Casazza, and J Hull. Ground-nesting great horned owl in Suisun Marsh, California: A natural history note. California Fish and Game 104(4):164-172.

2018  Taylor, GT, JT Ackerman, and SA Shaffer. Egg turning behavior and incubation temperature in Forster’s terns in relation to mercury contamination. PLoS ONE 13(2):e0191390.

2017  Ackerman, JT, CA Hartman, and MP Herzog. Maternal transfer of mercury to songbird eggs. Environmental Pollution 230:463-468.

2017  Hartman, CA, JT Ackerman, MP Herzog, and CA Eagles-Smith. Season, molt, and body size influence mercury concentrations in grebes. Environmental Pollution 229:29-39.

2017  Herring, G, CA Eagles-Smith, and JT Ackerman. Mercury exposure may influence fluctuating asymmetry in waterbirds. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 36:1599-1605.

2017  Mikoni, NA, R Poppenga, JT Ackerman, J Foley, J Hazlehurst, G Purdin, L Aston, S Hargrave, K Jelks, and LA Tell. Trace element contamination in feather and tissue samples from Anna’s hummingbirds. Ecological Indicators 80:96-105.

2017  Peterson, SH, JT Ackerman, CA Eagles-Smith, CA Hartman, and MP Herzog. A critical evaluation of the utility of eggshells for estimating mercury concentrations in avian eggs. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, in press.

2017  Peterson, SH, JT Ackerman, and CA Eagles-Smith. Mercury contamination and stable isotopes reveal variability in foraging ecology of generalist California gulls. Ecological Indicators 74:205-215.

2017  Ramey AM, NJ Hill, T Cline, M Plancarte, S De La Cruz, ML Casazza, JT Ackerman, JP Fleskes, TW Vickers, AB Reeves, F Gulland, C Fontaine, DJ Prosser, JA Runstadler, and WM Boyce. Surveillance for highly pathogenic influenza A viruses in California during 2014–2015 provides insights into viral evolutionary pathways and the spatiotemporal extent of viruses in the Pacific Americas Flyway. Emerging Microbes and Infections 6:e80.

2017  Ringelman, KM, JM Eadie, JT Ackerman, A Sih, DL Loughman, GS Yarris, SL Oldenburger, and MR McLandress. Spatiotemporal patterns of duck nest density and predation risk: a multi-scale analysis of 18 years and more than 10,000 nests. Oikos 126:332-338.

2017  Willacker, JJ, CA Eagles-Smith, and JT Ackerman. Mercury bioaccumulation in estuarine fishes: novel insights from sulfur stable isotopes. Environmental Science and Technology 51:2131-2139.

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.

2016  Ackerman, JT, CA Eagles-Smith, MP Herzog, CA Hartman. Maternal transfer of contaminants in birds: mercury and selenium concentrations in parents and their eggs. Environmental Pollution 210:145-154.

2016  Ackerman, JT, CA Eagles-Smith, MP Herzog, JL Yee, and CA Hartman. Egg laying sequence influences egg mercury concentrations and egg size in three bird species: implications for contaminant monitoring programs. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 35:1458-1469.

2016  Alpers, CN, JL Yee, JT Ackerman, JL Orlando, DG Slotton, and MC Marvin-DiPasquale. Prediction of fish and sediment mercury in streams using landscape variables and historical mining. Science of the Total Environment 571:364-379.

2016  Bluso-Demers, JD, JT Ackerman, JY Takekawa, and SH Peterson. Habitat selection by Forster’s terns at multiple spatial scales in an urbanized estuary: the importance of salt ponds. Waterbirds 39:375-387.

2016  Davis, JA, JRM Ross, S Bezalel, L Sim, A Bonnema, G Ichikawa, WA Heim, K Schiff, CA Eagles-Smith, and JT Ackerman. Mercury concentrations in fish from coastal waters of California and western North America. Science of the Total Environment 568:1146-1156.

2016  Eagles-Smith, CA, JT Ackerman, JJ Willacker, MT Tate, MA Lutz, JA Fleck, AR Stewart, JG Wiener, DC Evers, JM Lepak, JA Davis, and C Flanagan Pritz. Spatial and temporal patterns of mercury concentrations in freshwater fish across the Western United States and Canada. Science of the Total Environment 568:1171-1184.

2016  Eagles-Smith, CA, JG Wiener, CS Eckley, JJ Willacker, DC Evers, M Marvin-DiPasquale, D Obrist, JA Fleck, GR Aiken, JM Lepak, AK Jackson, JP Webster, AR Stewart, JA Davis, CN Alpers, and JT Ackerman. Mercury in western North America: a synthesis of environmental contamination, fluxes, bioaccumulation, and risk to fish and wildlife. Science of the Total Environment 568:1213-1226.

2016  Fleck, JA, M Marvin-DiPasquale, CA Eagles-Smith, JT Ackerman, MA Lutz, M Tate, CN Alpers, BD Hall, DP Krabbenhoft, and CS Eckley. Mercury and methylmercury in aquatic sediment across western North America. Science of the Total Environment 568:727-738.

2016  Hartman, CA, JT Ackerman, JY Takekawa, and MP Herzog. Waterbird nest-site selection is influenced by neighboring nests and island topography. Journal of Wildlife Management 80:1267-1279.

2016  Hartman, CA, JT Ackerman, CA Eagles-Smith, and MP Herzog. 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. Waterbirds 39:13-26.

2016  Hartman, CA, JT Ackerman, and MP Herzog. Island characteristics within wetlands influence waterbird nest success and abundance. Journal of Wildlife Management 80:1177-1188.

2016  Herzog, MP, JT Ackerman, CA Eagles-Smith, and CA Hartman. It’s what’s inside that counts: egg contaminant concentrations are influenced by estimates of egg density, egg volume, and fresh egg mass. Ecotoxicology 25:770-776.

2016  Jackson, A, DC Evers, CA Eagles-Smith, JT Ackerman, JJ Willacker, JE Elliott, JM Lepak, SS Vander Pol, and CE Bryan. Mercury risk to avian piscivores across western United States and Canada. Science of the Total Environment 568:685-696.

2016  Lepak, JM, MB Hooten, CA Eagles-Smith, MT Tate, MA Lutz, JT Ackerman, JJ Willacker, AK Jackson, DC Evers, JG Wiener, C Flanagan Pritz, and J Davis. Assessing potential health risks to fish and humans using mercury concentrations in inland fish from across western Canada and the United States. Science of the Total Environment 571:342-354.

2016  McHuron, EA, SH Peterson, JT Ackerman, SR Melin, JD Harris, and DP Costa. Effects of age, colony, and sex on mercury concentrations in California sea lions. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 70:46-55.

2016  Peterson, SH, JT Ackerman, and DP Costa. Mercury correlations among blood, muscle, and hair of northern elephant seals during the breeding and molting fasts. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 35:2103-2110.

2016  Peterson, SH, EA McHuron, SN Kennedy, JT Ackerman, LD Rea, JM Castellini, TM O’Hara, and DP Costa. Evaluating hair as a predictor of blood mercury: the influence of ontogenetic phase and life history in pinnipeds. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 70:28-45.

2016  Willacker, JJ, CA Eagles-Smith, MA Lutz, MT Tate, JM Lepak, and JT Ackerman. Reservoirs and water management influence fish mercury concentrations in the western United States and Canada. Science of the Total Environment 568:739-748.

2015  Ackerman, JT, CA Hartman, CA Eagles-Smith, MP Herzog, J Davis, G Ichikawa, and A Bonnema. Estimating mercury exposure of piscivorous birds and sport fish using prey fish monitoring. Environmental Science and Technology 49:13596-13604.

2015  Ackerman, JT, TEC Kraus, JA Fleck, DP Krabbenhoft, WR Horwath, SM Bachand, MP Herzog, CA Hartman, and PM Bachand. Experimental dosing of wetlands with coagulants removes mercury from surface water and decreases mercury bioaccumulation in fish. Environmental Science and Technology 49:6304-6311.

2015  Ackerman, JT, CA Hartman, and C Strong. Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri) and Least Tern (Sternula antillarum browni). Pages 1-6, Appendix 5.1 in Goals Project (editors) The Baylands and Climate Change: What We Can Do. Baylands Ecosystem Habitat Goals Science Update 2015 prepared by the San Francisco Bay Area Wetlands Ecosystem Goals Project. California State Coastal Conservancy, Oakland, California. 235 pages. http://baylandsgoals.org/case-studies-2/

2015  Nur, N, B Herbold, JT Ackerman, S Allen, LB Thompson, R Baxter, P Baye, V Bloom, K Boyer, E Brusati, M Casazza, J Collins, S De La Cruz, S Estrella, J Evens, D Greig, B Grewell, T Grosholz, J Hobbs, D Kerr, P Kleeman, M Latta, C LeDoux-Bloom, K Martin, P Olofson, B Ort, C Overton, H Shellhammer, C Sloop, C Strong, R Swenson, J Takekawa, R Tertes, K Thorne, W Thornton, I Woo, J Wood, G Yarris. Risks from Future Change for Wildlife. Pages 1-49, Science Foundation Chapter 5 in Goals Project (editors) The Baylands and Climate Change: What We Can Do. Baylands Ecosystem Habitat Goals Science Update 2015 prepared by the San Francisco Bay Area Wetlands Ecosystem Goals Project. California State Coastal Conservancy, Oakland, California. 235 pages. http://baylandsgoals.org/case-studies-2/

2015  Peterson, SH, JT Ackerman, and DP Costa. Marine foraging ecology influences mercury bioaccumulation in deep-diving northern elephant seals. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 282:20150710.

2015  Raquel, AJ, KM Ringelman, JT Ackerman, and JM Eadie. Habitat edges have weak effects on duck nest survival at local spatial scales. Ardea 103(2):155-162.

2015  Strong, C, and JT Ackerman. Shorebirds: Western Sandpipers (Calidris mauri) and American Avocets (Recurvirostra americana). Pages 1-8, Appendix 5.1 in Goals Project (editors) The Baylands and Climate Change: What We Can Do. Baylands Ecosystem Habitat Goals Science Update 2015 prepared by the San Francisco Bay Area Wetlands Ecosystem Goals Project. California State Coastal Conservancy, Oakland, California. 235 pages. http://baylandsgoals.org/case-studies-2/

2015  Takekawa, JY, SEW De la Cruz, JT Ackerman, and G Yarris. Diving Ducks. Pages 1-11, Appendix 5.1 in Goals Project (editors) The Baylands and Climate Change: What We Can Do. Baylands Ecosystem Habitat Goals Science Update 2015 prepared by the San Francisco Bay Area Wetlands Ecosystem Goals Project. California State Coastal Conservancy, Oakland, California. 235 pages. http://baylandsgoals.org/case-studies-2/

2015  Yarris, G, and JT Ackerman. Dabbling Ducks. Pages 1-6, Appendix 5.1 in Goals Project (editors) The Baylands and Climate Change: What We Can Do. Baylands Ecosystem Habitat Goals Science Update 2015 prepared by the San Francisco Bay Area Wetlands Ecosystem Goals Project. California State Coastal Conservancy, Oakland, California. 235 pages. http://baylandsgoals.org/case-studies-2/

2015  Takekawa, JY, JT Ackerman, LA Brand, TR Graham, CA Eagles-Smith, MP Herzog, BR Topping, GG Shellenbarger, JS Kuwabara, E Mruz, SL Piotter, and ND Athearn. Unintended consequences of management actions in salt pond restoration: cascading effects in trophic interactions. PLoS ONE 10(6):e0119345.

2014  Ackerman, JT, MP Herzog, JY Takekawa, and CA Hartman. Comparative reproductive biology of sympatric species: nest and chick survival of American avocets and black-necked stilts. Journal of Avian Biology 45:609-623.

2014  Ackerman, JT, MP Herzog, CA Hartman, and G Herring. Forster’s tern chick survival in response to a managed relocation of predatory California gulls. Journal of Wildlife Management 78:818-829.

2014  Ackerman, JT, MP Herzog, GS Yarris, ML Casazza, E Burns, and JM Eadie. Chapter 5: Waterfowl ecology and management. Pages 103-132 and maps 10 and 11 in Moyle, PB, A Manfree, and PL Fiedler (editors): Suisun Marsh: Ecological History and Possible Futures. University of California Press: Berkeley, California. 239 pages. BOOK CHAPTER

2014  Borker, AL, MW McKown, JT Ackerman, CA Eagles-Smith, BR Tershy, and DA Croll. Vocal activity as a low cost and scalable index of seabird colony size. Conservation Biology 28:1100-1108.

2014  Casazza, ML, MA Ricca, CT Overton, JY Takekawa, A Merritt, and JT Ackerman. Dietary mercury exposure to endangered California clapper rails in San Francisco Bay. Marine Pollution Bulletin 86:254-260.

2014  Eagles-Smith, CA, and JT Ackerman. Mercury bioaccumulation in estuarine wetland fishes: evaluating habitats and risk to coastal wildlife. Environmental Pollution 193:147-155.

2014  Herring, G, CA Eagles-Smith, DE Gawlik, JM Beerens, and JT Ackerman. Physiological condition of juvenile wading birds in relation to multiple landscape stressors in the Florida Everglades: effects of hydrology, prey availability, and mercury bioaccumulation. PLoS ONE 9(9): e106447.

2014  Kenney, LA, CA Eagles-Smith, JT Ackerman, and FA von Hippel. Temporal variation in fish mercury concentrations within lakes from the western Aleutian archipelago, Alaska. PLoS ONE 9(7): e102244.

2014  Ringelman, KM, JM Eadie, and JT Ackerman. Adaptive nest clustering and density-dependent nest survival in dabbling ducks. Oikos 123:239-247.

2014  Windham-Myers, L, JA Fleck, JT Ackerman, M Marvin-DiPasquale, CA Stricker, WA Heim, PA Bachand, CA Eagles-Smith, G Gill, M Stephenson, and CN Alpers. Mercury cycling in agricultural and managed wetlands: a synthesis of methylmercury production, hydrologic export, and bioaccumulation from an integrated field study. Science of the Total Environment 484:221-231.

2014  Windham-Myers, L, M Marvin-DiPasquale, E Kakouros, JL Agee, LH Kieu, CA Stricker, JA Fleck, and JT Ackerman. Mercury cycling in agricultural and managed wetlands of California, USA: seasonal influences of vegetation on mercury methylation, storage, and transport. Science of the Total Environment 484:308-318.

2013  Ackerman, JT, MP Herzog, and SE Schwarzbach. Methylmercury is the predominant form of mercury in bird eggs: a synthesis. Environmental Science and Technology 47:2052-2060.

2013  Ackerman, JT, AC Hartman, MP Herzog, JY Takekawa, JA Robinson, LW Oring, JP Skorupa and R Boettcher. American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana), The Birds of North America Online (A Poole, editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Ithaca, New York. 175 pages. http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/275. BOOK CHAPTER

2013  Hartman, CA, JT Ackerman, G Herring, J Isanhart, and MP Herzog. Marsh wrens as bioindicators of mercury in wetlands of Great Salt Lake:  Do blood and feathers reflect site-specific exposure risk to bird reproduction? Environmental Science and Technology 47:6597-6605.

2013  Herring, G, CA Eagles-Smith, JT Ackerman, DE Gawlik, and JM Beerens. Landscape factors and hydrology influence mercury concentrations in wading birds breeding in the Florida Everglades, USA. Science of the Total Environment 458-460:637-646.

2012  Ackerman, JT, CT Overton, ML Casazza, JY Takekawa, CA Eagles-Smith, RA Keister, and MP Herzog. Does mercury contamination reduce body condition of endangered California clapper rails? Environmental Pollution 162:439-448.

2012  Herring, G, JT Ackerman, and MP Herzog. Mercury exposure may suppress baseline corticosterone levels in juvenile birds. Environmental Science and Technology 46:6339-6346.

2012  Hill, NJ, JY Takekawa, JT Ackerman, KA Hobson, G Herring, CJ Cardona, JA Runstadler, and WM Boyce. Migration strategy affects avian influenza dynamics in mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). Molecular Ecology 21:5986-5999.

2012  Hill, NJ, JY Takekawa, CJ Cardona, BW Meixell, JT Ackerman, JA Runstadler, and WM Boyce. Cross-seasonal patterns of avian influenza virus in breeding and wintering migratory birds: a flyway perspective. Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases 12:243-253.

2012  Ringelman, KM, JM Eadie, and JT Ackerman. Density-dependent nest predation in waterfowl: the relative importance of nest density versus nest dispersion. Oecologia 169:695-702.

2012  Takekawa, JY, I Woo, KM Thorne, KJ Buffington, N Nur, ML Casazza, and JT Ackerman. Chapter 12: Bird communities: effects of fragmentation, disturbance, and sea level rise on population viability. Pages 175-194 in Palaima, A (editor): Ecology, Conservation, and Restoration of Tidal Marshes: The San Francisco Estuary. University of California Press: Berkeley, California. 265 pages. BOOK CHAPTER

2011  Ackerman, JT, CA Eagles-Smith, and MP Herzog. Bird mercury concentrations change rapidly as chicks age: toxicological risk is highest at hatching and fledging. Environmental Science and Technology 45:5418-5425.

2011  Herring, G, and JT Ackerman. California gull chicks raised near colony edges have elevated stress levels. General and Comparative Endocrinology 173:72-77.

2011  Herring, G, JT Ackerman, JY Takekawa, CA Eagles-Smith, and JM Eadie. Identifying nest predators of American avocets (Recurvirostra americana) and black-necked stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) in San Francisco Bay, California. Southwestern Naturalist 56:35-43.

2011  Hoffman, DJ, CA Eagles-Smith, JT Ackerman, TL Adelsbach, and KR Stebbins. Oxidative stress response of Forster’s terns (Sterna forsteri) and Caspian terns (Hydroprogne caspia) to mercury and selenium bioaccumulation in liver, kidney, and brain. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 30:920-929.

2011  Takekawa, JY, I Woo, R Gardiner, M Casazza, JT Ackerman, N Nur, L Liu, and H Spautz. Avian communities in tidal salt marshes of San Francisco Bay: a review of functional groups by foraging guild and habitat association. San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science 9(3):1-24.

2011  Takekawa, JY, I Woo, R Gardiner, M Casazza, JT Ackerman, N Nur, L Liu, and H Spautz. Chapter 11: Avian communities in tidal salt marshes of San Francisco Bay: a review of functional groups by foraging guild and habitat association. Pages 250-281 in Ferner, MC (editor). A profile of the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. San Francisco, California. 345 pages, plus appendix. BOOK CHAPTER

2010  Ackerman, JT, and CA Eagles-Smith. Agricultural wetlands as potential hotspots for mercury bioaccumulation: experimental evidence using caged fish. Environmental Science and Technology 44:1451-1457.

2010  Ackerman, JT, and CA Eagles-Smith. Accuracy of egg flotation throughout incubation to determine embryo age and incubation day in waterbird nests. Condor 112:438-446.

2010  Ackerman, JT, AK Miles, and CA Eagles-Smith. Invertebrate mercury bioaccumulation in permanent, seasonal, and flooded rice wetlands within California’s Central Valley. Science of the Total Environment 408:666-671.

2010  Bluso-Demers, JD, JT Ackerman, and JY Takekawa. Colony attendance patterns by mated Forster’s terns Sterna forsteri using an automated data-logging receiver system. Ardea 98:59-65.

2010  Demers, SA, JY Takekawa, JT Ackerman, N Warnock, and ND Athearn. Space use and habitat selection of migrant and resident American avocets in San Francisco Bay. Condor 112:511-520.

2010  Herring, G, JT Ackerman, and CA Eagles-Smith. Embryo malposition as a potential mechanism for mercury-induced hatching failure in bird eggs.  Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 29:1788-1794.

2010  Herring, G, JT Ackerman, CA Eagles-Smith, TL Adelsbach, MJ Melancon, KR Stebbins, and DJ Hoffman. Organochlorine and PBDE concentrations in relation to cytochrome P450 activity in livers of Forster's terns (Sterna forsteri) and Caspian terns (Hydroprogne caspia) in San Francisco Bay, California. Archives of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 58:863-873.

2010  Herring, G, JT Ackerman, CA Eagles-Smith, and JY Takekawa. Sexing California gulls using morphometrics and discriminant function analysis. Waterbirds 33:79-85.

2010  Hill, NJ, JY Takekawa, CJ Cardona, JT Ackerman, AK Schultz, KA Spragens, and WM Boyce. Waterfowl ecology and avian influenza in California: do host traits inform us about viral occurrence? Avian Diseases 54:426-432.

2009  Ackerman, JT, and CA Eagles-Smith. Integrating toxicity risk in bird eggs and chicks: using chick down feathers to estimate mercury concentrations in eggs. Environmental Science and Technology 43:2166-2172.

2009  Ackerman, JT, and CA Eagles-Smith. Selenium bioaccumulation and body condition in shorebirds and terns breeding in San Francisco Bay, California, USA. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 28:2134-2141.

2009  Ackerman, JT, JD Bluso, and JY Takekawa. Postfledging Forster’s tern movements, habitat selection, and colony attendance in San Francisco Bay.  Condor 111:100-110.

2009  Eagles-Smith, CA, and JT Ackerman. Rapid changes in small fish mercury concentrations in estuarine wetlands: implications for wildlife risk and monitoring programs. Environmental Science and Technology 43:8658-8664.

2009  Eagles-Smith, CA, JT Ackerman, SEW De La Cruz, and JY Takekawa. Mercury bioaccumulation and risk to three waterbird foraging guilds is influenced by foraging ecology and breeding stage. Environmental Pollution 157:1993-2002.

2009  Eagles-Smith, CA, JT Ackerman, J Yee, and TL Adelsbach. Mercury demethylation in livers of four waterbird species: evidence for dose-response thresholds with liver total mercury. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 28:568-577.

2009  Stebbins, KR, JD Klimstra, CA Eagles-Smith, JT Ackerman, and GH Heinz. A non-lethal micro-sampling technique to monitor the effects of mercury on wild bird eggs. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 28:465-470.

2008  Ackerman, JT, CA Eagles-Smith, JY Takekawa, and SA Iverson. Survival of postfledging Forster’s terns in relation to mercury exposure in San Francisco Bay. Ecotoxicology 17:789-801.

2008  Ackerman, JT, CA Eagles-Smith, JY Takekawa, JD Bluso, and TL Adelsbach. Mercury concentrations in blood and feathers of pre-breeding Forster’s terns in relation to space use of San Francisco Bay habitats. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 27:897-908.

2008  Ackerman, JT, JY Takekawa, JD Bluso, JL Yee, and CA Eagles-Smith. Gender identification of Caspian terns using external morphology and discriminant function analysis. Wilson Journal of Field Ornithology 120:378-383.

2008  Ackerman, JT, JY Takekawa, CA Eagles-Smith, and SA Iverson. Mercury contamination and effects on survival of American avocet and black-necked stilt chicks in San Francisco Bay. Ecotoxicology 17:103-116.

2008  Eagles-Smith, CA, JT Ackerman, TL Adelsbach, JY Takekawa, AK Miles, and RA Keister. Mercury correlations among six tissues for four waterbird species breeding in San Francisco Bay. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 27:2136-2153.

2008  Iverson, SA, JY Takekawa, S Schwarzbach, CJ Cardona, N Warnock, MA Bishop, GA Schirato, S Paroulek, JT Ackerman, H Ip, and WM Boyce. Low prevalence of avian influenza virus in shorebirds on the Pacific Coast of North America. Waterbirds 31:602-610.

2008  Demers, SA, MA Colwell, JY Takekawa, and JT Ackerman. Breeding stage influences space use of female American avocets in San Francisco Bay, California. Waterbirds 31:365-371.

2008  Bluso-Demers, JD, MA Colwell, JY Takekawa, and JT Ackerman. Space use by Forster’s terns breeding in South San Francisco Bay. Waterbirds 31:357-364.

2007  Ackerman, JT, CA Eagles-Smith, JY Takekawa, SA Demers, TL Adelsbach, JD Bluso, AK Miles, N Warnock, TH Suchanek, and SE Schwarzbach. Mercury concentrations and space use of pre-breeding American avocets and black-necked stilts in San Francisco Bay. Science of the Total Environment 384:452-466.

2007  Mason, JW, GJ McChesney, WR McIver, HR Carter, JY Takekawa, RT Golightly, JT Ackerman, DL Orthmeyer, WM Perry, JL Yee, MO Pierson, and MD McCrary. At-sea distribution and abundance of seabirds off southern California: a 20-year comparison. Studies in Avian Biology 33:1-101. (monograph)

2006  Ackerman, JT, JY Takekawa, DL Orthmeyer, JP Fleskes, JL Yee, and KL Kruse. Spatial use by wintering greater white-fronted geese relative to a decade of habitat change in California’s Central Valley. Journal of Wildlife Management 70:965-976.

2006  Ackerman, JT, JM Eadie, and TG Moore. Does life history predict risk-taking behavior of wintering dabbling ducks? Condor 108:530-546.

2006  Ackerman, JT, JM Eadie, ML Szymanski, JH Caswell, MP Vrtiska, AH Raedeke, JM Checkett, AD Afton, TG Moore, FD Caswell, RA Walters, DD Humburg, and JL Yee. Effectiveness of spinning-wing decoys varies among dabbling duck species and locations. Journal of Wildlife Management 70:799-804.

2006  Bluso, JD, JT Ackerman, JY Takekawa, and JL Yee. Using morphological measurements to sex Forster’s terns. Waterbirds 29:511-516.

2005  Blackmer, AL, RA Mauck, JT Ackerman, CE Huntington, GA Nevitt, and JB Williams. Exploring individual quality: basal metabolic rate and reproductive performance in Leach’s storm-petrels. Behavioral Ecology 16:906-913.

2005  Schwemm, CA, JT Ackerman, PL Martin, and WM Perry. Nest occupancy and hatching success of Xantus’s murrelets (Synthliboramphus hypoleucus) breeding on Santa Barbara Island, California during a twenty-year period. Pages 385-394 in D. K. Garcelon and C. A. Schwemm (editors), Proceedings of the Sixth California Islands Symposium, National Park Service Technical Publication CHIS-05-01, Institute for Wildlife Studies, Arcata, California.

2004  Ackerman, JT, AL Blackmer, and JM Eadie. Is predation on waterfowl nests density dependent? Tests at three spatial scales. Oikos 107:128-140.

2004  Ackerman, JT, J Adams, JY Takekawa, HR Carter, DL Whitworth, SH Newman, RT Golightly, and DL Orthmeyer. Effects of radio transmitters on the reproductive performance of Cassin’s auklets. Wildlife Society Bulletin 32:1229-1241.

2004  Ackerman, JT, JY Takekawa, KL Kruse, DL Orthmeyer, JL Yee, CR Ely, DH Ward, KS Bollinger, and DM Mulcahy. Using radiotelemetry to monitor cardiac response of free-living tule greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons elgasi) to human disturbance. The Wilson Bulletin 116:146-151.

2004  Blackmer, AL, JT Ackerman, and GA Nevitt. Effects of investigator disturbance on hatching success and nest-site fidelity in a long-lived seabird, Leach’s storm-petrel. Biological Conservation 116:141-148.

2003  Ackerman, JT, JM Eadie, GS Yarris, DL Loughman, and MR McLandress. Cues for investment: nest desertion in response to partial clutch depredation in dabbling ducks. Animal Behaviour 66:871-883.

2003  Ackerman, JT, and JM Eadie. Current versus future reproduction: an experimental test of parental investment decisions using nest desertion by mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 54:264-273.

2003  Ackerman, JT, JM Eadie, DL Loughman, GS Yarris, and MR McLandress. The influence of partial clutch depredation on duckling production. Journal of Wildlife Management 67:576-587.

2002  Ackerman, JT. Of mice and mallards: positive indirect effects of coexisting prey on waterfowl nest success. Oikos 99:469-480.

2002  Ackerman, JT. From individuals to populations: the direct and indirect effects of predation on waterfowl nest success. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California, Davis. 182 pp.

2000  Ackerman, JT, MC Kondratieff, SA Matern, and JJ Cech, Jr. Tidal influence on spatial dynamics of leopard sharks, Triakis semifasciata, in Tomales Bay, California. Environmental Biology of Fishes 58:33-43.

Popular Articles

2018  Peterson, SP, JT Ackerman, M Casazza, C Feldheim, and the Suisun Marsh Research Team. Revealing the hidden lives of raccoons and skunks to inform duck nest management in Suisun Marsh.  Land of the West Wind, Suisun Resource Conservation District Newsletter, March 2018, Vol. 18, No. 1.

2017  Ackerman, JT, and SH Peterson. California gull diet, movements, and use of landfills in San Francisco Bay.  Tideline, Spring 2017, Vol. 40, No. 1:1-2.

2017  Croston, R, M Casazza, JT Ackerman, C Feldheim, and the Suisun Marsh Research Team. Waterfowl nest predators: solving the “Whodunit Mystery” using spy cameras.  Land of the West Wind, Suisun Resource Conservation District Newsletter, May 2017, Vol. 17, No. 2:5.

2016  Ackerman, JT. Mercury found in birds across western North America. Sound Waves, August/September 2016, Vol. FY 2016, No. 164:8-9.

2014  Peterson, S, JT Ackerman, and D Costa. Diving depth of elephant seals influences mercury bioaccumulation in the north Pacific. Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research 27, September 2014.

2011  Ackerman, JT, A Brand, JB Demers, and C Robinson-Nilsen. Managed Ponds. In Pitkin, M, and J Wood (editors), The State of the Birds, San Francisco Bay. PRBO Conservation Science and the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture, pages 8-11.

2011  Herzog, MP, JT Ackerman, SW De La Cruz, JB Demers, and C Strong. Subtidal. In Pitkin, M, and J Wood (editors), The State of the Birds, San Francisco Bay. PRBO Conservation Science and the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture, pages 16-17.

2010  Ackerman, JT, CA Eagles-Smith, G Herring, and MP Herzog. Feather findings: stable isotope signatures reveal the origins of California mallards. California Waterfowl, Fall/Winter 2010:18-19.

2010  Eagles-Smith, CA, and JT Ackerman. Mercury in small fish: seasonal variation. Page 49, In: San Francisco Estuary Institute. 2010. The Pulse of the Estuary: Linking the Watershed and the Bay. SFEI Contribution 613. San Francisco Estuary Institute, Oakland, CA.

2008  Eagles-Smith, CA, and JT Ackerman. Mercury bioaccumulation and effects on birds in San Francisco Bay. Pages 56-64, In: San Francisco Estuary Institute. 2008. The Pulse of the Estuary: Monitoring and Managing Water Quality in the San Francisco Estuary. SFEI Contribution 559. San Francisco Estuary Institute, Oakland, CA.

2008  Eagles-Smith, CA, and JT Ackerman. Mercury bioaccumulation in San Francisco Bay waterbirds. NorCal SETAC News (Newsletter of the Northern California Regional Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry), Spring 2007:10.

2007  Eagles-Smith, CA, and JT Ackerman. Mercury poses risks to waterbirds in San Francisco Bay. Regional Monitoring Program Update, December 2007:1-4.

2007  Ackerman, JT, and CA Eagles-Smith. Mercury contamination in waterbirds breeding in San Francisco Bay. Sound Waves, October 2007, Vol. FY 2008, No. 98:4-5.

2007  Eagles-Smith, CA, and JT Ackerman. Mercury may pose substantial risks to breeding birds in San Francisco Bay. Page 37, In: San Francisco Estuary Institute. 2007. The Pulse of the Estuary: Monitoring and Managing Water Quality in the San Francisco Estuary. SFEI Contribution 532. San Francisco Estuary Institute, Oakland, CA.

2007  Ackerman, JT, and CA Eagles-Smith. Mercury contamination in waterbirds breeding in San Francisco Bay.  Tideline 27(2):1-3.

2006  Ackerman, JT, and CA Eagles-Smith. A collaborative project to study mercury levels in San Francisco Bay Waterbirds.  Bay Bird Review, Winter:4-5.

2005  Ackerman, JT, JY Takekawa, JP Fleskes, and DL Orthmeyer. White-fronted geese respond well to Joint Venture’s habitat improvements. Valley Ventures, Spring 2005:10 & 12-13.

2005  Ackerman, JT, CM Marn, and JY Takekawa. Life and death on a salt pond: avocets and stilts survive amidst mercury pollution and invasive gulls. Tideline 25(4):1-3.

2005  Ackerman, JT, JY Takekawa, JP Fleskes, and DL Orthmeyer. Decade of change: a tracking study shows how white-fronted geese responded to recent habitat changes in the Central Valley. California Waterfowl, April/May 2005:16-17 & 58.

2004  Ackerman, JT, JW Mason, and JY Takekawa. Seabirds off Southern California–surveys reveal patterns in abundance and distribution. Sound Waves, November 2004, Vol. FY 2005, No. 67:6-7.

2003  Ackerman, JT and JM Eadie. Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat: some nests robbed by predators still produce ducklings. California Waterfowl, April/May 2003:8-9.

1999  Ackerman, JT. Hard times for nesting ducks on Grizzly Island. California Waterfowl, December 1998/January 1999:36-37.

Technical Reports & Briefs

2018  Hartman, AC, JT Ackerman, MP Herzog, C Strong, D Trachtenbarg, and CA Shore. Social attraction used to establish Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia) nesting colonies on modified islands at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, California—Final report. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2018-1136, 52 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20181136.

2018  Marvin-DiPasquale, M, L Windham-Myers, JA Fleck, JT Ackerman, CA Eagles-Smith, and H McQuillen. Mercury on a landscape scale—balancing regional export and wildlife health. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2018–1092, 105 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20181092.

2018  Hartman, AC, JT Ackerman, MP Herzog, Y Wang, and C Strong. Evaluation of social attraction measures to establish Forster’s tern (Sterna forsteri) nesting colonies for the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, San Francisco Bay, California—2017 annual report. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2018–1090, 25 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20181090.

2018  Peterson, SP, and JT Ackerman. Prey fish collected at Forster’s tern colonies suggest changes in the local environment. April 2018. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2018  Peterson, SP, and JT Ackerman. Body mass influences mercury concentrations in wildlife. February 2018. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2017  Hartman, AC, JT Ackerman, MP Herzog, C Strong, D Trachtenbarg, and CA Shore. 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—2016 annual report. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2017-1055, 48 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20171055

2016  Hartman, AC, JT Ackerman, MP Herzog, C Strong, D Trachtenbarg, KA Sawyer, and CA Shore. 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. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2016-1049, 46 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20161049

2016  Ross, JRM, JA Davis, P Trowbridge, J Sun, JT Ackerman, T Adelsbach, C Eagles-Smith, A Hartman, M Herzog, D Crane, G Brooks, C Navaroli, and L Phillips. Contaminant concentrations in eggs of double-crested cormorants and Forster’s terns from San Francisco Bay: 2002-2012. San Francisco Estuary Institute, Richmond, California.

2015  Ackerman, JT, MP Herzog, C Brady, JM Eadie, and GS Yarris. Archiving California’s historical duck nesting data. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2015-1131, 26 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151131

2015  Ackerman, JT, CA Hartman, CA Eagles-Smith, MP Herzog, J Davis, G Ichikawa, and A Bonnema. Estimating exposure of piscivorous birds and sport fish to mercury in California lakes using prey fish monitoring: a predictive tool for managers. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2015-1106, 48 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151106

2015  Ackerman, JT, MP Herzog, CA Hartman, J Isanhart, G Herring, S Vaughn, J Cavitt, CA Eagles-Smith, H Browers, and J Vest. Mercury and selenium contamination in waterbird eggs and risk to avian reproduction at Great Salt Lake, Utah: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2015-1020, 178 pp. http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151020

2015  Ackerman, JT, and S Peterson. Marine foraging ecology influences mercury bioaccumulation in elephant seals. July 2015. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2015 Ackerman, JT, and M Herzog. New database compiles 30 years of duck nesting data from California. August 2015. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2015 Ackerman, JT. Hybrid coagulation treatment wetland systems decrease mercury in surface waters and fish. August 2015. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2014  Ackerman, JT, CA Eagles-Smith, GH Heinz, SEW De La Cruz, JY Takekawa, AK Miles, TL Adelsbach, MP Herzog, JD Bluso-Demers, SA Demers, G Herring, DJ Hoffman, CA Hartman, JJ Willacker, TH Suchanek, SE Schwarzbach, and TC Maurer. Mercury in birds of San Francisco Bay-Delta, California: trophic pathways, bioaccumulation, and ecotoxicological risk to avian reproduction: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014-1251, 222 pp. http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20141251

2014  Ackerman, JT, CA Hartman, MP Herzog, LM Smith, SM Moskal, SEW De La Cruz, JL Yee, and JY Takekawa. The critical role of islands for waterbird breeding and foraging habitat in managed ponds of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, South San Francisco Bay, California: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014-1263, 118 pp. http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20141263

2014  Ackerman, JT, MP Herzog, CA Hartman, T Watts, and J Barr. Waterbird egg mercury concentrations in response to wetland restoration in south San Francisco Bay, California: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014-1189, 22 pp. http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20141189

2014  Ackerman, JT, MP Herzog, and CA Hartman. Effects of human disturbance on waterbird nesting and reproductive success at restoration pond SF2, south San Francisco Bay, California: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014-1223, 16 pp. http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20141223

2014  Ackerman, JT, and CA Hartman. Tree swallow nesting box study at Cosumnes River Preserve. U.S. Geological Survey Report prepared for the Cosumnes River Preserve, Bureau of Land Management, and The Nature Conservancy. 8 pp.

2014  Eagles-Smith, CA, JT Ackerman, JA Fleck, L Windham-Meyers, H McQuillen, and W Heim. Wetland management and rice farming strategies to decrease methylmercury bioaccumulation and loads from the Cosumnes River Preserve, California. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014-1172, 42 pp. http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20141172

2013  Ackerman, JT, MP Herzog, G Herring, CA Hartman, J Bluso-Demers, and C Robinson-Nilsen. 2013. Impact of salt pond restoration on California Gull displacement and predation on breeding waterbirds. U.S. Geological Survey Report prepared for the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project and Resources Legacy Fund. 83 pp.

2013  Ackerman, JT, M Marvin-DiPasquale, D Slotton, CA Eagles-Smith, MP Herzog, CA Hartman, JL Agee, and S Ayers. The South Bay Mercury Project: using biosentinels to monitor effects of wetland restoration for the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project. U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Davis, CA. 227 pp.

2013  Ackerman, JT, CA Hartman, and MP Herzog. 2013. San Francisco Bay triennial bird egg monitoring program for contaminants – 2012 data summary.  U.S. Geological Survey Report prepared for the Regional Monitoring Program in San Francisco Bay. 18 pp.

2012  Windham-Myers, L, and JT Ackerman. A synthesis of mercury science to support methylmercury control studies for Delta wetlands and irrigated agriculture. Final Report to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. U. S. Geological Survey; 49 pp.

2012  Ackerman, JT, MP Herzog, and CA Hartman. The South Bay Mercury Project: Using biosentinels to monitor effects of wetland restoration for the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project (waterbird mercury component). Administrative Report, U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Davis, CA. 79 pp.

2012  Ackerman, JT, and MP Herzog. Waterbird nest monitoring program in San Francisco Bay (2005-2010). U. S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2012-1145; 24 pp.

2012  Ackerman, JT, MP Herzog, CA Hartman, LA Brand, JY Takekawa, and J Bluso-Demers. The critical role of islands for waterbird breeding and foraging habitat in managed ponds of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project. Annual Report, U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Davis, CA. 19 pp.

2012  Ackerman, JT. Mercury may reduce body condition of endangered California clapper rails. June 2012. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2012  Ackerman, JT, and G Herring. Mercury exposure suppresses stress response in juvenile birds. June 2012. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2012  Ackerman, JT, and KM Ringelman. Density-dependent nest survival and the benefits of having neighbors. June 2012. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2011  Ackerman, JT, MP Herzog, L Salas, T Gardali, G Ballard, D Loughman, G Yarris, and JM Eadie. Avian breeding demographic response to climate change: a multi-species and multi-landscape approach to synthesizing risk factors. Summary Report, U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Davis, CA; PRBO Conservation Science, Petaluma, CA; California Waterfowl Association, Sacramento, CA; University of California, Davis, CA. 190 pp.

2011  Ackerman, JT, and G Herring. Mercury exposure in fish within rice fields at Twitchell Island, Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Administrative Report, U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Davis, CA; 9 pp.

2011  Ackerman, JT, J Bluso-Demers, MP Herzog, C Robinson-Nilsen, and G Herring. Impact of salt pond restoration on California gull displacement and predation on breeding waterbirds. Annual Report, U. S. Geological Survey and San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory; 10 pp.

2011  Ackerman, JT, M Marvin-DiPasquale, D Slotton, MP Herzog, and CA Eagles-Smith. The effects of wetland restoration on mercury bioaccumulation in the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project: using the biosentinel toolbox to monitor changes across multiple habitats and spatial scales. Annual Report, U. S. Geological Survey and University of California; 11 pp.

2011  Ackerman, JT. Mercury toxicological risk is highest at hatching and fledging for terns, stilts, and avocets. June 2011. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2011  Herring, G, and JT Ackerman. 2011. California gull chicks raised near colony edges have elevated stress levels. June 2011. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2010  Ackerman, JT, CA Eagles-Smith, MP Herzog, G Herring, C Strong, and E Mruz. Response of waterbird breeding effort, nest success, and mercury concentrations in eggs and fish to altered salt pond management. Administrative Report, U. S. Geological Survey and U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 28 pp.

2010  Ackerman, JT, and G Herring. Mercury bioaccumulation within rice agricultural wetlands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Administrative Report, U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Davis, CA; 6 pp.

2010  Windham-Myers, L, M Marvin-DiPasquale, J Fleck, CN Alpers, JT Ackerman, CA Eagles-Smith, C Stricker, M Stephenson, D Feliz, G Gill, P Bachand, A Brice, and R Kulakow. Methylmercury cycling, bioaccumulation, and export from agricultural and non-agricultural wetlands in the Yolo Bypass. Final Report to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. U. S. Geological Survey, California Department of Fish and Game, Moss Landing Marine Lab, Battelle Marine Sciences, Bachand and Associates, and Yolo Basin Foundation; 266 pp.

2010  Ackerman, JT, MP Herzog, CA Eagles-Smith, and JB Demers. California gull intrusions on breeding waterbird colonies and impacts to reproductive success: implications for the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project. Administrative Report, U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Davis, CA; 13 pp.

2010  Eagles-Smith, CA, and JT Ackerman. Developing impairment thresholds for the effects of mercury on Forster’s tern reproduction in San Francisco Bay. Administrative Report, U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Davis, CA; 21 pp.

2010  Ackerman, JT. Agricultural wetlands as hotspots for mercury bioaccumulation in wildlife. October 2010. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2010  Herring, G, and JT Ackerman. Malpositioned embryos and hatching failure in tern eggs linked to mercury contamination.  September 2010. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2009  Ackerman, JT, and CA Eagles-Smith. Mercury bioaccumulation and rice cultivation in the Delta. Administrative Report, U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Davis, CA; 3 pp.

2009  Eagles-Smith, CA, and JT Ackerman. San Francisco Bay triennial bird egg monitoring program for contaminants, 2009. Annual Report, U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Davis, CA; 10 pp.

2009  Ringelman, KM, JT Ackerman, JM Eadie, and J Kwolek. Duck nest monitoring at Grizzly Island Wildlife Area: 2009 report. Administrative Report, U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Davis, CA and California Waterfowl Association, Sacramento, CA; 14 pp.

2009  Eagles-Smith, CA, and JT Ackerman. Mercury-selenium effects on reproductive success of Forster’s terns in San Francisco Bay. Annual Report, U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Davis, CA; 26 pp.

2009  Ackerman, JT, CA Eagles-Smith, JY Takekawa, J Bluso-Demers, D Tsao, and D Le Fer. California gull movements in relation to nesting waterbirds and landfills: implications for the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project. Administrative Report, U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Davis, CA; 64 pp.

2009  Ackerman, JT, J Kwolek, R Eddings, D Loughman, and J Messerli. Evaluating upland habitat management at the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area: effects on dabbling duck nest density and nest success. Administrative Report, U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Davis, CA and California Waterfowl Association, Sacramento, CA; 26 pp.

2009  Ackerman, JT. Integrating toxicity risk in bird eggs and chicks. March 2009. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2009  Ackerman, JT. Postfledging Forster’s tern colony attendance and habitat selection and in San Francisco Bay. March 2009. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2009  Ackerman, JT. Survival of postfledging Forster’s terns in San Francisco Bay. March 2009. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2009  Eagles-Smith, CA, and JT Ackerman. The ups and downs of mercury in small prey fish. November 2009. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2008  Ackerman, JT, and CA Eagles-Smith. A dual life-stage approach to monitoring the effects of mercury concentrations on the reproductive success of Forster’s terns in San Francisco Bay. Administrative Report, U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Davis, CA; 47 pp.

2008  Ackerman, JT, CA Eagles-Smith, T Adelsbach, and J Yee. Mercury levels and growth rates of Forster’s tern chicks in San Francisco Bay. Pages 40-41 in L. Trulio (editor), Proceedings of the 2006 South Bay Science Symposium, South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, San Jose State University, San Jose, California.

2008  Ackerman, JT, CA Eagles-Smith, JY Takekawa, and T Adelsbach. Mercury accumulation in black-necked stilt chicks in San Francisco Bay. Pages 42-43 in L. Trulio (editor), Proceedings of the 2006 South Bay Science Symposium, South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, San Jose State University, San Jose, California.

2008  Ackerman, JT, and JY Takekawa. Gull predation on shorebird and tern nests and chicks in the South San Francisco Bay salt ponds. Pages 44-46 in L. Trulio (editor), Proceedings of the 2006 South Bay Science Symposium, South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, San Jose State University, San Jose, California.

2008  Takekawa, JY, JT Ackerman, C Eagles-Smith, S Wainwright-De La Cruz, T Adelsbach, AK Miles, G Heinz, D Hoffman, S Schwarzbach, T Suchanek, T Maurer, C Strong, N Warnock. Mercury in birds of the San Francisco Bay-Delta:  trophic pathways, bioaccumulation and ecotoxicological risk to avian reproduction. Pages 72-74 in L. Trulio (editor), Proceedings of the 2006 South Bay Science Symposium, South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, San Jose State University, San Jose, California.

2008  Eagles-Smith, CA, JT Ackerman, and T Adelsbach. Mercury concentrations in pre-breeding and breeding Forster’s terns. Pages 51-53 in L. Trulio (editor), Proceedings of the 2006 South Bay Science Symposium, South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, San Jose State University, San Jose, California.

2008  Eagles-Smith, CA, JT Ackerman, S De La Cruz, T Adelsbach, J Takekawa, and AK Miles. Mercury concentrations vary among waterbird foraging guilds and locations in San Francisco Bay. Pages 54-56 in L. Trulio (editor), Proceedings of the 2006 South Bay Science Symposium, South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, San Jose State University, San Jose, California.

2008  Demers, SA, MA Colwell, JY Takekawa, and JT Ackerman. Space use of American avocets in South San Francisco Bay, California. Pages 47-50 in L. Trulio (editor), Proceedings of the 2006 South Bay Science Symposium, South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, San Jose State University, San Jose, California.

2008  Ackerman, JT. Mercury contamination and effects on avocet and stilt chick survival. March 2008. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2008  Ackerman, JT. Mercury in Forster’s terns in relation to space use of San Francisco Bay habitats. March 2008. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2007  Ackerman, JT, CA Eagles-Smith, GH Heinz, SE Wainwright-De La Cruz, JY Takekawa, TL Adelsbach, AK Miles, DJ Hoffman, SE Schwarzbach, TH Suchanek, and TC Maurer. Mercury in birds of the San Francisco Bay-Delta: trophic pathways, bioaccumulation, and ecotoxicological risk to avian reproduction. Administrative Report, U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Davis, CA, and U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Contaminants Division, Sacramento, CA; 44 pp.

2007  Ackerman, JT. Mercury in American avocets and black-necked stilts breeding in San Francisco Bay. September 2007. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2006  Ackerman, JT, JY Takekawa, C Strong, N Athearn, and A Rex. California gull distribution, abundance, and predation on waterbird eggs and chicks in South San Francisco Bay. Final Report, U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Davis, CA; 61 pp.

2006  Ackerman, JT. Hunting vulnerability of dabbling ducks to spinning-wing decoys varies among species and locations. July 2006. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2006  Ackerman, JT. Life-history predicts risk-taking behavior of ducks. August 2006. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2006  Ackerman, JT. Central valley habitat changes affect space use by white-fronted geese. September 2006. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2005  Schwarzbach, SE, TH Suchanek, GH Heinz, JT Ackerman, CA Eagles-Smith, TL Adelsbach, JY Takekawa, AK Miles, DJ Hoffman, SE Wainwright-De La Cruz, SE Spring, MA Ricca, and TC Maurer. Mercury in birds of the San Francisco Bay-Delta: trophic pathways, bioaccumulation, and ecotoxicological risk to avian reproduction. 2005 Annual Report to CALFED, U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, and U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office; 17pp.

2005  Ackerman, JT. Effects of radio transmitters on the reproductive performance of Cassin’s auklets. March 2005. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2004  Takekawa, JY, HR Carter, DL Orthmeyer, RT Golightly, JT Ackerman, GJ McChesney, JW Mason, J Adams, WR McIver, MO Pierson, and CD Hamilton. At-sea distribution and abundance of seabirds and marine mammals in the Southern California Bight: 1999-2003. Final Summary Report, U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Vallejo, CA; and Humboldt State University, Department of Wildlife, Arcata, CA; 309 pp.

2004  Ackerman, JT, J Adams, JY Takekawa, HR Carter, DL Whitworth, SH Newman, RT Golightly, and DL Orthmeyer. Radio transmitter effects on Cassin’s auklets breeding on the California Channel Islands. Pages 279-303 in Takekawa, JY, HR Carter, DL Orthmeyer, RT Golightly, JT Ackerman, GJ McChesney, JW Mason, J Adams, WR McIver, MO Pierson, and CD Hamilton. 2004. At-sea distribution and abundance of seabirds and marine mammals in the Southern California Bight: 1999-2003. Final Summary Report, U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Vallejo, CA; and Humboldt State University, Department of Wildlife, Arcata, CA; 309 pp.

2004  Mason, JW, GJ McChesney, WR McIver, HR Carter, JY Takekawa, RT Golightly, JT Ackerman, DL Orthmeyer, WM Perry, JL Yee, MO Pierson, and MD McCrary. At-sea aerial surveys of seabirds in the Southern California Bight: 1999-2002. Pages 11-109 in Takekawa, JY, HR Carter, DL Orthmeyer, RT Golightly, JT Ackerman, GJ McChesney, JW Mason, J Adams, WR McIver, MO Pierson, and CD Hamilton. 2004. At-sea distribution and abundance of seabirds and marine mammals in the Southern California Bight: 1999-2003. Final Summary Report, U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Vallejo, CA; and Humboldt State University, Department of Wildlife, Arcata, CA; 309 pp.

2004  Ackerman, JT. Cardiac response of free-living tule greater white-fronted geese to human disturbance. October 2004. USGS Publication Brief for Resource Managers.

2000  Eadie, JM, TG Moore, and JT Ackerman. Experimental evaluation of the effect of mechanical wing decoys (‘moto-duck’) on hunting success and waterfowl response in California, 1999-2000. Technical Report to the California Waterfowl Association; 56 pp.

1999  Ackerman, JT. Duck nesting effort on the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area, Suisun Marsh, CA: 1999 Final Report. Technical Report to the California Department of Fish and Game and the California Waterfowl Association; 4 pp.

1998  Ackerman, JT. Duck nesting effort on the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area, Suisun Marsh, CA: 1998 Final Report. Technical Report to the California Department of Fish and Game and the California Waterfowl Association; 10 pp.