Keith Miles is the Center Director of the Western Ecological Research Center.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
- Community ecology
- Contaminants
- Cumulative effects
- Ecotoxicology
- Invertebrate ecology
- Marine mammal ecology
- Nearshore marine ecology
Professional Experience
Research Biologist, USGS, Western Ecological Research Center, Jun 1997-present
Graduate Faculty, Graduate Group in Ecology, University of California, Davis, Jan 1998-present
Research Biologist, National Biological Service, Davis, California, Oct 1993-Jun 1997
Research Biologist, USFWS, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland, Jul 1986-Oct 1993
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Wildlife Ecology, Oregon State University 1987
M.S., Wildlife Biology, Oregon State University 1976
B.S., Zoology, Howard University 1972
Affiliations and Memberships*
Ecological Society of America
Estuarine Research Federation
Northern California Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
Pacific Estuarine Research Society
The Wildlife Soc
Science and Products
An integrated population model for southern sea otters
Sea otter population collapse in southwest Alaska: Assessing ecological covariates, consequences, and causal factors
Sea otter (Enhydra lutris) populations in southwest Alaska declined substantially between about 1990 and the most recent set of surveys in 2015. Here we report changes in the distribution and abundance of sea otters, and covarying patterns in reproduction, mortality, body size and condition, diet and foraging behavior, food availability, health profiles, and exposure to environmental contaminants
Habitat features predict carrying capacity of a recovering marine carnivore
Gene transcript profiling in desert bighorn sheep
Southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) population biology at Big Sur and Monterey, California --Investigating the consequences of resource abundance and anthropogenic stressors for sea otter recovery
Using gene transcription to assess ecological and anthropological stressors in brown bears
Gene transcription patterns in response to low level petroleum contaminants in Mytilus trossulus from field sites and harbors in southcentral Alaska
Coupling gene-based and classic veterinary diagnostics improves interpretation of health and immune function in the Agassiz’s desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
Cessation of oil exposure in harlequin ducks after the Exxon Valdez oil spill: Cytochrome P4501A biomarker evidence
Southern sea otter range expansion and habitat use in the Santa Barbara Channel, California
Negative impacts of invasive plants on conservation of sensitive desert wildlife
U.S. Geological Survey science strategy for highly pathogenic avian influenza in wildlife and the environment (2016–2020)
WERC Fire Science
Polar Bear Health and Disease Diagnostics
Developing Physiological Diagnostics for the Desert Tortoise
Environmental Stressors and Wildlife Health
Western Ecological Research Center - Headquarters
Davis Field Station
Biological Tissue Data Used to Evaluate Selenium Hazards in the Salton Sea Ecosystem (1984-2020)
Data for Gene Transcription Patterns in Response to Low Level Petroleum Contaminants in Mytilus trossulus from Field Sites and Harbors in Southcentral Alaska
Data for Southern Sea Otter Range Expansion and Habitat Use in the Santa Barbara Channel
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 111
An integrated population model for southern sea otters
Southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) have recovered slowly from their near extinction a century ago, and their continued recovery has been challenged by multiple natural and anthropogenic factors. Development of an integrated population model (IPM) for southern sea otters has been identified as a management priority, to help in evaluating the relative impacts of known threats and guide bestSea otter population collapse in southwest Alaska: Assessing ecological covariates, consequences, and causal factors
Sea otter (Enhydra lutris) populations in southwest Alaska declined substantially between about 1990 and the most recent set of surveys in 2015. Here we report changes in the distribution and abundance of sea otters, and covarying patterns in reproduction, mortality, body size and condition, diet and foraging behavior, food availability, health profiles, and exposure to environmental contaminants
Habitat features predict carrying capacity of a recovering marine carnivore
The recovery of large carnivore species from over‐exploitation can have socioecological effects; thus, reliable estimates of potential abundance and distribution represent a valuable tool for developing management objectives and recovery criteria. For sea otters (Enhydra lutris), as with many apex predators, equilibrium abundance is not constant across space but rather varies as a function of locaGene transcript profiling in desert bighorn sheep
Respiratory disease is a key factor affecting the conservation and recovery of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis ) populations. Innovative, minimally invasive tools such as gene transcription–based diagnostics have the potential to improve our understanding of the broad range of factors that can affect the health of wild sheep. Evaluation of transcript levels for genes representative of multiple inteSouthern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) population biology at Big Sur and Monterey, California --Investigating the consequences of resource abundance and anthropogenic stressors for sea otter recovery
The range of the southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) spans most of the central California coast from Half Moon Bay to Gaviota. Some coastal areas within this range are heavily developed and highly impacted by humans, while other areas are wild and largely pristine. Determining the relative importance of food resource abundance, environmental conditions, and anthropogenic increases in pathogUsing gene transcription to assess ecological and anthropological stressors in brown bears
Increasingly, population- and ecosystem-level health assessments are performed using sophisticated molecular tools. Advances in molecular technology enable the identification of synergistic effects of multiple stressors on the individual physiology of different species. Brown bears (Ursus arctos) are an apex predator; thus, they are ideal candidates for detecting potentially ecosystem-level systemGene transcription patterns in response to low level petroleum contaminants in Mytilus trossulus from field sites and harbors in southcentral Alaska
The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill damaged a wide range of natural resources, including intertidal communities, and post-spill studies demonstrated acute and chronic exposure and injury to an array of species. Standard toxicological methods to evaluate petroleum contaminants have assessed tissue burdens, with fewer assays providing indicators of health or physiology, particularly when contaminant levCoupling gene-based and classic veterinary diagnostics improves interpretation of health and immune function in the Agassiz’s desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
The analysis of blood constituents is a widely used tool to aid in monitoring of animal health and disease. However, classic blood diagnostics (i.e. hematologic and plasma biochemical values) often do not provide sufficient information to determine the state of an animal’s health. Field studies on wild tortoises and other reptiles have had limited success in drawing significant inferences betweenCessation of oil exposure in harlequin ducks after the Exxon Valdez oil spill: Cytochrome P4501A biomarker evidence
The authors quantified hepatic hydrocarbon-inducible cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) expression, as ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity, in wintering harlequin ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) captured in Prince William Sound, Alaska (USA), during 2011, 2013, and 2014 (22–25 yr following the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill). Average EROD activity was compared between birds from areas oiled by theSouthern sea otter range expansion and habitat use in the Santa Barbara Channel, California
The re-colonization of the Santa Barbara channel by sea otters brings these ESA-listed marine mammals closer to active oil and gas production facilities, shipping lanes and naturally occurring oil and gas seeps. However, the degree to which sea otters may actually be affected by human-caused oil spills or exposure to natural oil seeps is currently unknown. Between 2012 and 2014, the U.S. GeologicaNegative impacts of invasive plants on conservation of sensitive desert wildlife
Habitat disturbance from development, resource extraction, off-road vehicle use, and energy development ranks highly among threats to desert systems worldwide. In the Mojave Desert, United States, these disturbances have promoted the establishment of nonnative plants, so that native grasses and forbs are now intermixed with, or have been replaced by invasive, nonnative Mediterranean grasses. ThisU.S. Geological Survey science strategy for highly pathogenic avian influenza in wildlife and the environment (2016–2020)
IntroductionThrough the Science Strategy for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Wildlife and the Environment, the USGS will assess avian influenza (AI) dynamics in an ecological context to inform decisions made by resource managers and policymakers from the local to national level. Through collection of unbiased scientific information on the ecology of AI viruses and wildlife hosts in a c - Science
WERC Fire Science
WERC scientists are defining the past, present, and future of wildfires for wildlife and human communities. Explore this webpage to learn about specific, ongoing projects across California and parts of Nevada.Polar Bear Health and Disease Diagnostics
In 2012, scientists noticed that nearly a third of polar bears sampled in a study in Alaska were suffering from hair loss and poor health. Drs. Lizabeth Bowen and A. Keith Miles of WERC used new technology to track down and identify the factors responsible for driving disease in Alaskan polar bears.Developing Physiological Diagnostics for the Desert Tortoise
The Mojave desert tortoise is listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act and faces threats from habitat loss, predators, and disease. Drs. Lizabeth Bowen and A. Keith Miles with WERC are designing new methods to determine the type and influence of stressors present in the environment for the tortoise and other wildlife.Environmental Stressors and Wildlife Health
Environmental stressors such as contaminants and disease can cause physiological imbalance in all types of wildlife. WERC’s Drs. Lizabeth Bowen and A. Keith Miles develop gene transcription profiles to detect organisms’ physiological responses to environmental stressors and provide resource managers with early warnings for potential effects on wildlife and ecosystem health.Western Ecological Research Center - Headquarters
WERC is headquartered on the campus of California State University Sacramento and is aptly known as the ‘center without walls.’ The Center's headquarters houses management and administrative staff that support the dispersed science structure of WERC scientists which are located at or near ecosystems aligned with their expertise and often co-located with or near DOI partners at field stations in...Davis Field Station
The Davis Field Station is home to research programs that focus on coastal ecosystem dynamics, ecological stressors, and their effects on wildlife populations. These studies primarily take place along the Pacific coast from the Aleutian Islands to southern California. Current projects investigate sea-level rise along both coasts of North America, landscape-scale aquatic and terrestrial ecology... - Data
Biological Tissue Data Used to Evaluate Selenium Hazards in the Salton Sea Ecosystem (1984-2020)
In response to the rapidly evolving conditions at the Salton Sea with the emergence of both newly formed wetland habitat and increasing hazards to wildlife, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Geological Survey have funded a re-evaluation of data gaps regarding selenium concentrations in biota the region. As part of this work, selenium concentrations in biological tissue samples were compiledData for Gene Transcription Patterns in Response to Low Level Petroleum Contaminants in Mytilus trossulus from Field Sites and Harbors in Southcentral Alaska
Marine mussels are a ubiquitous and crucial component of the nearshore environment, and new genomic technologies exist to quantify molecular responses of individual mussels to stimuli, including exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We used gene-based assays of exposure and physiological function to assess lingering oil damage from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill using the Pacific bData for Southern Sea Otter Range Expansion and Habitat Use in the Santa Barbara Channel
The current study was designed to provide critical information for resource managers (specifically the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, henceforth BOEM, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, henceforth USFWS) about the spatial ecology, population status, and potential population threats to sea otters in Santa Barbara Channel, with particular reference to exposure to manmade structures and sour - Multimedia
- News
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government