Scott George
Intro
Scott George is a biologist in the Watersheds Research Section of the USGS New York Water Science Center in Troy, NY. He recently completed a master's degree at the State University at Albany (SUNY) in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology on the impact of severe flooding on lotic biota. Scott's current research is aimed at better understanding riverine fish, benthic macroinvertebrate, and periphyton communities and the disturbances that impact them. Specific ongoing projects include monitoring the expansion of Round Goby towards the Hudson River using environmental DNA and other methods, studying the recovery of fish assemblages in acid-impacted Catskill Mountain streams, and evaluating the toxicity of sediments to benthic macroinvertebrates in Great Lakes Areas of Concern.
EDUCATION:
- M.S., State University of New York, Albany, NY; Major – Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2014
- M.A., State University of New York, Albany, NY; Major – Social Studies, 2010
- B.A. (Magna Cum Laude), Siena College, Loudonville, NY; Major – History Education, 2008
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:
- American Fisheries Society
- New York State Chapter of the American Fisheries Society
- Society For Freshwater Science
- Trout Unlimited
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
- Biologist; U.S. Geological Survey, Troy, NY; 2011-present: Coordinates projects and provides field support and data analysis to other ongoing projects concerning: acidification, extreme hydrologic events, flow-modification, trout population dynamics, water temperatures, and other stressors in stream ecosystems.
- Intern; NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Stream Biomonitoring Unit (SBU), Troy, NY; 2010-2011: Processed benthic macroinvertebrate kick samples, locating and identifying organisms to the ordinal level. Conducted literature review of present lake biomonitoring methods for future integration into SBU Standard Operating Procedure.
Science and Products
New York Statewide Fish Collection: Contaminants in fish from the Buffalo River AOC
Responses of fish assemblages to changing environmental conditions in the Neversink River and Rondout Creek
Sediment toxicity and status of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in the remediated Buffalo River Area-of-Concern
Effect of Flooding from Tropical Storm Irene on Fish Assemblages in the Upper Esopus Creek Basin
Status of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and toxicity of sediments in the Eighteenmile Creek Area of Concern, New York
Status of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and toxicity of sediments in the Niagara River Area of Concern, New York
Effects of Watershed and In-stream Liming on Accelerated Recovery of Macroinvertebrate Assemblages in Tributaries to Honnedaga Lake
Assessing Spatiotemporal Patterns in Fish Assemblages from Acid-Sensitive Streams in the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains
Didymosphenia geminata in the Upper Esopus Creek: Seasonal changes in density and distribution, controlling environmental factors, and potential ecosystem impacts
Quantitative assessment of water quality in the Upper Esopus Creek using fatty acid content of periphyton
Identifying Thermal Refuges in the Schoharie Watershed
Spatiotemporal trends in fish assemblages of the Mohawk River
Data for assessing the status of resident fish communities in the Eighteenmile Creek Area of Concern, New York
Brook trout toxicity data from bioassays conducted in Western Adirondack Streams, 2001-03 and 2015-17
Data for Impacts of Alewife and White Perch Introductions on Rainbow Trout Growth in the Ashokan Reservoir, Catskill Mountains, NY
Data for effects of watershed and in-stream liming on macroinvertebrate communities in acidified tributaries to an Adirondack lake
Data for Assessing the Status of Sediment Toxicity and Macroinvertebrate Communities in the Eighteenmile Creek Area of Concern
Community composition data for assessing fish populations in headwater streams of the Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA
Data from 10-day sediment toxicity tests of bed sediments from the Niagara River Area of Concern and tributaries, New York, with Chironomus dilutus and Hyalella azteca, 201415
Biological and chemical recovery of acidified Catskill Mountain streams in response to the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990
Decreases in aluminum toxicity and mortality of caged brook trout in Adirondack Mountain Streams
Mercury in fish from streams and rivers in New York State: Spatial patterns, temporal changes, and environmental drivers
Predictive relations between acid-base chemistry and fish assemblages in streams of the Adirondack Mountains
Response of water chemistry and young-of-year brook trout to channel and watershed liming in streams showing lagging recovery from acidic deposition
Resilience of benthic macroinvertebrates to extreme floods in a Catskill Mountain river, New York, USA: Implications for water quality monitoring and assessment
Spatial and temporal variability of fish assemblages in acidified streams: Implications for long-term monitoring
Temporal variability in stream fish assemblage metrics and implications for long-term monitoring
Acidification impacts and goals for gauging recovery of Brook Trout populations and fish communities in streams of the Western Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA
Changes in growth of Rainbow Trout in a Catskill Mountain Reservoir following Alewife and White Perch Introductions
Effects of watershed and in-stream liming on macroinvertebrate communities in acidified tributaries to Honnedaga Lake, NY
Results of the 2010-2011 East-Central Adirondack Stream Survey (ECASS)
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
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New York Statewide Fish Collection: Contaminants in fish from the Buffalo River AOC
Background: The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) plan to obtain data on chemical contaminants in fish from multiple Areas of Concern (AOCs) in New York State and use this information to evaluate fish consumption advisories, which are a critical component of most removal criteria for “Restriction on Fish and Wildlife ConsumptionResponses of fish assemblages to changing environmental conditions in the Neversink River and Rondout Creek
Problem The Neversink River and Rondout Creek are historic trout fishing and recreational streams in the heart of the Catskill Mountains of southeastern NY. Waters throughout upper reaches of both rivers currently range from neutral to severely acidic due to deposition of acid rain throughout their watersheds. Fish surveys conducted by the USGS during the late 1980s and early 1990s found that someSediment toxicity and status of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in the remediated Buffalo River Area-of-Concern
Background : Contaminated bed sediments in much of the Buffalo River AOC (Figure 1A, 1B) were removed (dredged) between 2011 and 2015. Plans to monitor and assess the effectiveness of this management action on 8 of 9 beneficial-use-impairments (BUI), included the benthic macroinvertebrate (benthos) BUI, were revised by the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper (Riverkeeper, 2014). Funds needed to implemeEffect of Flooding from Tropical Storm Irene on Fish Assemblages in the Upper Esopus Creek Basin
Background The Upper Esopus Creek, a popular trout-fishing and recreational stream in the heart of the Catskill Mountains, received historic flooding from Tropical Storm Irene on August 28, 2011. Streamflows approached or surpassed the 1% annual exceedance probability (>100 year) flood levels at several USGS streamgages in this basin. Short-term flood impacts on biological assemblages have been asStatus of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and toxicity of sediments in the Eighteenmile Creek Area of Concern, New York
Background: The USGS propose a collaborative investigation with the NYSDEC to evaluate the current condition of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and toxicity of bed sediments in the Eighteenmile Creek Area of Concern (AOC). Sediment-toxicity data provided by the USGS and benthic-community data provided by the NYSDEC from inside the AOC will be compared to similar data from non-AOC sites in EStatus of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and toxicity of sediments in the Niagara River Area of Concern, New York
Background: The USGS propose a collaborative investigation with the NYSDEC and NOAA to evaluate the current condition of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and toxicity of bed sediments in the Niagara River Area of Concern (AOC). Using a probabilistic study design, sediment-toxicity data compiled by the USGS, invertebrate community data collected by NYSDEC, and sediment-chemistry data colleEffects of Watershed and In-stream Liming on Accelerated Recovery of Macroinvertebrate Assemblages in Tributaries to Honnedaga Lake
Background Acidification of lotic and lentic environments has been found to adversely affect the integrity of resident biological assemblages. These effects have been particularly severe in poorly buffered regions like the Western Adirondacks. Although the Clean Air Act and its amendments have greatly reduced levels of atmospheric deposition, many streams in this region are still chronicallyAssessing Spatiotemporal Patterns in Fish Assemblages from Acid-Sensitive Streams in the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains
Background With few exceptions, the contemporary and past effects of acidification on fish populations and communities in streams across acid-sensitive regions of NY have not been documented. The pervasive lack of information only permits anecdotal insight into the spatial effects of acidification on stream-fish assemblages and essentially precludes any broad effort to quantify temporal trendsDidymosphenia geminata in the Upper Esopus Creek: Seasonal changes in density and distribution, controlling environmental factors, and potential ecosystem impacts
Background The invasive diatom Didymosphenia geminata (didymo) has historically been a wide-spread, but rare, micro algae found in moderately flowing cold-water streams of North America, Europe, Asia, and (more recently) New Zealand. Demographic patterns of didymo have recently changed resulting in greater spatial coverage and temporal persistence (e.g. blooms) in streams worldwide. Didymo bloomsQuantitative assessment of water quality in the Upper Esopus Creek using fatty acid content of periphyton
Problem - The Esopus Creek is located in the Catskill Mountains of New York State and is part of the New York City (NYC) drinking water supply system. The basin was dammed in 1915 to form the Ashokan Reservoir splitting the creek into Upper (upstream of the reservoir) and Lower segments. The Schoharie Reservoir, located 27 miles north of the Ashokan Reservoir, supplies water to Upper Esopus CreekIdentifying Thermal Refuges in the Schoharie Watershed
Problem Water temperature is a critical component of trout habitat. Stream temperatures not only affect the distribution, behavior, and survival of trout (and other species), but also compel these species to move toward small areas of preferred temperatures, known as refuges, to maximize growth, survival, and fitness. The Schoharie watershed in the Catskill Mountains, including East Kill, West KilSpatiotemporal trends in fish assemblages of the Mohawk River
Problem The mainstem of the Mohawk River extends from Lake Delta Dam near Rome, NY downstream to its confluence with the Hudson River near Cohoes, NY. It supports a diverse fishery that is used extensively by recreational anglers. Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) and walleye (Sander vitreus) are among the most popular game species with anglers but past biological surveys have documented at - Data
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Data for assessing the status of resident fish communities in the Eighteenmile Creek Area of Concern, New York
The dataset is composed of two data tables containing information from boat electrofishing surveys of two tributaries to Lake Ontario, Eighteenmile Creek and Oak Orchard Creek during June 2019. The first data table contains fish collection information and the second data table contains information on the sampled reaches.Brook trout toxicity data from bioassays conducted in Western Adirondack Streams, 2001-03 and 2015-17
This dataset is composed of a single data table containing survival data and ancillary measurements for brook trout bioassays conducted in streams of the Western Adirondack Mountains during 2001-03 and 2015-17. At each stream site, 4 replicate bottles, each containing five young-of-year brook trout, are exposed to ambient stream waters for approximately one month during spring.Data for Impacts of Alewife and White Perch Introductions on Rainbow Trout Growth in the Ashokan Reservoir, Catskill Mountains, NY
This dataset contains the results from aging and back-calculation of length-at-age of scale samples from 492 Rainbow Trout captured in the Ashokan Reservoir between 1952 and 2016. The first five columns contain collection information including an assigned fish number, the year and period of capture, the basin of the Ashokan Reservoir from which a fish was captured, and the length of the fish whenData for effects of watershed and in-stream liming on macroinvertebrate communities in acidified tributaries to an Adirondack lake
In 2012, a program was initiated using in-stream and aerial (whole-watershed) liming to improve water quality and Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) recruitment in three acidified tributaries of a high-elevation Adirondack lake in New York State. Concurrently, macroinvertebrates were sampled annually between 2013 and 2016 at 3 treated and 3 untreated reference sites to assess the effects of eachData for Assessing the Status of Sediment Toxicity and Macroinvertebrate Communities in the Eighteenmile Creek Area of Concern
The data include the sample collection information and results from 10-day exposures of two test species, Chironomus dilutus and Hyalella azteca to sediments from Eighteenmile Creek and Oak Orchard Creek, NY. The following endpoints were measured for each species following the 10-day exposure: percentage of organisms surviving (hereafter survival) and average ash-free dry weight of the surviving oCommunity composition data for assessing fish populations in headwater streams of the Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA
Community composition data for assessing fish populations in headwater streams of the Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA. Data were collected to assess fish communities and estimate population size and biomass for each species at each sampling site. All data collected from western portion of Adirondack Park or immediately adjacent to it. Each row represents one individual fish. This spreadsheet cData from 10-day sediment toxicity tests of bed sediments from the Niagara River Area of Concern and tributaries, New York, with Chironomus dilutus and Hyalella azteca, 201415
Data from 10-day sediment toxicity tests of bed sediments from the Niagara River and tributaries, Niagara and Erie County, New York. Specifically, the data was used to compare the survival and growth of two macroinvertebrate species in sediments from study sites and laboratory controls. Results are from 10-day sediment exposures of two test species, Chironomus dilutus and Hyalella azteca. Bed-sedi - Publications
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Biological and chemical recovery of acidified Catskill Mountain streams in response to the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990
Decades of acidic deposition have adversely affected aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in acid-sensitive watersheds in parts of the eastern United States. The national Acid Rain Program (Title IV of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments - CAAA) helped reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) and resulted in sharp decreases in the acidity of atmospheric deposition. The decreaAuthorsBarry P. Baldigo, Scott D. George, Dylan R. Winterhalter, Michael McHaleDecreases in aluminum toxicity and mortality of caged brook trout in Adirondack Mountain Streams
Mortality of juvenile brook trout and water chemistry were characterized in six western Adirondack streams in northern New York State during spring 2015, 2016, and 2017 and compared with results from comparable tests done between 1980 and 2003 in many of the same streams to assess temporal changes in inorganic monomeric aluminum (Ali) concentrations, Ali-toxicity, and the role of Ali-exposure duraAuthorsBarry P. Baldigo, Scott D. GeorgeMercury in fish from streams and rivers in New York State: Spatial patterns, temporal changes, and environmental drivers
Mercury (Hg) concentrations in freshwater fish across the state of New York frequently exceed guidelines considered harmful to humans and wildlife, but statewide distribution and temporal changes are not well known for the state’s streams and rivers. We analyzed existing data to describe recent spatial patterns, identify key environmental drivers, and assess temporal changes. Size classes within sAuthorsKaren Riva-Murray, Wayne Richter, N. Roxanna Razavi, Douglas A. Burns, Lisa B Cleckner, Mark Burton, Scott D. George, Douglas A. FreehaferPredictive relations between acid-base chemistry and fish assemblages in streams of the Adirondack Mountains
Surface waters across much of New York State’s Adirondack Mountains were acidified in the late 20th century but began to recover following the 1990 Title IV Amendments to the Clean Air Act. Previous assessments of acidification recovery in the Adirondacks have generally been based on surface water chemistry data and inferred relationships to fish and other aquatic biota. Little data, however, hasAuthorsDiane Bertok, Barry P. Baldigo, Scott D. GeorgeResponse of water chemistry and young-of-year brook trout to channel and watershed liming in streams showing lagging recovery from acidic deposition
Reductions in sulfur emissions have initiated chemical recovery of surface waters impacted by acidic deposition in the Adirondack region of New York State. However, acidified streams remain common in the region, which limits recovery of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) populations. To investigate liming as a method to accelerate recovery of brook trout, the channels of two acidified streams werAuthorsDaniel C Josephson, Gregory B. Lawrence, Scott D. George, Jason Siemion, Barry P. Baldigo, Clifford E. KraftResilience of benthic macroinvertebrates to extreme floods in a Catskill Mountain river, New York, USA: Implications for water quality monitoring and assessment
Changes in the timing, magnitude, frequency, and duration of extreme hydrologic events are becoming apparent and could disrupt species assemblages and stream ecosystems across the Northeastern United States. Between August 28 and 29 of 2011, an average of 31 cm of rain from Tropical Storm Irene fell across Eastern New York State in less than 24 h and caused historic flooding in numerous streams ofAuthorsAlexander J. Smith, Barry P. Baldigo, Brian T Duffy, Scott D. George, Brian DresserSpatial and temporal variability of fish assemblages in acidified streams: Implications for long-term monitoring
Numerous studies have established strong linkages between acid deposition, soil and surface-water acidification, and toxicity to aquatic biota. Little is known however, about the effects of acidification on fish assemblages in headwater streams because they are highly variable, and pre-acidification data are often lacking. The primary purpose of this study was to describe spatial and interannual (AuthorsScott D. George, Barry P. Baldigo, Gregory B. LawrenceTemporal variability in stream fish assemblage metrics and implications for long-term monitoring
High natural variability in the condition of fish communities in headwater streams complicates detection of long-term responses to changes in water quality. As a result, little is known about the impacts and recovery of fishes from acid deposition in streams of New York. Twenty-one fish metrics from annual electrofishing surveys at 13 streams sites in the Catskill and Adirondack mountains were assAuthorsScott D. George, Barry P. Baldigo, Daniel S. StichAcidification impacts and goals for gauging recovery of Brook Trout populations and fish communities in streams of the Western Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA
Results from several long‐term monitoring programs in the western Adirondack Mountains, New York, indicate that acid–base chemistry of headwater streams has remained unchanged or improved only marginally since the 1990s. A paucity of quantitative fishery data, however, limits our understanding of the pre‐acidified communities as well as present‐day impacts of acidification on fish assemblages, whiAuthorsBarry Baldigo, Scott George, Gregory Lawrence, Eric PaulChanges in growth of Rainbow Trout in a Catskill Mountain Reservoir following Alewife and White Perch Introductions
Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss were introduced to the Esopus Creek watershed in the Catskill Mountains of New York in the early 1880s. This introduction created a renowned naturalized fishery that remains important to the local economy today. The objective of this study was to determine whether the growth and condition of Rainbow Trout in the Ashokan Reservoir changed following the establishmenAuthorsScott D. George, Barry P. Baldigo, Michael J. Flaherty, Eileen A. RandallEffects of watershed and in-stream liming on macroinvertebrate communities in acidified tributaries to Honnedaga Lake, NY
Liming techniques are being explored in many regions as a means to accelerate the recovery of aquatic biota from decades of acid deposition. The preservation or restoration of native sportfish populations has usually been the impetus for liming programs, and as such, less attention has been paid to its effects on other biological assemblages such as macroinvertebrates. In 2012, a program was initiAuthorsGregory Lampman, Scott D. George, Barry P. Baldigo, Gregory B. Lawrence, Randall L. FullerResults of the 2010-2011 East-Central Adirondack Stream Survey (ECASS)
No abstract available.AuthorsGregory B. Lawrence, Scott D. George, Douglas A. Burns, Barry P. Baldigo, Sophia Passy, Karen M. Roy, Katrina L. PoundNon-USGS Publications**
George, S.D., Baldigo, B.P., Smith, A.J. and Robinson, G.R. (2015). Effects of an Extreme Flood on Aquatic Biota in a Catskill Mountain River. Summary report #15-08. Prepared for New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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