Thomas Custer (Former Employee)
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 168
Concentrations of metals in blood and feathers of nestling ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) in Chesapeake and Delaware Bays
In 2000, 2001, and 2002, blood and feather samples were collected from 40–45-day-old nestling ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) from Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay and River. Concentrations of 18 metals, metalloids, and other elements were determined in these samples by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy, and Hg concentrations were measured by cold vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy. When c
Authors
Barnett A. Rattner, N. H. Golden, P. C. Toschik, P. C. McGowan, T. W. Custer
Corticosterone stress response in tree swallows nesting near polychlorinated biphenyl- and dioxin-contaminated rivers
We assayed baseline and stress-induced corticosterone concentrations from adult female and nestling tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, from New England, USA, sites with different levels of contamination with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Corticosterone was compared over 2 years from a highly contaminated PCB site along the Housatonic River (Berks
Authors
M.D. Franceschini, Christine M. Custer, T. W. Custer, J.M. Reed, L.M. Romero
Contaminant exposure and biomarker response in embryos of Black-crowned Night-herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) nesting near Lake Calumet, Illinois
We examined a suite of environmental contaminants and exposure endpoints in black-crowned night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax, BCNH) embryos collected in 2002 from colonies in Illinois, Minnesota, and Virginia. Embryos from the Lake Calumet, IL, colony had greater exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 4,4'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), dieldrin, transnonachlor, oxychlordane, cobal
Authors
J.M. Levengood, L. Wiedenmann, T. W. Custer, D.J. Schaeffer, C. W. Matson, M. J. Melancon, D. J. Hoffman, J.W. Scott, J.L. Talbott, G.O. Bordson, J. W. Bickham, Barnett A. Rattner, N. H. Golden
Adult tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) survival on the polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated Housatonic River, Massachusetts, USA
Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) were captured and banded at six sites that differed in polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination levels in the Housatonic River watershed, western Massachusetts, USA, from 2000 through 2004 to test the prediction that apparent survival rates of females in more contaminated areas were lower than those from less contaminated areas. We also tested whether plumag
Authors
Christine M. Custer, T. W. Custer, J. E. Hines, J. D. Nichols, P.M. Dummer
Water level management and contaminant exposure to tree swallows nesting on the Upper Mississippi River
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted a water drawdown on Navigation Pool 8 of the Upper Mississippi River during the summers of 2001 and 2002 to increase aquatic vegetation production and thereby improve fish and wildlife habitat. Flooding of previously dried wetlands, however, may increase the rate of mercury methylation and make mercury more available to terrestrial vertebrates that feed
Authors
T. W. Custer, P.M. Dummer, Christine M. Custer, A.U. Li, D. Warburton, M. J. Melancon, D. J. Hoffman, C. W. Matson, J. W. Bickham
Relationships of cadmium, mercury, and selenium with nutrient reserves of female lesser scaup (Aythya affinis) during winter and spring migration
Trace elements may have important effects on body condition of ducks during spring migration, because individuals are experiencing energetically costly events (e.g., migration, nutrient reserve accumulation, pair formation, feather molt, and ovarian follicle development). We examined relationships among hepatic cadmium, mercury, and selenium concentrations (microg/g dry wt) and nutrient reserves (
Authors
M.J. Anteau, A. D. Afton, Christine M. Custer, T. W. Custer
Mercury exposure and effects on cavity-nesting birds from the Carson River, Nevada
Mercury (Hg) concentrations were 15-40 times higher in the eggs and livers of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) and house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) that nested along the Carson River at and below Dayton, Nevada than in the same species above the mining-impacted areas. Hg contamination was mainly the result of processing mills in the 1800s that used Hg to separate gold and silver from ore. The ex
Authors
Christine M. Custer, T. W. Custer, E. F. Hill
Selenium and metal concentrations in waterbird eggs and chicks at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge, Minnesota
Exceptionally high cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr) concentrations were reported in eggs, feathers, or livers of selected waterbird species nesting at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge (Agassiz) in 1994. Ten- to 15-day-old Franklin's gull (Larus pipixcan), black-crowned night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), and eared grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) chicks were collected in 1998, 1999, and 2001 at Agassiz
Authors
T. W. Custer, Christine M. Custer, B.A. Eichhorst, D. Warburton
Contaminant exposure of barn swallows nesting on Bayou d'Inde, Calcasieu Estuary, Louisiana, USA.
Current and historical point source discharges, storm water runoff, and accidental spills have contaminated the water, sediment, and biota within the Calcasieu Estuary in southwestern Louisiana. In 2003, barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) eggs and nestlings were collected beneath two bridges that cross Bayou d'Inde, the most contaminated waterway within the Calcasieu Estuary. Samples were also collect
Authors
T. W. Custer, Christine M. Custer, B.L. Goatcher, M. J. Melancon, C. W. Matson, J. W. Bickham
Trace element concentrations and bioindicator responses in tree swallows from northwestern Minnesota
Extremely high concentrations of cadmium (3.5 μg/g dry wgt.) and elevated concentrations of chromium (>10 μg/g dry wgt.) and mercury (1.6 μg/g dry wgt.) were reported in waterbird tissues at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge in northwestern Minnesota in 1994. Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) were studied during 1998–2001 at three drainages into the Refuge, two pools on the Refuge, and at a nearb
Authors
Christine M. Custer, T. W. Custer, D. Warburton, D. J. Hoffman, J. W. Bickham, C. W. Matson
Pathogens, nutritional deficiency, and climate influences on a declining moose population
Several potential proximate causes may be implicated in a recent (post-1984) decline in moose (Alces alces andersoni) numbers at their southern range periphery in northwest Minnesota, USA. These causes include deleterious effects of infectious pathogens, some of which are associated with white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), negative effects of climate change, increased food competition with
Authors
D.L. Murray, E.W. Cox, W.B. Ballard, Heather A. Whitlaw, M.S. Lenarz, T. W. Custer, T. Barnett, T.K. Fuller
Exposure and effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) nesting along the Woonasquatucket River, Rhode Island, USA
Concentrations of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) nesting along the Woonasquatucket River northwest of Providence (RI, USA) in 2000 and 2001 were some of the highest ever reported in avian tissues. Mean concentrations in eggs ranged from 300 to > 1,000 pg/g wet weight at the two most contaminated ponds, Allendale and Lyman. Mean egg concentrations
Authors
Christine M. Custer, T. W. Custer, C. J. Rosiu, M. J. Melancon, J. W. Bickham, C. W. Matson
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 168
Concentrations of metals in blood and feathers of nestling ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) in Chesapeake and Delaware Bays
In 2000, 2001, and 2002, blood and feather samples were collected from 40–45-day-old nestling ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) from Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay and River. Concentrations of 18 metals, metalloids, and other elements were determined in these samples by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy, and Hg concentrations were measured by cold vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy. When c
Authors
Barnett A. Rattner, N. H. Golden, P. C. Toschik, P. C. McGowan, T. W. Custer
Corticosterone stress response in tree swallows nesting near polychlorinated biphenyl- and dioxin-contaminated rivers
We assayed baseline and stress-induced corticosterone concentrations from adult female and nestling tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, from New England, USA, sites with different levels of contamination with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Corticosterone was compared over 2 years from a highly contaminated PCB site along the Housatonic River (Berks
Authors
M.D. Franceschini, Christine M. Custer, T. W. Custer, J.M. Reed, L.M. Romero
Contaminant exposure and biomarker response in embryos of Black-crowned Night-herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) nesting near Lake Calumet, Illinois
We examined a suite of environmental contaminants and exposure endpoints in black-crowned night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax, BCNH) embryos collected in 2002 from colonies in Illinois, Minnesota, and Virginia. Embryos from the Lake Calumet, IL, colony had greater exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 4,4'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), dieldrin, transnonachlor, oxychlordane, cobal
Authors
J.M. Levengood, L. Wiedenmann, T. W. Custer, D.J. Schaeffer, C. W. Matson, M. J. Melancon, D. J. Hoffman, J.W. Scott, J.L. Talbott, G.O. Bordson, J. W. Bickham, Barnett A. Rattner, N. H. Golden
Adult tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) survival on the polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated Housatonic River, Massachusetts, USA
Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) were captured and banded at six sites that differed in polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination levels in the Housatonic River watershed, western Massachusetts, USA, from 2000 through 2004 to test the prediction that apparent survival rates of females in more contaminated areas were lower than those from less contaminated areas. We also tested whether plumag
Authors
Christine M. Custer, T. W. Custer, J. E. Hines, J. D. Nichols, P.M. Dummer
Water level management and contaminant exposure to tree swallows nesting on the Upper Mississippi River
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted a water drawdown on Navigation Pool 8 of the Upper Mississippi River during the summers of 2001 and 2002 to increase aquatic vegetation production and thereby improve fish and wildlife habitat. Flooding of previously dried wetlands, however, may increase the rate of mercury methylation and make mercury more available to terrestrial vertebrates that feed
Authors
T. W. Custer, P.M. Dummer, Christine M. Custer, A.U. Li, D. Warburton, M. J. Melancon, D. J. Hoffman, C. W. Matson, J. W. Bickham
Relationships of cadmium, mercury, and selenium with nutrient reserves of female lesser scaup (Aythya affinis) during winter and spring migration
Trace elements may have important effects on body condition of ducks during spring migration, because individuals are experiencing energetically costly events (e.g., migration, nutrient reserve accumulation, pair formation, feather molt, and ovarian follicle development). We examined relationships among hepatic cadmium, mercury, and selenium concentrations (microg/g dry wt) and nutrient reserves (
Authors
M.J. Anteau, A. D. Afton, Christine M. Custer, T. W. Custer
Mercury exposure and effects on cavity-nesting birds from the Carson River, Nevada
Mercury (Hg) concentrations were 15-40 times higher in the eggs and livers of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) and house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) that nested along the Carson River at and below Dayton, Nevada than in the same species above the mining-impacted areas. Hg contamination was mainly the result of processing mills in the 1800s that used Hg to separate gold and silver from ore. The ex
Authors
Christine M. Custer, T. W. Custer, E. F. Hill
Selenium and metal concentrations in waterbird eggs and chicks at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge, Minnesota
Exceptionally high cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr) concentrations were reported in eggs, feathers, or livers of selected waterbird species nesting at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge (Agassiz) in 1994. Ten- to 15-day-old Franklin's gull (Larus pipixcan), black-crowned night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), and eared grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) chicks were collected in 1998, 1999, and 2001 at Agassiz
Authors
T. W. Custer, Christine M. Custer, B.A. Eichhorst, D. Warburton
Contaminant exposure of barn swallows nesting on Bayou d'Inde, Calcasieu Estuary, Louisiana, USA.
Current and historical point source discharges, storm water runoff, and accidental spills have contaminated the water, sediment, and biota within the Calcasieu Estuary in southwestern Louisiana. In 2003, barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) eggs and nestlings were collected beneath two bridges that cross Bayou d'Inde, the most contaminated waterway within the Calcasieu Estuary. Samples were also collect
Authors
T. W. Custer, Christine M. Custer, B.L. Goatcher, M. J. Melancon, C. W. Matson, J. W. Bickham
Trace element concentrations and bioindicator responses in tree swallows from northwestern Minnesota
Extremely high concentrations of cadmium (3.5 μg/g dry wgt.) and elevated concentrations of chromium (>10 μg/g dry wgt.) and mercury (1.6 μg/g dry wgt.) were reported in waterbird tissues at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge in northwestern Minnesota in 1994. Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) were studied during 1998–2001 at three drainages into the Refuge, two pools on the Refuge, and at a nearb
Authors
Christine M. Custer, T. W. Custer, D. Warburton, D. J. Hoffman, J. W. Bickham, C. W. Matson
Pathogens, nutritional deficiency, and climate influences on a declining moose population
Several potential proximate causes may be implicated in a recent (post-1984) decline in moose (Alces alces andersoni) numbers at their southern range periphery in northwest Minnesota, USA. These causes include deleterious effects of infectious pathogens, some of which are associated with white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), negative effects of climate change, increased food competition with
Authors
D.L. Murray, E.W. Cox, W.B. Ballard, Heather A. Whitlaw, M.S. Lenarz, T. W. Custer, T. Barnett, T.K. Fuller
Exposure and effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) nesting along the Woonasquatucket River, Rhode Island, USA
Concentrations of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) nesting along the Woonasquatucket River northwest of Providence (RI, USA) in 2000 and 2001 were some of the highest ever reported in avian tissues. Mean concentrations in eggs ranged from 300 to > 1,000 pg/g wet weight at the two most contaminated ponds, Allendale and Lyman. Mean egg concentrations
Authors
Christine M. Custer, T. W. Custer, C. J. Rosiu, M. J. Melancon, J. W. Bickham, C. W. Matson