Kelly O Maloney, Ph.D.

Biography

Intro

Dr. Kelly O. Maloney is an ecologist whose research focuses on the effects of anthropogenic activities on the quantity and quality of freshwater resources with a goal to synthesize scientific findings into tools to aid in the monitoring, assessment and management of these precious resources. He conducts and coordinates a highly diverse range of research to address the informational needs of the DOI, its partners, state agencies and NGOs. Dr. Maloney has centered his research program on two areas: 1) ecological flow requirements of aquatic systems, and 2) effects of anthropogenic activities on aquatic ecosystem structure and function. Within each focal area he conducts research to answer questions at multiple scales, employing a combination of field surveys, statistical analyses, computer simulations and meta-analyses.

He held post-doctoral positions at the Illinois Natural History Survey and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center prior to joining the U.S. Geological Survey Leetown Science Center in June of 2010.

Education

B.S. Environmental Resource Management, 1994,The Pennsylvania State University
M.S. Earth and Environmental Science, 2000, Lehigh University
M.P.S. Discrete and Statistical Science, 2004, Auburn University
Ph.D. Biological Sciences, 2004, Auburn University.

Current Position

Research Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center

Science and Products

Filter Total Items: 5

Location

Date published: February 19, 2020

Status: Active

Projecting stream conditions under future land-use and climate scenarios

Issue: Global change, particularly changes in land use and climate, is dramatically altering stream conditions throughout the world. Healthy streams are important for freshwater fisheries, wildlife, and public recreation. The Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) has a goal of improving the health of streams throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which includes an outcome of...

Contacts: Kelly O Maloney, Ph.D.

Attribution: Core Science Systems, Chesapeake Bay Activities

Date published: April 26, 2019

Status: Active

Mapping riverine habitats of the Delaware River using bathymetric LiDAR

Ecosystem management and assessment of rivers requires detailed data on bathymetry before estimates of aquatic habitats can be determined. However, mapping bathymetry in shallow rivers is challenging due to river depth limitations for watercraft. Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology has revolutionized aerial mapping of topography and vegetation, but the infrared lasers used on these...

Contacts: John A Young, Kelly O Maloney, Ph.D., Randy Bennett, M.B.A., Heather Galbraith

Attribution: Ecosystems, Fisheries Program, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian, Leetown Science Center

Date published: April 26, 2019

Status: Active

Assessing stream health and fish habitat in streams of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Streams and rivers provide habitat for a diverse array of aquatic and semi-aquatic species. However, human alteration to landscapes and riverscapes has affected this habitat resulting in its degradation and thus loss of habitat and associated sensitive aquatic species. While this relationship has been known for many years, only recently has the availability of data and analytical capabilities...

Contacts: Kelly O Maloney, Ph.D., John A Young

Attribution: Ecosystems, Environmental Health, Environments Program, Fisheries Program, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian, Leetown Science Center

Date published: April 26, 2019

Status: Active

Exploring the potential effects of shale oil and gas development on freshwaters

Widespread shale oil and gas (unconventional oil and gas, UOG) has only recently begun and many gaps in our knowledge of its potential effects to freshwaters exist. We conducted several studies aimed at filling these gaps, providing data on the rates and volumes of materials spilled, proximity of spills to important ecosystems, and overall production of wastes. These data together with current...

Contacts: Kelly O Maloney, Ph.D.

Attribution: Ecosystems, Energy & Wildlife, Fisheries Program, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian, Leetown Science Center

Date published: February 28, 2018

Status: Active

Warm Freshwater Ecosystems

These systems are characterized as 4^th order and larger nontidal riverine systems, which includes many of the intermediate and larger size rivers, such as the Penobscot, Connecticut, Hudson, Delaware, and Susquehanna Rivers and their larger tributaries of the northeastern U.S. Fish passage, thermal stress, and ecological flows are likely important issues in these systems. Fish...

Contacts: Kelly O Maloney, Ph.D.

Attribution: Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian, Leetown Science Center

Pre-USGS Publications

Landscape ecology and wildlife habitat evaluation: critical information for ecological risk assessment, land-use, management activities and biodiversity enhancement practices.

Dale, V. H., P. J. Mulholland, L. M. Olsen, J. W. Feminella, K. O. Maloney, D. C. White, A. Peacock, and T. Foster. 2004. Selecting a suite of ecological indicators for resource management. L. A. Kapustka, H. Gilbraith, M. Luxon, and G. R. Biddinger (editors). Landscape ecology and wildlife habitat evaluation: critical information for ecological risk assessment, land-use, management activities and biodiversity enhancement practices. American Society for Testing and Materials STP 1458. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA.

Anthropogenic disturbance and streams: land use and land-use change affect stream ecosystems via multiple pathways

Maloney, K.O. and D.E. Weller. 2011. Anthropogenic disturbance and streams: land use and land-use change affect stream ecosystems via multiple pathways. Freshwater Biology 56: 611-626. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2427.2010.02522.x