Michael J. Anteau serves as a research scientist and the Chief of the Wildlife and Ecosystems Branch at the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, North Dakota.
Dr. Anteau conducts large-scale research studies to provide applied information for the conservation and management of wildlife and wildlife habitat. His research focuses on evaluating implications of climate and land use changes on migratory birds, wetland and riparian dependent wildlife, and wetland ecology. Through this research focus, Anteau has developed expertise in subjects such as: wetland hydrology, habitat use and selection, nutrition and energetics, breeding ecology, migration stopover ecology, and landscape ecology. In addition to research that Dr. Anteau leads at Northern Prairie, he also serves as adjunct faculty at several Universities and advises or mentors M.S. and Ph.D. students, and Post-Doctoral Researchers.
Professional Experience
2015-Present: Wildlife and Ecosystems Branch Chief and Research Wildlife Biologist, US Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND
2006-Present: Research Wildlife Biologist, US Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND
1999-2005: Graduate Research Assistant, US Geological Survey, Louisiana Cooperative Research Unit, School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Wildlife and Fisheries Science, Louisiana State University, Jan. 2006
M.S., Wildlife Biology, Louisiana State University, May 2002
B.S., Wildlife Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Dec. 1997
B.S., Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Dec. 1997
Affiliations and Memberships*
Adjunct Professor of Biology, North Dakota State University (since 2010)
Adjunct Assistant Professor, South Dakota State University (since 2011)
Adjunct Professor, Western Illinois University (since 2017)
Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) life member
Associate Editor for Wetlands (2010-2014)
Editorial Board for Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Prairie Pothole Joint Venture Technical Team Member
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 13
Understanding consequences of management strategies for farmed wetlands to ecosystem services in the Prairie Pothole Region
NPWRC is leading a partnership with North Dakota State University to examine ecological, social, and financial considerations of farming practices within temporarily-ponded wetlands. There has been a long history of cropping prairie pothole wetlands which are embedded within farm fields. Often wet conditions during spring or summer prevent farmers from getting a harvestable yield from these areas...
Interactions of consolidation drainage and climate on water-level dynamics, wetland productivity, and waterbirds
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC) recently completed a project aimed at understanding the impacts of wetland drainage on wetlands that receive drainage water. The biological communities of prairie pothole wetlands evolved in a hydrologically dynamic system due to periodic wet and dry conditions. NPWRC research indicates that relative to wetlands in undrained landscapes, wetlands...
Restoration of wetland invertebrates to improve wildlife habitat in Minnesota
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC) is investigating limitations to restoring abundant aquatic macroinvertebrate populations to Minnesota wetlands and shallow lakes. Recent research on larger more permanent wetlands in Minnesota indicates that there have been decreases in quality of wetlands of use by ducks. That research also describes a decline in abundance of amphipods, a shrimp...
Importance of wetlands in intensively farmed landscapes to duck production
The Prairie Pothole Region of the northern Great Plains annually hosts 50–80% of North America’s ducks during the breeding season. Accordingly, there are significant government and private funds that go to conservation for the purposes of improving duck production in the region. The Prairie Pothole Region ecosystem has a number of stressors, intensive agriculture being chief among them. The...
Evaluating wetland ecosystem health using real-time nutrient dynamics of ducks
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC) leads a collaborative effort, spanning several studies, with the objective of improving techniques to assess the quality of spring migration habitat for ducks. Spring is a critical time in in the life cycle of migratory ducks because during migration they experience peak energetic needs at a time when food resources are often at their scarcest...
Interaction of land use and wet/dry cycles on invertebrate populations of northern prairie wetlands: implications for waterbird habitat conservation
This effort is aimed at understanding how productivity of larger and more permanent wetlands is influenced by a combination of inter-annual hydrological dynamics and land-use impacts. Historically, aquatic-invertebrates productivity and abundance was driven by inter-annual hydrological dynamics because drying periods allow for nutrient cycling and a subsequent pulse of productivity when wet...
Can wetland water-management influence mercury bioaccumulation in songbirds and ducks at National Wildlife Refuges with mercury problems?
During summer 2017, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC) initiated a collaborative research study focused on understanding if water-level management of wetlands at refuges can influence mercury bioaccumulation in wetland-dependent migratory birds. Birds are susceptible to the effects of mercury and can serve as indicators of contamination in ecosystems. We examined mercury...
Inventory, mapping, estimation, and monitoring of least tern and piping plover habitats on the upper Missouri River using satellite imagery
Emergent sandbar maps of the Missouri River produced by Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center continue to be used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to monitor and manage critical breeding habitat for the endangered Interior population of least terns and the threatened Northern Great Plains population of piping plovers. These maps have been created and...
Population demographics of least terns and piping plovers in Colorado
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC) is helping to improve the monitoring of federally listed least terns and piping plovers by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at John Martin Reservoir in Southeastern Colorado. NPWRC is providing information to the USACE aimed to improve their habitat management and productivity monitoring. NPWRC is also providing the capability to mark adults and...
Demographic response of least terns and piping plovers to the 2011 Missouri River Flood
The largest recorded flood event on the Missouri River occurred during 2011. Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center recently concluded a study that evaluated effects of that flood on least tern and piping plover breeding populations. These federally-listed species nest on riverine sandbars and reservoir shorelines. Since construction of the dams on the Missouri River there have been few floods...
Metapopulation dynamics of piping plovers in the Northern Great Plains
NPWRC is leading a multi-agency study to understand metapopulation dynamics of piping plovers in the Northern Great Plains. Piping plovers are a federally listed species that nests on riverine sandbars and shorelines of wetlands and reservoirs. These habitats are dynamic in response to climate and water-management regimes of the Missouri River. The US Army Corps of Engineers manages the Missouri...
Breeding ecology and demographics of least terns and piping plovers at the Central Platte River, Nebraska
The Platte River Recovery Implementation Program (PRRIP) partnered with Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC) to study demographics of least terns and piping plovers at the Central Platte River in Nebraska. Due to water management and other alterations, riverine habitat for least terns and piping plovers has become degraded. Least terns and piping plovers, however, have begun breeding...
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Filter Total Items: 13
Understanding consequences of management strategies for farmed wetlands to ecosystem services in the Prairie Pothole Region
NPWRC is leading a partnership with North Dakota State University to examine ecological, social, and financial considerations of farming practices within temporarily-ponded wetlands. There has been a long history of cropping prairie pothole wetlands which are embedded within farm fields. Often wet conditions during spring or summer prevent farmers from getting a harvestable yield from these areas...Interactions of consolidation drainage and climate on water-level dynamics, wetland productivity, and waterbirds
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC) recently completed a project aimed at understanding the impacts of wetland drainage on wetlands that receive drainage water. The biological communities of prairie pothole wetlands evolved in a hydrologically dynamic system due to periodic wet and dry conditions. NPWRC research indicates that relative to wetlands in undrained landscapes, wetlands...Restoration of wetland invertebrates to improve wildlife habitat in Minnesota
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC) is investigating limitations to restoring abundant aquatic macroinvertebrate populations to Minnesota wetlands and shallow lakes. Recent research on larger more permanent wetlands in Minnesota indicates that there have been decreases in quality of wetlands of use by ducks. That research also describes a decline in abundance of amphipods, a shrimp...Importance of wetlands in intensively farmed landscapes to duck production
The Prairie Pothole Region of the northern Great Plains annually hosts 50–80% of North America’s ducks during the breeding season. Accordingly, there are significant government and private funds that go to conservation for the purposes of improving duck production in the region. The Prairie Pothole Region ecosystem has a number of stressors, intensive agriculture being chief among them. The...Evaluating wetland ecosystem health using real-time nutrient dynamics of ducks
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC) leads a collaborative effort, spanning several studies, with the objective of improving techniques to assess the quality of spring migration habitat for ducks. Spring is a critical time in in the life cycle of migratory ducks because during migration they experience peak energetic needs at a time when food resources are often at their scarcest...Interaction of land use and wet/dry cycles on invertebrate populations of northern prairie wetlands: implications for waterbird habitat conservation
This effort is aimed at understanding how productivity of larger and more permanent wetlands is influenced by a combination of inter-annual hydrological dynamics and land-use impacts. Historically, aquatic-invertebrates productivity and abundance was driven by inter-annual hydrological dynamics because drying periods allow for nutrient cycling and a subsequent pulse of productivity when wet...Can wetland water-management influence mercury bioaccumulation in songbirds and ducks at National Wildlife Refuges with mercury problems?
During summer 2017, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC) initiated a collaborative research study focused on understanding if water-level management of wetlands at refuges can influence mercury bioaccumulation in wetland-dependent migratory birds. Birds are susceptible to the effects of mercury and can serve as indicators of contamination in ecosystems. We examined mercury...Inventory, mapping, estimation, and monitoring of least tern and piping plover habitats on the upper Missouri River using satellite imagery
Emergent sandbar maps of the Missouri River produced by Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center continue to be used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to monitor and manage critical breeding habitat for the endangered Interior population of least terns and the threatened Northern Great Plains population of piping plovers. These maps have been created and...Population demographics of least terns and piping plovers in Colorado
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC) is helping to improve the monitoring of federally listed least terns and piping plovers by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at John Martin Reservoir in Southeastern Colorado. NPWRC is providing information to the USACE aimed to improve their habitat management and productivity monitoring. NPWRC is also providing the capability to mark adults and...Demographic response of least terns and piping plovers to the 2011 Missouri River Flood
The largest recorded flood event on the Missouri River occurred during 2011. Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center recently concluded a study that evaluated effects of that flood on least tern and piping plover breeding populations. These federally-listed species nest on riverine sandbars and reservoir shorelines. Since construction of the dams on the Missouri River there have been few floods...Metapopulation dynamics of piping plovers in the Northern Great Plains
NPWRC is leading a multi-agency study to understand metapopulation dynamics of piping plovers in the Northern Great Plains. Piping plovers are a federally listed species that nests on riverine sandbars and shorelines of wetlands and reservoirs. These habitats are dynamic in response to climate and water-management regimes of the Missouri River. The US Army Corps of Engineers manages the Missouri...Breeding ecology and demographics of least terns and piping plovers at the Central Platte River, Nebraska
The Platte River Recovery Implementation Program (PRRIP) partnered with Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC) to study demographics of least terns and piping plovers at the Central Platte River in Nebraska. Due to water management and other alterations, riverine habitat for least terns and piping plovers has become degraded. Least terns and piping plovers, however, have begun breeding... - Data
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*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