Waterfowl population biology, factors affecting reproductive performance, evolutionary determinants of life history strategies, and survival rate estimation.
Professional Experience
1993 - Present Research Wildlife Biologist, USGS, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska
1987 - 1993 Graduate Research Associate, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska
1985 - 1987 Biological Technician, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 1993 University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK Biology
B.S. 1986 University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK Wildlife Biology
Affiliations and Memberships*
The Wildlife Society
Wilson Ornithological Society
Cooper Ornithological Society
Association of Field Ornithologists
American Ornithologists Union
Science and Products
Tracking Data for Long-tailed Ducks (Clangula hyemalis)
Tracking Data for Black Scoter (Melanitta americana)
Spatial and Temporal Maps of Population Change of Waterbirds on Alaska's North Slope
Dabbling and Diving Duck Research
Goose Research
Avian Influenza Research
Trace element data in whole blood collected in 2001 from Steller's eiders at Izembek Lagoon and Steller's eiders, harlequin ducks, black scoters, and a long-tailed duck at Dutch Harbor, Alaska
Tracking Data for Long-tailed Ducks (Clangula hyemalis)
Aerial Photo Imagery from Fall Waterfowl Surveys, Izembek Lagoon, Alaska, 2017-2019
Counts of Birds in Aerial Photos from Fall Waterfowl Surveys, Izembek Lagoon, Alaska, 2017-2019
Tracking Data for Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima)
Capture and Measurement Data of Greater White-Fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) from the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, 2012-2014
Pacific common eider (Somateria mollissima v-nigrum) nest records, Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, 1991-2004
Vegetation and Temperature Data, Smith River Estuary, Alaska, 2011-2013
Tracking Data for Black Scoter (Melanitta americana)
Data for Evaluating Efficacy of 1- versus 2-prong Radio Transmitter Attachment for Scoters in Alaska and Washington, 2008-2010
Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) Nest Characteristics and Nesting Behavior Classifications from Time-lapse Photographs; Point Lonely, Alaska, 2013-2014
Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) Habitat Use Data, Teshekpuk Lake Special Area, 2012-2013
Trace elements in blood of sea ducks from Dutch Harbor and Izembek Lagoon, Alaska
Optimizing surveys of fall-staging geese using aerial imagery and automated counting
Prioritizing habitats based on abundance and distribution of molting waterfowl in the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area of the National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska
Comparison of indices to infer population dynamics of black brant
Strong evidence for two disjunct populations of Black Scoters Melanitta americana in North America
Growth of greater white-fronted goose goslings relates to population dynamics at multiple scales
Response of forage plants to alteration of temperature and spring thaw date: Implications for geese in a warming Arctic
Prioritizing habitats based on abundance and distribution of molting waterfowl in the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area of the National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska
Visualizing populations of North American sea ducks: Maps to guide research and management planning
Spatio-temporal population change of Arctic-breeding waterbirds on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska
Non‐linear effect of sea ice: Spectacled Eider survival declines at both extremes of the ice spectrum
Summary of wildlife-related research on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, 2002–17
Science and Products
- Science
Tracking Data for Long-tailed Ducks (Clangula hyemalis)
Available here are tracking data of long-tailed duck, a species of seaduck that breeds throughout the circumpolar Arctic and spends the winter in coastal areas of northern and mid latitudes. These data were collected to determine range-wide migratory routes, migratory timing, and stopover habitats of this species.Tracking Data for Black Scoter (Melanitta americana)
Available here are tracking data of Black Scoter, a duck species that breeds throughout higher latitudes of Alaska and Canada and winters along coastal areas of North America. These data were collected to better understand the timing and patterns of migratory movements between breeding and wintering areas.Spatial and Temporal Maps of Population Change of Waterbirds on Alaska's North Slope
A main objective of the USGS Changing Arctic Research Initiative is to quantify and provide projections of the responses of wildlife species and their habitats to ecosystem change in the Arctic. The following project provides information for Department of Interior agencies, industry, and other stakeholders related to this objective.Dabbling and Diving Duck Research
Dabbling and diving ducks, such as mallards, pintails and scaup, are widespread species throughout North America. Additionally, their migratory flyways pass through Asia and North America overlap in Alaska. Population trends of these species are closely tracked through aerial surveys by management agencies. Results from these and other surveys are then used to formulate management actions to...Goose Research
The USGS Alaska Science Center has had a focus on addressing science questions related to geese in Alaska for decades. Information on these species is critical because all are important resources for subsistence and sport hunters in the state and outside of Alaska where these birds spend the winter. The large majority of goose populations in Alaska breed on national wildlife refuges (managed by...Avian Influenza Research
Since 2006, the USGS Alaska Science Center has been part of the State and Federal interagency team for the detection and response to highly pathogenic (HPAI) viruses in North America. Avian influenza or "bird flu" is a viral disease that primarily infects domestic poultry and wild birds. Avian influenza viruses are naturally occurring in wild birds such as ducks, geese, swans, and gulls. These... - Data
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Trace element data in whole blood collected in 2001 from Steller's eiders at Izembek Lagoon and Steller's eiders, harlequin ducks, black scoters, and a long-tailed duck at Dutch Harbor, Alaska
Trace element data in whole blood collected in 2001 from Steller's eiders (Polysticta stelleri; STEI) at Izembek Lagoon and Steller's eiders, harlequin ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus; HADU), black scoters (Melanitta americana; BLSC), and a long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis; LTDU) at Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Data include species, location, age, sex, percent moisture of blood sample, and trace elemTracking Data for Long-tailed Ducks (Clangula hyemalis)
This metadata document describes the data contained in the "rawData" folder of this data package. This data package contains all data collected by the Argos System from 85 satellite transmitters attached to Long-tailed Ducks on their breeding range in arctic and western Alaska, 1998-2005. Five data files are included in the "rawData" folder of this data package. Two data files (with identical contAerial Photo Imagery from Fall Waterfowl Surveys, Izembek Lagoon, Alaska, 2017-2019
The imagery and annotations presented here were generated while testing an aerial photographic survey design to improve repeatability, transparency, and estimation of variance for annual population estimates of geese staging at Izembek Lagoon, Alaska. This dataset includes 1) 131,031 .JPG images captured from a small fixed-wing occupied aircraft, usually at an altitude of about 457 m, over IzembekCounts of Birds in Aerial Photos from Fall Waterfowl Surveys, Izembek Lagoon, Alaska, 2017-2019
This dataset includes tables summarizing image information and bird counts from the aerial digital images taken over open water at Izembek Lagoon in Alaska in fall 2017-2019. These summaries list one record per image and provide the camera parameters, latitude, longitude, altitude, and automated and manual counts representing the total number of birds in each taxon (brant, white-cheeked geese, empTracking Data for Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima)
This metadata document describes the data contained in the "rawData" folder of this data package. This data package contains all data collected by the Argos System from 167 satellite transmitters attached to Common Eiders on their breeding range in arctic and western Alaska, 2000-2008. Five data files are included in the "rawData" folder of this data package. Two data files (with identical contentCapture and Measurement Data of Greater White-Fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) from the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, 2012-2014
This data set provides capture information and body size measurements of adult and gosling Greater White-fronted Geese captured at three study sites on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, 2012-2014.Pacific common eider (Somateria mollissima v-nigrum) nest records, Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, 1991-2004
This data are a single table of nest records from a multi-year study of Pacific Common Eider (Somateria mollissima v-nigrum) biology that was conducted along the lower Kashunuk River, Kigigak Island, and the mouth of the Tutakoke River on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta from 1991-2004.Vegetation and Temperature Data, Smith River Estuary, Alaska, 2011-2013
This data release contains measurements of vegetation samples and temperature collected from experimental plots of Carex subspathacea along the Smith River Estuary, Alaska (2011-2013).Tracking Data for Black Scoter (Melanitta americana)
This metadata document describes the data contained in the "processedData" folder of this data package. This data package contains all data collected by the Argos System from 53 satellite transmitters attached to Black Scoters on their breeding and winter ranges in western Alaska, 2003-2007. The raw data were processed to accomplish two goals: flag implausible location estimates and decode raw senData for Evaluating Efficacy of 1- versus 2-prong Radio Transmitter Attachment for Scoters in Alaska and Washington, 2008-2010
A major challenge of wildlife telemetry is choosing an attachment technique that maximizes transmitter retention while minimizing negative side effects. For waterbirds, attachment of transmitters with subcutaneous anchors has been an effective and well-established technique, having been used on >40 species. This method was recently modified to include a second subcutaneous anchor, presuGreater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) Nest Characteristics and Nesting Behavior Classifications from Time-lapse Photographs; Point Lonely, Alaska, 2013-2014
This data release contains two tables of information on behavior and productivity of greater white-fronted geese nesting near Point Lonely, Alaska, 2013-2014: transcriptions of nest photographs obtained by time-lapse photography at 1-minute intervals, and characteristics of nests monitored with cameras and via periodic nest visits. Data were collected as part of the USGS Changing Arctic EcosystemGreater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) Habitat Use Data, Teshekpuk Lake Special Area, 2012-2013
This data release contains one table of data from a two-year study of Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons frontalis) molting ecology conducted in the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area within the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska in 2012 and 2013. - Publications
Filter Total Items: 128
Trace elements in blood of sea ducks from Dutch Harbor and Izembek Lagoon, Alaska
In 2001, we collected whole blood from sea ducks (Steller’s eider Polysticta stelleri, harlequin duck Histrionicus histrionicus, black scoter Melanitta nigra, and long-tailed duck Clangula hyemalis) wintering at Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and from Steller’s eiders molting at Izembek Lagoon on the Alaska Peninsula. Blood samples were analyzed for 19 trace elements, of which 17 were detected in one or moOptimizing surveys of fall-staging geese using aerial imagery and automated counting
Ocular aerial surveys allow efficient coverage of large areas and can be used to monitor abundance and distribution of wild populations. However, uncertainty around resulting population estimates can be large due to difficulty in visually identifying and counting animals from aircraft, as well as logistical challenges in estimating detection probabilities. Photographic aerial surveys can mitigatePrioritizing habitats based on abundance and distribution of molting waterfowl in the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area of the National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska
The National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A) encompasses more than 9.5 million hectares of federally managed land on the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska, where it supports a diversity of wildlife, including millions of migratory birds. Within the NPR-A, Teshekpuk Lake and the surrounding area provide important habitat for migratory birds and this area has been designated by the BureauComparison of indices to infer population dynamics of black brant
To aid managers in assessing status of Pacific black brant Branta bernicla nigricans (hereafter brant), I examined pre-existing long-term data series from summer, fall staging, and wintering areas to infer overall population processes and assessed the utility of the various data sources. Variation in demographic parameters measured in subarctic and Arctic locations suggests some form of metapopulaStrong evidence for two disjunct populations of Black Scoters Melanitta americana in North America
Black Scoters Melanitta americana were marked with satellite transmitters on Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America to examine continental-scale population delineation. Scoters marked on the different coasts did not overlap at any stage of the annual cycle, suggesting that birds in the two regions could be monitored and managed as separate populations: 1) an Atlantic population, which winterGrowth of greater white-fronted goose goslings relates to population dynamics at multiple scales
The abundance of greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons frontalis) on the Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) of northern Alaska, USA, has more than tripled since the late 1990s; however, recent rate of annual population growth has declined as population size increased, which may indicate white-fronted geese on the ACP are approaching carrying capacity. We examined rates of gosling growth in greaterResponse of forage plants to alteration of temperature and spring thaw date: Implications for geese in a warming Arctic
Changes in summer temperatures in Arctic Alaska have led to longer and warmer growing seasons over the last three decades. Corresponding with these changes in climate, the abundance and distributions of geese have increased and expanded over the same period. We used an experimental approach to assess the response of goose forage plants to simulated environmental change. We subjected Carex subspathPrioritizing habitats based on abundance and distribution of molting waterfowl in the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area of the National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska
The National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A) encompasses more than 9.5 million hectares of federally managed land on the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska, where it supports a diversity of wildlife, including millions of migratory birds. Within the NPR-A, Teshekpuk Lake and the surrounding area provide important habitat for migratory birds, including large numbers of waterfowl and shorebVisualizing populations of North American sea ducks: Maps to guide research and management planning
North American sea ducks generally breed in mid- to northern-latitude regions and nearly all rely upon marine habitats for much of their annual cycle. Most sea duck species remained poorly studied until the 1990s when declines were noted in several species and populations. Subsequent research, much of which was funded by the Sea Duck Joint Venture, began in the late 1990s with an emphasis on definSpatio-temporal population change of Arctic-breeding waterbirds on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska
Rapid physical changes that are occurring in the Arctic are primary drivers of landscape change and thus may drive population dynamics of Arctic-breeding birds. Despite the importance of this region to breeding and molting waterbirds, lack of a comprehensive analysis of historic data has hindered quantifying avian population change. We estimated distribution, abundance, and spatially explicit popuNon‐linear effect of sea ice: Spectacled Eider survival declines at both extremes of the ice spectrum
Understanding the relationship between environmental factors and vital rates is an important step in predicting a species’ response to environmental change. Species associated with sea ice are of particular concern because sea ice is projected to decrease rapidly in polar environments with continued levels of greenhouse gas emissions. The relationship between sea ice and the vital rates of the SpeSummary of wildlife-related research on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, 2002–17
We summarize recent (2002–17) publicly available information from studies within the 1002 Area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as well as terrestrial and coastal ecosystems elsewhere on the Arctic Coastal Plain that are relevant to the 1002 Area. This report provides an update on earlier research summaries on caribou (Rangifer tarandus), forage quality and quantity, polar bears (Ursus marit - 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