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Serguei Drovetski, Ph.D.

Serguei Drovetski is a Biologist at the USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center, in Beltsville, MD since 2019, where he is the member of the Molecular Toxicology Laboratory. Serguei's research is focused on avian microbiome and the effects of environmental stressors on wildlife and its microbiome at the molecular and biochemical levels.

Serguei's current research focuses on the identification and application of novel “omics” approaches for understanding toxicological responses in wildlife and especially in its microbiome. Serguei enjoys research that ties together these diverse fields, and combines analytical, laboratory, and fieldwork.

Professional Experience

  • Conducted research in many diverse fields of avian biology: evolutionary and behavioral ecology, functional and comparative morphology, molecular phylogenetics, phylo- and biogeography, host-symbiont co-evolution, and, recently, microbiome.

Education and Certifications

  • PhD in Zoology from University of Washington, Seattle, WA (2001)

  • BS [Forestry Engineer] Moscow State University of the Forest, Mytischi, Russia (1988).

Science and Products

Photo of sharp-tailed grouse

Wild Prairie Grouse Diet and Microbiomes Vary Between Cropland and Grassland Habitats

Wild prairie grouse residing in croplands had altered diets and gut microbiome imbalances characterized by a greater abundance of pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic-resistance genes in comparison to those residing in grasslands. Similar gut microbiome imbalances are rarely associated with lethal outcomes, but rather linked to sublethal health effects including growth, development, behavior, immune...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Environmental Health Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Wild Prairie Grouse Diet and Microbiomes Vary Between Cropland and Grassland Habitats

Wild Prairie Grouse Diet and Microbiomes Vary Between Cropland and Grassland Habitats

Wild prairie grouse residing in croplands had altered diets and gut microbiome imbalances characterized by a greater abundance of pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic-resistance genes in comparison to those residing in grasslands. Similar gut microbiome imbalances are rarely associated with lethal outcomes, but rather linked to sublethal health effects including growth, development, behavior, immune...
Learn More
Picture of dead waterbird covered in algae

Review of Wildlife Health Outcomes and Potentially Toxic Algal Blooms in the Chesapeake Bay

Scientists provide resources that review algal toxin data, explore links between avian mortality and toxin exposure, and identify future research needs to predict algal toxin health hazards and risks for birds and other wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Environmental Health Program, Chesapeake Bay Activities
Review of Wildlife Health Outcomes and Potentially Toxic Algal Blooms in the Chesapeake Bay

Review of Wildlife Health Outcomes and Potentially Toxic Algal Blooms in the Chesapeake Bay

Scientists provide resources that review algal toxin data, explore links between avian mortality and toxin exposure, and identify future research needs to predict algal toxin health hazards and risks for birds and other wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay.
Learn More
Natural habitat of the prairie grouse in Nebraska

Dysbiosis, immunomodulation, and health effects of agricultural pesticides in wild prairie grouse

Agrochemical pollution poses a severe threat to biodiversity. Agrochemicals can detrimentally affect wildlife growth, development, survival, reproduction, and immune responses, which facilitates emergence and spread of infectious diseases that may cause unusually high mortality. Animal microbiota plays a fundamental role in host’s food detoxification and defense against pathogens, regulates...
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center
Dysbiosis, immunomodulation, and health effects of agricultural pesticides in wild prairie grouse

Dysbiosis, immunomodulation, and health effects of agricultural pesticides in wild prairie grouse

Agrochemical pollution poses a severe threat to biodiversity. Agrochemicals can detrimentally affect wildlife growth, development, survival, reproduction, and immune responses, which facilitates emergence and spread of infectious diseases that may cause unusually high mortality. Animal microbiota plays a fundamental role in host’s food detoxification and defense against pathogens, regulates...
Learn More

Northern mockingbird ileal virome variation in Texas Northern mockingbird ileal virome variation in Texas

A few studies have focused on avian gut virome variation in response to environmental stressors, but none have assessed virome in relation to chemically intensive crops, the production of which effects various aspects of avian health and fitness, and deleteriously alters available food resources. In this study we used shotgun metatranscriptomics (2 x 150bp; Illumina HiSeq 4000 with...
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Functional changes in cecal microbiome of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) experimentally exposed to sublethal doses of Microcystin-LR Functional changes in cecal microbiome of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) experimentally exposed to sublethal doses of Microcystin-LR

The frequency of cyanobacterial blooms appears to have increased globally in recent decades due to human induced eutrophication and climate change. Cyanobacterial blooms can produce several groups of toxins, among which microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is one of the most abundant. Effects of MC-LR on avian microbiome have not been studied and studies in laboratory murines are limited to...
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Survey of potential viral pathogens in the ceca of pen-raised mallards Survey of potential viral pathogens in the ceca of pen-raised mallards

The threat posed by infectious diseases are a major concern for global public health and the role of migratory birds in pathogen transmission is increasingly under scrutiny. Enteric viral pathogen surveillance in migratory birds is a critical component of outbreak preparedness. The shedding of such pathogens through excrement into bodies of water located at migratory stop-over sites and...
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Characterizing microbiota, virulome, and resistome of wild prairie grouse in crop producing and uncultivated areas of Nebraska Characterizing microbiota, virulome, and resistome of wild prairie grouse in crop producing and uncultivated areas of Nebraska

Chart listing the geographic locations, NCBI numbers, voucher numbers, and microbiome characteristics of specimens collected for publication
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center
Trees showing fall colors along the east side of the river road that is covered in fallen leaves
Fall colors along the east side of the river road passing through the riparian hardwood forest dominated by the American beech (Fagus grandifolia) at the Patuxent Research Refuge
Fall colors along the east side of the river road passing through the riparian hardwood forest dominated by the American beech (Fagus grandifolia) at the Patuxent Research Refuge
Trees showing fall colors along the east side of the river road that is covered in fallen leaves

Fall colors along the east side of the river road passing through the riparian hardwood forest dominated by the American beech (Fagus grandifolia) at the Patuxent Research Refuge

Fall colors along the east side of the river road passing through the riparian hardwood forest dominated by the American beech (Fagus grandifolia) at the Patuxent Research Refuge

Photo shows the fall colors along the east side of the river road passing through the riparian hardwood forest dominated by the American beech (Fagus grandifolia) at the Patuxent Research Refuge.

Laurel, Maryland

Fall 2024 Photo Contest Winner: Serguei Drovetski, Honorable Mention

By
Eastern Ecological Science Center
Trees showing fall colors along the east side of the river road that is covered in fallen leaves

Fall colors along the east side of the river road passing through the riparian hardwood forest dominated by the American beech (Fagus grandifolia) at the Patuxent Research Refuge

Fall colors along the east side of the river road passing through the riparian hardwood forest dominated by the American beech (Fagus grandifolia) at the Patuxent Research Refuge

Photo shows the fall colors along the east side of the river road passing through the riparian hardwood forest dominated by the American beech (Fagus grandifolia) at the Patuxent Research Refuge.

Laurel, Maryland

Fall 2024 Photo Contest Winner: Serguei Drovetski, Honorable Mention

By
Eastern Ecological Science Center
Red fox with the pine vole in its mouth
Red fox at the road
Red fox at the road
Red fox with the pine vole in its mouth

Red fox at the road

Red fox at the road

A red fox with a pine vole in its mouth looking at the camera at the Central tract of the FWS Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, MD.            

By
Eastern Ecological Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Red fox with the pine vole in its mouth

Red fox at the road

Red fox at the road

A red fox with a pine vole in its mouth looking at the camera at the Central tract of the FWS Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, MD.            

By
Eastern Ecological Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center
American Mink on the Duval bridge
American Mink on a bridge
American Mink on a bridge
American Mink on the Duval bridge

American Mink on a bridge

American Mink on a bridge

Neogale vison, American Mink crossing the Duval bridge at the Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, MD

.

By
Eastern Ecological Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center
American Mink on the Duval bridge

American Mink on a bridge

American Mink on a bridge

Neogale vison, American Mink crossing the Duval bridge at the Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, MD

.

By
Eastern Ecological Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Virginia Opossum eating the Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar
Virginia Opossum with the Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar
Virginia Opossum with the Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar
Virginia Opossum eating the Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar

Virginia Opossum with the Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar

Virginia Opossum with the Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar

Didelphis virginiana, Virginia Opossum eating the caterpillar of the Giant Leopard Moth, Hypercompe scribonia

By
Eastern Ecological Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Virginia Opossum eating the Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar

Virginia Opossum with the Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar

Virginia Opossum with the Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar

Didelphis virginiana, Virginia Opossum eating the caterpillar of the Giant Leopard Moth, Hypercompe scribonia

By
Eastern Ecological Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center

A short-term sublethal oral exposure to microcystin-LR disrupts cecal microbiome homeostasis in mallard A short-term sublethal oral exposure to microcystin-LR disrupts cecal microbiome homeostasis in mallard

Introduction: The frequency of cyanobacterial blooms seems to have increased globally in recent decades due to human induced eutrophication and climate change. Cyanobacterial blooms can produce several groups of toxins, among which microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is one of the most abundant. Effects of MC-LR on avian microbiome have not been studied and studies in laboratory murines have been...
Authors
Serguei Drovetski, Valerie Shearn-Bochsler, Erik Hofmeister, Natalie Karouna-Reiner, Robert Dusek
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Parasite abundance-occupancy relationships across biogeographic regions: Joint effects of niche breadth, host availability and climate Parasite abundance-occupancy relationships across biogeographic regions: Joint effects of niche breadth, host availability and climate

Changing biodiversity and environmental conditions may allow multi-host pathogens to spread among host species and affect prevalence. There are several widely acknowledged theories about mechanisms that may influence variation in pathogen prevalence, including the controversially debated dilution effect and abundance-occupancy relationship hypotheses. Here, we explore such abundance...
Authors
Konstans Wells, Jeffrey Bell, Alan Fecchio, Serguei Drovetski, Spencer Galen, Shannon Hackett, Holly Lutz, Heather Skeen, Gary Voelker, Wanyoike Wamiti, Jason Weckstein, Nicholas Clark
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Viral pathogen detection in U.S. game-farm mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) flags spillover risk to wild birds Viral pathogen detection in U.S. game-farm mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) flags spillover risk to wild birds

The threat posed by emerging infectious diseases is a major concern for global public health, animal health and food security, and the role of birds in transmission is increasingly under scrutiny. Each year, millions of mass-reared game-farm birds are released into the wild, presenting a unique and a poorly understood risk to wild and susceptible bird populations, and to human health. In...
Authors
Brian Bourke, Robert Dusek, Koray Ergunay, Yvonne-Marie Linton, Serguei Drovetski
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Review of harmful algal blooms effects on birds with implications for avian wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay region Review of harmful algal blooms effects on birds with implications for avian wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay region

The Chesapeake Bay, along the mid-Atlantic coast of North America, is the largest estuary in the United States and provides critical habitat for wildlife. In contrast to point and non-point source release of pesticides, metals, and industrial, personal care and household use chemicals on biota in this watershed, there has only been scant attention to potential exposure and effects of...
Authors
Barnett A. Rattner, Catherine Wazniak, Julia Lankton, Peter McGowan, Serguei Drovetski, Todd Egerton
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center

An evaluation of the reliability of plumage characters for sexing adult Ruddy Turnstones Arenaria interpres morinella during northward passage in eastern North America An evaluation of the reliability of plumage characters for sexing adult Ruddy Turnstones Arenaria interpres morinella during northward passage in eastern North America

We used two datasets to investigate the reliability of plumage for sexing adult Ruddy Turnstones Arenaria interpres of the morinella subspecies during May and early June in Delaware Bay, on the Mid-Atlantic Coast of the United States (39.1202°N, 75.2479°W). We first examined 23 years of data on the capture and recapture of 1,818 individual Ruddy Turnstones to assess the consistency of...
Authors
Peter Fullagar, R. Terry Chesser, Humphrey Sitters, Christopher Davey, Lawrence J. Niles, Serguei Drovetski, M. Nandadevi Cortes-Rodriguez
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Exposure to crop production alters cecal prokaryotic microbiota, inflates virulome and resistome in wild prairie grouse Exposure to crop production alters cecal prokaryotic microbiota, inflates virulome and resistome in wild prairie grouse

Chemically intensive crop production depletes wildlife food resources, hinders animal development, health, survival, and reproduction, and it suppresses wildlife immune systems, facilitating emergence of infectious diseases with excessive mortality rates. Gut microbiota is crucial for wildlife's response to environmental stressors. Its composition and functionality are sensitive to diet...
Authors
Serguei Drovetski, Brian Schmidt, Jonas Lai, Michael Gross, Michelle Hladik, Kenan Matterson, Natalie Karouna-Renier
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, California Water Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Effects of low pH on the coral reef cryptic invertebrate communities near CO2 vents in Papua New Guinea Effects of low pH on the coral reef cryptic invertebrate communities near CO2 vents in Papua New Guinea

Small cryptic invertebrates (the cryptofauna) are extremely abundant, ecologically important, and species rich on coral reefs. Ongoing ocean acidification is likely to have both direct effects on the biology of these organisms, as well as indirect effects through cascading impacts on their habitats and trophic relationships. Naturally acidified habitats have been important model systems...
Authors
Laetitia Plaisance, Kenan O. Matterson, Katharina Fabricius, Serguei Drovetski, Christoph Meyer, Nancy Knowlton
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Global drivers of avian haemosporidian infections vary across zoogeographical regions Global drivers of avian haemosporidian infections vary across zoogeographical regions

Aim: Macroecological analyses provide valuable insights into factors that influence how parasites are distributed across space and among hosts. Amid large uncertainties that arise when generalizing from local and regional findings, hierarchical approaches applied to global datasets are required to determine whether drivers of parasite infection patterns vary across scales. We assessed...
Authors
Alan Fecchio, Nicholas Clark, Jeffrey Bell, Heather Skeen, Holly Lutz, Gabriel De La Torre, Jefferson Vaughan, Vasyl Tkach, Fabio Schunck, Francisco Ferreira, Erika Braga, Camile Lugarini, Wanyoike Wamiti, Janice Dispoto, Spencer Galen, Karin Kirchgatter, M. Sagario, Victor R Cueto, Daniel Gonzalez-Acuna, Mizue Inumaru, Yukita Sato, Yvonne Schumm, Petra Quillfeldt, Irene Pellegrino, Guha Dharmarajan, Pooja Gupta, V. Robin, Arif Ciloglu, Alparslan Yildirim, Xi Huang, Leonardo Chapa-Vargas, Paulina Alvarez-Mendizabal, Diego Santiago-Alarcon, Serguei Drovetski, Olof Hellgren, Gary Voelker, Robert Ricklefs, Shannon Hackett, Michael Collins, Jason Weckstein, Konstans Wells
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Low MSP-1 haplotype diversity in the West Palearctic population of the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium relictum Low MSP-1 haplotype diversity in the West Palearctic population of the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium relictum

BackgroundAlthough avian Plasmodium species are widespread and common across the globe, limited data exist on how genetically variable their populations are. Here, the hypothesis that the avian blood parasite Plasmodium relictum exhibits very low genetic diversity in its Western Palearctic transmission area (from Morocco to Sweden in the north and Transcaucasia in the east) was tested...
Authors
Olof Hellgren, Victor Kelbskopf, Vincenzo Ellis, Arif Ciloglu, Melanie Duc, Xi Huang, Ricardo Lopes, Vanessa Mata, Sargis Aghayan, Abdullah Inci, Serguei Drovetski
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Robust geographical determinants of infection prevalence and a contrasting latitudinal diversity gradient for haemosporidian parasites in Western Palearctic birds Robust geographical determinants of infection prevalence and a contrasting latitudinal diversity gradient for haemosporidian parasites in Western Palearctic birds

Identifying robust environmental predictors of infection probability is central to forecasting and mitigating the ongoing impacts of climate change on vector‐borne disease threats. We applied phylogenetic hierarchical models to a data set of 2,171 Western Palearctic individual birds from 47 species to determine how climate and landscape variation influence infection probability for three...
Authors
Nicholas Clark, Serguei Drovetski, Gary Voelker
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Spatial organization of the gastrointestinal microbiota in urban Canada geese Spatial organization of the gastrointestinal microbiota in urban Canada geese

Recent reviews identified the reliance on fecal or cloacal samples as a significant limitation hindering our understanding of the avian gastrointestinal (gut) microbiota and its function. We investigated the microbiota of the esophagus, duodenum, cecum, and colon of a wild urban population of Canada goose (Branta canadensis). From a population sample of 30 individuals, we sequenced the...
Authors
Sergei V. Drovetski, Michael O’Mahoney, Emma Ransome, Kenan O. Matterson, Haw Lim, Terry Chesser, Gary Graves
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Drovetski SV, O'Mahoney MJV, Matterson KO, Schmidt BK, Graves GR 2019 Distinct microbiotas of anatomical gut regions display idiosyncratic seasonal variation in an avian folivore. Animal Microbiome 1(1): 2. DOI: 10.1186/s42523-019-0002-6.
Featured in Torch on May 17, 2019: Stop grousing about your toxic relationship with food
Drovetski SV, O'Mahoney MJV, Ransome EJ, Matterson KO, Lim HC, Chesser RT, Graves GR 2018 Spatial organization of the gastrointestinal microbiota in urban canada geese. Scientific Reports 8: 3713. DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-21892-y.
Featured in the Smithsonian Insider May 31, 2018: Study of bacteria inside guts of wild Canada geese show greater danger than earlier studies exposed
Mata VA, da Silva LP, Lopes RJ, Drovetski SV 2015 Strait of Gibraltar poses an effective barrier to host-specialized but not to host-generalized lineages of avian Haemosporidia. International Journal for Parasitology 45(11): 711-719. DOI:10.1016/j.ijpara.2015.04.006
Drovetski SV, Aghayan SA, Mata VA, Lopes RJ, Mode NA, Harvey JA, Voelker G 2014 Does the niche-breadth or trade-off hypothesis explain the abundance-occupancy relationship in avian haemosporidia? Molecular Ecology 23(13):3322-3329. DOI: 10.1111/mec.12744
Featured in the perspective by Marcos Robalinho Lima and Staffan Bensch in the same issue of Molecular Ecology DOI: 10.1111/mec.12809

**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

Photo of sharp-tailed grouse

Wild Prairie Grouse Diet and Microbiomes Vary Between Cropland and Grassland Habitats

Wild prairie grouse residing in croplands had altered diets and gut microbiome imbalances characterized by a greater abundance of pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic-resistance genes in comparison to those residing in grasslands. Similar gut microbiome imbalances are rarely associated with lethal outcomes, but rather linked to sublethal health effects including growth, development, behavior, immune...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Environmental Health Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Wild Prairie Grouse Diet and Microbiomes Vary Between Cropland and Grassland Habitats

Wild Prairie Grouse Diet and Microbiomes Vary Between Cropland and Grassland Habitats

Wild prairie grouse residing in croplands had altered diets and gut microbiome imbalances characterized by a greater abundance of pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic-resistance genes in comparison to those residing in grasslands. Similar gut microbiome imbalances are rarely associated with lethal outcomes, but rather linked to sublethal health effects including growth, development, behavior, immune...
Learn More
Picture of dead waterbird covered in algae

Review of Wildlife Health Outcomes and Potentially Toxic Algal Blooms in the Chesapeake Bay

Scientists provide resources that review algal toxin data, explore links between avian mortality and toxin exposure, and identify future research needs to predict algal toxin health hazards and risks for birds and other wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Environmental Health Program, Chesapeake Bay Activities
Review of Wildlife Health Outcomes and Potentially Toxic Algal Blooms in the Chesapeake Bay

Review of Wildlife Health Outcomes and Potentially Toxic Algal Blooms in the Chesapeake Bay

Scientists provide resources that review algal toxin data, explore links between avian mortality and toxin exposure, and identify future research needs to predict algal toxin health hazards and risks for birds and other wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay.
Learn More
Natural habitat of the prairie grouse in Nebraska

Dysbiosis, immunomodulation, and health effects of agricultural pesticides in wild prairie grouse

Agrochemical pollution poses a severe threat to biodiversity. Agrochemicals can detrimentally affect wildlife growth, development, survival, reproduction, and immune responses, which facilitates emergence and spread of infectious diseases that may cause unusually high mortality. Animal microbiota plays a fundamental role in host’s food detoxification and defense against pathogens, regulates...
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center
Dysbiosis, immunomodulation, and health effects of agricultural pesticides in wild prairie grouse

Dysbiosis, immunomodulation, and health effects of agricultural pesticides in wild prairie grouse

Agrochemical pollution poses a severe threat to biodiversity. Agrochemicals can detrimentally affect wildlife growth, development, survival, reproduction, and immune responses, which facilitates emergence and spread of infectious diseases that may cause unusually high mortality. Animal microbiota plays a fundamental role in host’s food detoxification and defense against pathogens, regulates...
Learn More

Northern mockingbird ileal virome variation in Texas Northern mockingbird ileal virome variation in Texas

A few studies have focused on avian gut virome variation in response to environmental stressors, but none have assessed virome in relation to chemically intensive crops, the production of which effects various aspects of avian health and fitness, and deleteriously alters available food resources. In this study we used shotgun metatranscriptomics (2 x 150bp; Illumina HiSeq 4000 with...
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Functional changes in cecal microbiome of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) experimentally exposed to sublethal doses of Microcystin-LR Functional changes in cecal microbiome of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) experimentally exposed to sublethal doses of Microcystin-LR

The frequency of cyanobacterial blooms appears to have increased globally in recent decades due to human induced eutrophication and climate change. Cyanobacterial blooms can produce several groups of toxins, among which microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is one of the most abundant. Effects of MC-LR on avian microbiome have not been studied and studies in laboratory murines are limited to...
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Survey of potential viral pathogens in the ceca of pen-raised mallards Survey of potential viral pathogens in the ceca of pen-raised mallards

The threat posed by infectious diseases are a major concern for global public health and the role of migratory birds in pathogen transmission is increasingly under scrutiny. Enteric viral pathogen surveillance in migratory birds is a critical component of outbreak preparedness. The shedding of such pathogens through excrement into bodies of water located at migratory stop-over sites and...
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Characterizing microbiota, virulome, and resistome of wild prairie grouse in crop producing and uncultivated areas of Nebraska Characterizing microbiota, virulome, and resistome of wild prairie grouse in crop producing and uncultivated areas of Nebraska

Chart listing the geographic locations, NCBI numbers, voucher numbers, and microbiome characteristics of specimens collected for publication
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center
Trees showing fall colors along the east side of the river road that is covered in fallen leaves
Fall colors along the east side of the river road passing through the riparian hardwood forest dominated by the American beech (Fagus grandifolia) at the Patuxent Research Refuge
Fall colors along the east side of the river road passing through the riparian hardwood forest dominated by the American beech (Fagus grandifolia) at the Patuxent Research Refuge
Trees showing fall colors along the east side of the river road that is covered in fallen leaves

Fall colors along the east side of the river road passing through the riparian hardwood forest dominated by the American beech (Fagus grandifolia) at the Patuxent Research Refuge

Fall colors along the east side of the river road passing through the riparian hardwood forest dominated by the American beech (Fagus grandifolia) at the Patuxent Research Refuge

Photo shows the fall colors along the east side of the river road passing through the riparian hardwood forest dominated by the American beech (Fagus grandifolia) at the Patuxent Research Refuge.

Laurel, Maryland

Fall 2024 Photo Contest Winner: Serguei Drovetski, Honorable Mention

By
Eastern Ecological Science Center
Trees showing fall colors along the east side of the river road that is covered in fallen leaves

Fall colors along the east side of the river road passing through the riparian hardwood forest dominated by the American beech (Fagus grandifolia) at the Patuxent Research Refuge

Fall colors along the east side of the river road passing through the riparian hardwood forest dominated by the American beech (Fagus grandifolia) at the Patuxent Research Refuge

Photo shows the fall colors along the east side of the river road passing through the riparian hardwood forest dominated by the American beech (Fagus grandifolia) at the Patuxent Research Refuge.

Laurel, Maryland

Fall 2024 Photo Contest Winner: Serguei Drovetski, Honorable Mention

By
Eastern Ecological Science Center
Red fox with the pine vole in its mouth
Red fox at the road
Red fox at the road
Red fox with the pine vole in its mouth

Red fox at the road

Red fox at the road

A red fox with a pine vole in its mouth looking at the camera at the Central tract of the FWS Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, MD.            

By
Eastern Ecological Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Red fox with the pine vole in its mouth

Red fox at the road

Red fox at the road

A red fox with a pine vole in its mouth looking at the camera at the Central tract of the FWS Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, MD.            

By
Eastern Ecological Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center
American Mink on the Duval bridge
American Mink on a bridge
American Mink on a bridge
American Mink on the Duval bridge

American Mink on a bridge

American Mink on a bridge

Neogale vison, American Mink crossing the Duval bridge at the Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, MD

.

By
Eastern Ecological Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center
American Mink on the Duval bridge

American Mink on a bridge

American Mink on a bridge

Neogale vison, American Mink crossing the Duval bridge at the Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, MD

.

By
Eastern Ecological Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Virginia Opossum eating the Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar
Virginia Opossum with the Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar
Virginia Opossum with the Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar
Virginia Opossum eating the Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar

Virginia Opossum with the Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar

Virginia Opossum with the Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar

Didelphis virginiana, Virginia Opossum eating the caterpillar of the Giant Leopard Moth, Hypercompe scribonia

By
Eastern Ecological Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Virginia Opossum eating the Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar

Virginia Opossum with the Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar

Virginia Opossum with the Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar

Didelphis virginiana, Virginia Opossum eating the caterpillar of the Giant Leopard Moth, Hypercompe scribonia

By
Eastern Ecological Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center

A short-term sublethal oral exposure to microcystin-LR disrupts cecal microbiome homeostasis in mallard A short-term sublethal oral exposure to microcystin-LR disrupts cecal microbiome homeostasis in mallard

Introduction: The frequency of cyanobacterial blooms seems to have increased globally in recent decades due to human induced eutrophication and climate change. Cyanobacterial blooms can produce several groups of toxins, among which microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is one of the most abundant. Effects of MC-LR on avian microbiome have not been studied and studies in laboratory murines have been...
Authors
Serguei Drovetski, Valerie Shearn-Bochsler, Erik Hofmeister, Natalie Karouna-Reiner, Robert Dusek
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Parasite abundance-occupancy relationships across biogeographic regions: Joint effects of niche breadth, host availability and climate Parasite abundance-occupancy relationships across biogeographic regions: Joint effects of niche breadth, host availability and climate

Changing biodiversity and environmental conditions may allow multi-host pathogens to spread among host species and affect prevalence. There are several widely acknowledged theories about mechanisms that may influence variation in pathogen prevalence, including the controversially debated dilution effect and abundance-occupancy relationship hypotheses. Here, we explore such abundance...
Authors
Konstans Wells, Jeffrey Bell, Alan Fecchio, Serguei Drovetski, Spencer Galen, Shannon Hackett, Holly Lutz, Heather Skeen, Gary Voelker, Wanyoike Wamiti, Jason Weckstein, Nicholas Clark
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Viral pathogen detection in U.S. game-farm mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) flags spillover risk to wild birds Viral pathogen detection in U.S. game-farm mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) flags spillover risk to wild birds

The threat posed by emerging infectious diseases is a major concern for global public health, animal health and food security, and the role of birds in transmission is increasingly under scrutiny. Each year, millions of mass-reared game-farm birds are released into the wild, presenting a unique and a poorly understood risk to wild and susceptible bird populations, and to human health. In...
Authors
Brian Bourke, Robert Dusek, Koray Ergunay, Yvonne-Marie Linton, Serguei Drovetski
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Review of harmful algal blooms effects on birds with implications for avian wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay region Review of harmful algal blooms effects on birds with implications for avian wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay region

The Chesapeake Bay, along the mid-Atlantic coast of North America, is the largest estuary in the United States and provides critical habitat for wildlife. In contrast to point and non-point source release of pesticides, metals, and industrial, personal care and household use chemicals on biota in this watershed, there has only been scant attention to potential exposure and effects of...
Authors
Barnett A. Rattner, Catherine Wazniak, Julia Lankton, Peter McGowan, Serguei Drovetski, Todd Egerton
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center

An evaluation of the reliability of plumage characters for sexing adult Ruddy Turnstones Arenaria interpres morinella during northward passage in eastern North America An evaluation of the reliability of plumage characters for sexing adult Ruddy Turnstones Arenaria interpres morinella during northward passage in eastern North America

We used two datasets to investigate the reliability of plumage for sexing adult Ruddy Turnstones Arenaria interpres of the morinella subspecies during May and early June in Delaware Bay, on the Mid-Atlantic Coast of the United States (39.1202°N, 75.2479°W). We first examined 23 years of data on the capture and recapture of 1,818 individual Ruddy Turnstones to assess the consistency of...
Authors
Peter Fullagar, R. Terry Chesser, Humphrey Sitters, Christopher Davey, Lawrence J. Niles, Serguei Drovetski, M. Nandadevi Cortes-Rodriguez
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Exposure to crop production alters cecal prokaryotic microbiota, inflates virulome and resistome in wild prairie grouse Exposure to crop production alters cecal prokaryotic microbiota, inflates virulome and resistome in wild prairie grouse

Chemically intensive crop production depletes wildlife food resources, hinders animal development, health, survival, and reproduction, and it suppresses wildlife immune systems, facilitating emergence of infectious diseases with excessive mortality rates. Gut microbiota is crucial for wildlife's response to environmental stressors. Its composition and functionality are sensitive to diet...
Authors
Serguei Drovetski, Brian Schmidt, Jonas Lai, Michael Gross, Michelle Hladik, Kenan Matterson, Natalie Karouna-Renier
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, California Water Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Effects of low pH on the coral reef cryptic invertebrate communities near CO2 vents in Papua New Guinea Effects of low pH on the coral reef cryptic invertebrate communities near CO2 vents in Papua New Guinea

Small cryptic invertebrates (the cryptofauna) are extremely abundant, ecologically important, and species rich on coral reefs. Ongoing ocean acidification is likely to have both direct effects on the biology of these organisms, as well as indirect effects through cascading impacts on their habitats and trophic relationships. Naturally acidified habitats have been important model systems...
Authors
Laetitia Plaisance, Kenan O. Matterson, Katharina Fabricius, Serguei Drovetski, Christoph Meyer, Nancy Knowlton
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Global drivers of avian haemosporidian infections vary across zoogeographical regions Global drivers of avian haemosporidian infections vary across zoogeographical regions

Aim: Macroecological analyses provide valuable insights into factors that influence how parasites are distributed across space and among hosts. Amid large uncertainties that arise when generalizing from local and regional findings, hierarchical approaches applied to global datasets are required to determine whether drivers of parasite infection patterns vary across scales. We assessed...
Authors
Alan Fecchio, Nicholas Clark, Jeffrey Bell, Heather Skeen, Holly Lutz, Gabriel De La Torre, Jefferson Vaughan, Vasyl Tkach, Fabio Schunck, Francisco Ferreira, Erika Braga, Camile Lugarini, Wanyoike Wamiti, Janice Dispoto, Spencer Galen, Karin Kirchgatter, M. Sagario, Victor R Cueto, Daniel Gonzalez-Acuna, Mizue Inumaru, Yukita Sato, Yvonne Schumm, Petra Quillfeldt, Irene Pellegrino, Guha Dharmarajan, Pooja Gupta, V. Robin, Arif Ciloglu, Alparslan Yildirim, Xi Huang, Leonardo Chapa-Vargas, Paulina Alvarez-Mendizabal, Diego Santiago-Alarcon, Serguei Drovetski, Olof Hellgren, Gary Voelker, Robert Ricklefs, Shannon Hackett, Michael Collins, Jason Weckstein, Konstans Wells
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Low MSP-1 haplotype diversity in the West Palearctic population of the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium relictum Low MSP-1 haplotype diversity in the West Palearctic population of the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium relictum

BackgroundAlthough avian Plasmodium species are widespread and common across the globe, limited data exist on how genetically variable their populations are. Here, the hypothesis that the avian blood parasite Plasmodium relictum exhibits very low genetic diversity in its Western Palearctic transmission area (from Morocco to Sweden in the north and Transcaucasia in the east) was tested...
Authors
Olof Hellgren, Victor Kelbskopf, Vincenzo Ellis, Arif Ciloglu, Melanie Duc, Xi Huang, Ricardo Lopes, Vanessa Mata, Sargis Aghayan, Abdullah Inci, Serguei Drovetski
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Robust geographical determinants of infection prevalence and a contrasting latitudinal diversity gradient for haemosporidian parasites in Western Palearctic birds Robust geographical determinants of infection prevalence and a contrasting latitudinal diversity gradient for haemosporidian parasites in Western Palearctic birds

Identifying robust environmental predictors of infection probability is central to forecasting and mitigating the ongoing impacts of climate change on vector‐borne disease threats. We applied phylogenetic hierarchical models to a data set of 2,171 Western Palearctic individual birds from 47 species to determine how climate and landscape variation influence infection probability for three...
Authors
Nicholas Clark, Serguei Drovetski, Gary Voelker
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Spatial organization of the gastrointestinal microbiota in urban Canada geese Spatial organization of the gastrointestinal microbiota in urban Canada geese

Recent reviews identified the reliance on fecal or cloacal samples as a significant limitation hindering our understanding of the avian gastrointestinal (gut) microbiota and its function. We investigated the microbiota of the esophagus, duodenum, cecum, and colon of a wild urban population of Canada goose (Branta canadensis). From a population sample of 30 individuals, we sequenced the...
Authors
Sergei V. Drovetski, Michael O’Mahoney, Emma Ransome, Kenan O. Matterson, Haw Lim, Terry Chesser, Gary Graves
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Drovetski SV, O'Mahoney MJV, Matterson KO, Schmidt BK, Graves GR 2019 Distinct microbiotas of anatomical gut regions display idiosyncratic seasonal variation in an avian folivore. Animal Microbiome 1(1): 2. DOI: 10.1186/s42523-019-0002-6.
Featured in Torch on May 17, 2019: Stop grousing about your toxic relationship with food
Drovetski SV, O'Mahoney MJV, Ransome EJ, Matterson KO, Lim HC, Chesser RT, Graves GR 2018 Spatial organization of the gastrointestinal microbiota in urban canada geese. Scientific Reports 8: 3713. DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-21892-y.
Featured in the Smithsonian Insider May 31, 2018: Study of bacteria inside guts of wild Canada geese show greater danger than earlier studies exposed
Mata VA, da Silva LP, Lopes RJ, Drovetski SV 2015 Strait of Gibraltar poses an effective barrier to host-specialized but not to host-generalized lineages of avian Haemosporidia. International Journal for Parasitology 45(11): 711-719. DOI:10.1016/j.ijpara.2015.04.006
Drovetski SV, Aghayan SA, Mata VA, Lopes RJ, Mode NA, Harvey JA, Voelker G 2014 Does the niche-breadth or trade-off hypothesis explain the abundance-occupancy relationship in avian haemosporidia? Molecular Ecology 23(13):3322-3329. DOI: 10.1111/mec.12744
Featured in the perspective by Marcos Robalinho Lima and Staffan Bensch in the same issue of Molecular Ecology DOI: 10.1111/mec.12809

**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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