Dr. Susan De La Cruz is a Wildlife Biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey's Western Ecological Research Center.
She has over 20 years of wildlife research experience in San Francisco Bay Delta and along the Pacific and Central Flyways and as the senior researcher at the San Francisco Bay Estuary Field Station, she oversees and directs research activities. With Federal, State, University, non-profit, and local partners, she is actively involved in designing, funding, implementing and publishing research on foraging and migration ecology, winter habitat use, survival and contaminant effects in nearshore avian species. Her Ph.D. research focused on how changes in benthic prey resources in the estuary influence winter body condition, subsequent spring migration and cross-seasonal reproduction in surf scoters (Melanitta perspicillata), a declining sea duck species that winters in along the Pacific coast. Other current research includes modeling effects of sea-level rise and geomorphic change on avian foraging ecology and carrying capacity, evaluating the effects of water traffic on avian habitat use and behavior, measuring post-oil spill survival and behavior, determining the value of natural and restored intertidal and subtidal habitats for waterbirds and tidal marsh endemics, assessing impacts of dredge operations on benthic communities, and assessing the effectiveness of sediment augmentation (sediment subsidies) on tidal marsh resiliency.
HIGHLIGHTED PUBLICATIONS
Harris, M.C., Pearce, J.M., Prosser, D.J., White, C.L., Miles, A.K., Sleeman, J.M., Brand, C.J., Cronin, J.P., De La Cruz, S., Densmore, C.L., Doyle, T.W., Dusek, R.J., Fleskes, J.P., Flint, P.L., Guala, G.F., Hall, J.S., Hubbard, L.E., Hunt, R.J., Ip, H.S., Katz, R.A., Laurent, K.W., Miller, M.P., Munn, M.D., Ramey, A.M., Richards, K.D., Russell, R.E., Stokdyk, J.P., Takekawa, J.Y., and Walsh, D.P. 2016. U.S. Geological Survey science strategy for highly pathogenic avian influenza in wildlife and the environment (2016–2020): U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2016–1121, 38 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20161121.
Mills, K.L., J.K. Gaydos, C.G. Fiorello, E.R. Whitmer, S.E.W. De La Cruz, D.M. Mulcahy, L.I. Vilchis, and M.H. Ziccardi. 2016. Post-release survival and movement of Western Grebes (Aechmophorus occidentalis) implanted with intracoelomic satellite transmitters. Waterbirds 39(2):175-186. http://dx.do
Education and Certifications
University of California, Davis: Ph.D., Ecology, Ecotoxicology Emphasis, December 2010
Dissertation title: Habitat, Diet, and Contaminant Relationships of Surf Scoters Wintering in San Francisco
Texas A&M University: M.S., Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, December 1998
Thesis title: Screening for Endocrine Disrupting Effects of Xenobiotics in Wildlife Using Oxbow Lakes and Settling
University of California, Davis: B.S., Biological Sciences, December 1992
Science and Products
Avian Influenza Prevalence Correlated to Mercury Concentrations in Wild Waterfowl
New Technologies for Wildlife Tracking
Mercury Accumulation in Waterbirds (Black Rails) Related to Sediment Chemistry in San Francisco Bay Wetlands
Selenium Hazard in the Salton Sea Environment, Summary of Current Knowledge to Inform Future Science
Assessing the Benefits and Vulnerability of Current and Future Potential Ecosystem Services of the Nisqually River Delta and other Puget Sound Estuaries
Suisun Marsh Waterfowl and Wildlife Studies
Avian Ecology and Multi-Species Habitat Use in Pacific Coast Estuaries
Wetland Restoration in the San Francisco Bay Delta and Pacific Northwest
Pacific Coast Fisheries GIS Resource Database
San Francisco Bay Benthic Macroinvertebrate Atlas
San Francisco Bay Estuary Field Station
Food Web and Invertebrate Ecology Studies in Pacific Coast Estuaries
Science and Products
- Science
Filter Total Items: 13
Avian Influenza Prevalence Correlated to Mercury Concentrations in Wild Waterfowl
Low pathogenic avian influenza infections were directly correlated with blood mercury concentrations in wild waterfowl, indicating that mercury exposure may be related to pathogen susceptibility. Further study is needed to determine if and how mercury and other environmental contaminant exposures may affect disease susceptibility in wildlife.New Technologies for Wildlife Tracking
Next generation of wildlife tracking using light-weight, 3D printed, waterproof tags.Mercury Accumulation in Waterbirds (Black Rails) Related to Sediment Chemistry in San Francisco Bay Wetlands
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessed the effect of sediment chemistry, food web structure, and diet on mercury bioaccumulation in black rails in the San Francisco Bay watershed. Differences in mercury accumulation in the birds were related to differences in sediment chemistry in the wetlands.Selenium Hazard in the Salton Sea Environment, Summary of Current Knowledge to Inform Future Science
The effect of selenium (Se) toxicity on wildlife has been known for more than 50 years. The threat of Se contamination gained greater attention from federal agencies in the 1980s due to the observation of embryo deformity and mortality in birds at a National Wildlife Refuge in California. Harmful effects from Se were determined to be connected to irrigation drainage water. As a result, an effort...Assessing the Benefits and Vulnerability of Current and Future Potential Ecosystem Services of the Nisqually River Delta and other Puget Sound Estuaries
The Nisqually River Delta represents the largest wetland restoration in the Pacific Northwest. The restoration resulted in a 50% increase in potential salt marsh habitat. The Delta supports threatened salmon fisheries, large populations of migratory birds, and provides unique opportunities for recreation. The Delta also provides multiple ecosystem services, which are the benefits that wildlife orSuisun Marsh Waterfowl and Wildlife Studies
Suisun Marsh provides critical habitat for wintering and breeding waterbirds in California. USGS WERC collaborates with the California Department of Water Resources to examine trends in bird declines and to assess the habitat factors driving long-term survival of waterfowl, rails, and other birds in this important area.Avian Ecology and Multi-Species Habitat Use in Pacific Coast Estuaries
Waterbirds such as shorebirds, waders, and ducks depend on healthy and productive estuaries to “fuel up” for long distance migrations along the Pacific Flyway. Estuarine ecosystems include a mosaic of managed, natural, and restoring wetlands, and provide critical stop-over and wintering areas for federally protected migratory bird species. USGS WERC’s Dr. Susan De La Cruz works with federal, state...Wetland Restoration in the San Francisco Bay Delta and Pacific Northwest
Estuaries and healthy coastal habitats are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth. They provide a variety of benefits, including habitat and food for fish and wildlife, flood and erosion protection, improved water quality, increased carbon sequestration, as well as beautiful scenery and opportunities for recreation. Along the U.S. Pacific Coast, both the San Francisco Bay estuary and the...Pacific Coast Fisheries GIS Resource Database
Pacific Coast fisheries information is currently available only from wildlife agencies in disparate databases. To maximize the value of these data, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement and U. S. Geological Survey have combined data from several of these sources into a single, comprehensive database. This gives resource managers a tool to easily extract species or...San Francisco Bay Benthic Macroinvertebrate Atlas
Information on benthic macroinvertebrate populations is currently available from numerous agencies in disparate databases. To maximize the value of these data, San Francisco State University and the U. S. Geological Survey have combined data from several of these sources into a single comprehensive database. To request this database, please contact Dr. Susan De La Cruz (sdelacruz@usgs.gov)San Francisco Bay Estuary Field Station
The San Francisco Bay Field Station is the center of studies on recovering tidal wetland ecosystems and ongoing efforts to balance the restoration of local marshes and the needs of seabirds. Click on the "Science" tab for a comprehensive summary of this station and its research.Food Web and Invertebrate Ecology Studies in Pacific Coast Estuaries
Invertebrate communities provide food for several economically and ecologically important fish and waterbird species in coastal estuaries. Scientists at the WERC San Francisco Bay Estuary Field Station specialize in studying foraging ecology of waterbirds and fishes, general food web dynamics across estuaries, and the effects of habitat restoration and other factors on waterbird prey availability. - Data
- Publications
- News