Todd Atwood, Ph.D.
Todd is a Research Wildlife Biologist for the Alaska Science Center.
Professional Experience
2012 - Present Research Wildlife Biologist and Project Leader, USGS Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK
2008 - 2012 Research Wildlife Biologist, USDA/APHIS/WS/National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO
2006 - 2008 Research Biologist, Research Branch, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, AZ
2006 Biological Technician, USDA/National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 2006 Utah State University Wildlife Biology
M.S. 2002 Purdue University Wildlife Ecology
B.S. 1999 Purdue University Wildlife Ecology
Affiliations and Memberships*
The Wildlife Society
International Association for Bear Research and Management
American Society of Mammalogists
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 27
No Result Found
Filter Total Items: 88
Distinct gut microbiomes in two polar bear subpopulations inhabiting different sea ice ecoregions Distinct gut microbiomes in two polar bear subpopulations inhabiting different sea ice ecoregions
Gut microbiomes were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding for polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from the southern Beaufort Sea (SB), where sea ice loss has led to increased use of land-based food resources by bears, and from East Greenland (EG), where persistent sea ice has allowed hunting of ice-associated prey nearly year-round. SB polar bears showed a higher number of total (940 vs...
Authors
Megan Franz, Lyle White, Todd Atwood, Kristin Laidre, Denis Roy, Sophie Watson, Esteban Gongora, Melissa McKinney
Diet-driven mercury contamination is associated with polar bear gut microbiota Diet-driven mercury contamination is associated with polar bear gut microbiota
The gut microbiota may modulate the disposition and toxicity of environmental contaminants within a host but, conversely, contaminants may also impact gut bacteria. Such contaminant-gut microbial connections, which could lead to alteration of host health, remain poorly known and are rarely studied in free-ranging wildlife. The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is a long-lived, wide-ranging...
Authors
Sophie Watson, Melissa McKinney, Massimo Pindo, Matthew Bull, Todd Atwood, Heidi Hauffe, Sarah Perkins
Long-term variation in polar bear body condition and maternal investment relative to a changing environment Long-term variation in polar bear body condition and maternal investment relative to a changing environment
In the Arctic, warming air and ocean temperatures have resulted in substantial changes to sea ice, which is primary habitat for polar bears (Ursus maritimus). Reductions in extent, duration, and thickness have altered sea ice dynamics, which influences the ability of polar bears to reliably access marine mammal prey. Because nutritional condition is closely linked to population vital...
Authors
Todd Atwood, Karyn Rode, David Douglas, Kristin Simac, Anthony Pagano, Jeffrey Bromaghin
Effects of sea ice decline and summer land use on polar bear home range size in the Beaufort Sea Effects of sea ice decline and summer land use on polar bear home range size in the Beaufort Sea
Animals responding to habitat loss and fragmentation may increase their home ranges to offset declines in localized resources or they may decrease their home ranges and switch to alternative resources. In many regions of the Arctic, polar bears (Ursus maritimus) exhibit some of the largest home ranges of any quadrupedal mammal. Polar bears are presently experiencing a rapid decline in...
Authors
Anthony Pagano, George Durner, Todd Atwood, David Douglas
Survival and abundance of polar bears in Alaska’s Beaufort Sea, 2001–2016 Survival and abundance of polar bears in Alaska’s Beaufort Sea, 2001–2016
The Arctic Ocean is undergoing rapid transformation toward a seasonally ice-free ecosystem. As ice-adapted apex predators, polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are challenged to cope with ongoing habitat degradation and changes in their prey base driven by food-web response to climate warming. Knowledge of polar bear response to environmental change is necessary to understand ecosystem dynamics...
Authors
Jeffrey Bromaghin, David Douglas, George Durner, Kristin Simac, Todd Atwood
Human-polar bear interactions Human-polar bear interactions
Human-wildlife interactions (HWI) are driven fundamentally by overlapping space and resources. As competition intensifies, the likelihood of interaction and conflict increases. In turn, conflict may impede conservation efforts by lowering social tolerance of wildlife, especially when human-wildlife conflict (HWC) poses a threat to human safety and economic well-being. Thus, mitigating...
Authors
Todd Atwood, James Wilder
Non-USGS Publications**
Algeo, T. P., D. Slate, R. M. Caron, T. C. Atwood, S. Recuenco, M. Ducey, R. B. Chipman, and M. Palace. 2017. Modeling raccoon (Procyon lotor) habitat connectivity to identify potential corridors for rabies spread. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases 44. doi:10.3390/tropicalmed203044.
Atwood, T. C., E. Peacock, K. M. Lillie, R. R. Wilson, and S. Miller. 2015. Demographic composition and behavior of polar bears summering on shore in Alaska. USGS Administrative Report, 26 p.
Beasley, J. C., T. C. Atwood, M. E. Byrne, K. C. VerCauteren, S. R. Johnson, and O. E. Rhodes, Jr. 2015. A behaviorally-explicit approach for evaluating vaccine baits to mesopredators to control epizootics in fragmented landscapes. PLoS One 10:e0113206. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0113206.
Anderson, A., S. A. Shwiff, R. B. Chipman, T. C. Atwood, T. Cozzens, F. Fillo, R. Hale, B. Hatch, J. Maki, O. E. Rhodes, Jr, E. E. Rees, C. E. Rupprecht, R. Tinline, K. C. VerCauteren, and D. Slate. 2014. Forecasting the spread of raccoon rabies using a purpose-specific group decision-making process. Human-Wildlife Interactions 8(1):130-138.
Slate, D., R. B. Chipman, T. P. Algeo, S. A. Mills, K. M. Nelson, C. K. Croson, E. J. Dubovi, R. W. Renshaw, K. C. VerCauteren, T. C. Atwood, S. Johnson, and C. E. Rupprecht. 2014. Safety and immunogenicity in the first field trial with ONRAB in raccoons in the United States. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 50(3):582-595. doi:10.7589/2013-08-207.
Kunkel, K. E., T. K. Ruth, T. C. Atwood, D. H. Pletscher, and M. G. Hornocker. 2013. Assessing the value of wolves and cougars as conservation surrogates by linking carnivore hunting success with landscape characteristics. Animal Conservation 16:32-40. doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.2012.00568.x.
Beasley, J. D., W. S. Beatty, T. C. Atwood, S. Johnson, and O. E. Rhodes, Jr. 2012. A comparison of methods for estimating raccoon abundance: Implications for disease vaccination programs. Journal of Wildlife Management 76(6):1290-1297. doi:10.1002/jwmg.379.
Atwood, T. C. and S. W. Breck. 2012. Carnivores, Conflict, and Conservation: Defining the Landscape of Conflict. Pages 99-118 in F. I. Álvares and G. E. Mata, (eds.). Carnivores: Species, Conservation, and Management. Nova Publishers.
Atwood, T. C., T. L. Fry, and B. R. Leland. 2011. Partitioning of a limited resource by sympatric carnivores in the Chihuahuan Desert and the implications for disease transmission. Journal of Wildlife Management 75:1609-1615.
Atwood, T. C., J. K. Young, J. P. Beckmann, S. W. Breck, O. E. Rhodes, Jr, J. A. Fike, and K. D. Bristow. 2011. Modeling connectivity of black bears in a desert sky island archipelago. Biological Conservation 144(12):2851-2862. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2011.08.002.
Fry, T. L., T. C. Atwood, and M. R. Dunbar. 2010. Utility of rhodamine B as a biomarker in raccoons. Human-Wildlife Interactions 4:275-282.
Atwood, T. C. and E. M. Gese. 2010. Importance of resource selection and social behaviour to partitioning of hostile space by sympatric canids. Journal of Mammalogy 91:490-499.
Atwood, T. C., T. J. DeLiberto, H. J. Smith, J. Stevenson, and K. C. VerCauteren. 2009. Raccoon spatial ecology related to cattle and bovine tuberculosis. Journal of Wildlife Management 73:647-654.
Atwood, T. C., E. M. Gese, and K. E. Kunkel. 2009. Spatial decomposition of predation risk in a multiple-predator multiple-prey system. Journal of Wildlife Management 73:876-884.
Atwood, T. C. and E. M. Gese. 2008. Coyotes (Canis latrans) and recolonizing wolves (Canis lupus): Social rank mediates risk-conditional behaviour at ungulate carcasses. Animal Behaviour 75:753-762.
VerCauteren, K. C., T. C. Atwood, T. J. DeLiberto, H. J. Smith, J. Stevenson, T. Gidlewski, and B. V. Thomsen. 2008. Sentinel-based surveillance of coyotes to detect bovine tuberculosis in Michigan. Emerging Infectious Diseases 14:1862-1869.
Atwood, T. C., K. C. VerCauteren, T. J. DeLiberto, H. J. Smith, and J. Stevenson. 2007. Coyotes as a potential sentinel species to detect bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) infection in white-tailed deer in Michigan. Journal of Wildlife Management 71:1545-1554.
Atwood, T. C., E. M. Gese, and K. E. Kunkel. 2007. Comparative patterns of predation by cougars and recolonizing wolves. Journal of Wildlife Management 71:1098-1106.
Atwood, T. C. 2006. The influence of habitat patch attributes on coyote group size and interaction in a fragmented landscape. Canadian Journal of Zoology 84:80-87.
Atwood, T. C. 2006. Behavioral interactions between wolves, Canis lupus, and coyotes, Canis latrans, at ungulate carcasses in southwest Montana. Western North American Naturalist 66:390-394.
Atwood, T. C., H. P. Weeks, Jr., and T. M. Gehring. 2004. Spatial ecology of coyotes along a suburban-to-rural gradient. Journal of Wildlife Management 85:1000-1009.
Swihart, R. K., T. C. Atwood, J. R. Goheen, D. A. Scheiman, K. E. Munroe, and T. M. Gehring. 2003. Patch occupancy in North American mammals: Is patchiness in the eye of the beholder? . Journal of Biogeography 30:1259-1279.
Atwood, T. C. and H. P. Weeks, Jr.. 2003. Sex-specific patterns of mineral lick preference in white-tailed deer. Northeastern Naturalist 10:409-414.
Atwood, T. C. and H. P. Weeks, Jr.. 2002. Sex- and age-specific patterns of mineral lick use by white-tailed deer. American Midland Naturalist 148:289-296.
Atwood, T. C. and H. P. Weeks, Jr.. 2002. Facultative dyad formation in adult male coyotes. Northeastern Naturalist 9:353-358.
**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
Filter Total Items: 27
No Result Found
Filter Total Items: 88
Distinct gut microbiomes in two polar bear subpopulations inhabiting different sea ice ecoregions Distinct gut microbiomes in two polar bear subpopulations inhabiting different sea ice ecoregions
Gut microbiomes were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding for polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from the southern Beaufort Sea (SB), where sea ice loss has led to increased use of land-based food resources by bears, and from East Greenland (EG), where persistent sea ice has allowed hunting of ice-associated prey nearly year-round. SB polar bears showed a higher number of total (940 vs...
Authors
Megan Franz, Lyle White, Todd Atwood, Kristin Laidre, Denis Roy, Sophie Watson, Esteban Gongora, Melissa McKinney
Diet-driven mercury contamination is associated with polar bear gut microbiota Diet-driven mercury contamination is associated with polar bear gut microbiota
The gut microbiota may modulate the disposition and toxicity of environmental contaminants within a host but, conversely, contaminants may also impact gut bacteria. Such contaminant-gut microbial connections, which could lead to alteration of host health, remain poorly known and are rarely studied in free-ranging wildlife. The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is a long-lived, wide-ranging...
Authors
Sophie Watson, Melissa McKinney, Massimo Pindo, Matthew Bull, Todd Atwood, Heidi Hauffe, Sarah Perkins
Long-term variation in polar bear body condition and maternal investment relative to a changing environment Long-term variation in polar bear body condition and maternal investment relative to a changing environment
In the Arctic, warming air and ocean temperatures have resulted in substantial changes to sea ice, which is primary habitat for polar bears (Ursus maritimus). Reductions in extent, duration, and thickness have altered sea ice dynamics, which influences the ability of polar bears to reliably access marine mammal prey. Because nutritional condition is closely linked to population vital...
Authors
Todd Atwood, Karyn Rode, David Douglas, Kristin Simac, Anthony Pagano, Jeffrey Bromaghin
Effects of sea ice decline and summer land use on polar bear home range size in the Beaufort Sea Effects of sea ice decline and summer land use on polar bear home range size in the Beaufort Sea
Animals responding to habitat loss and fragmentation may increase their home ranges to offset declines in localized resources or they may decrease their home ranges and switch to alternative resources. In many regions of the Arctic, polar bears (Ursus maritimus) exhibit some of the largest home ranges of any quadrupedal mammal. Polar bears are presently experiencing a rapid decline in...
Authors
Anthony Pagano, George Durner, Todd Atwood, David Douglas
Survival and abundance of polar bears in Alaska’s Beaufort Sea, 2001–2016 Survival and abundance of polar bears in Alaska’s Beaufort Sea, 2001–2016
The Arctic Ocean is undergoing rapid transformation toward a seasonally ice-free ecosystem. As ice-adapted apex predators, polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are challenged to cope with ongoing habitat degradation and changes in their prey base driven by food-web response to climate warming. Knowledge of polar bear response to environmental change is necessary to understand ecosystem dynamics...
Authors
Jeffrey Bromaghin, David Douglas, George Durner, Kristin Simac, Todd Atwood
Human-polar bear interactions Human-polar bear interactions
Human-wildlife interactions (HWI) are driven fundamentally by overlapping space and resources. As competition intensifies, the likelihood of interaction and conflict increases. In turn, conflict may impede conservation efforts by lowering social tolerance of wildlife, especially when human-wildlife conflict (HWC) poses a threat to human safety and economic well-being. Thus, mitigating...
Authors
Todd Atwood, James Wilder
Non-USGS Publications**
Algeo, T. P., D. Slate, R. M. Caron, T. C. Atwood, S. Recuenco, M. Ducey, R. B. Chipman, and M. Palace. 2017. Modeling raccoon (Procyon lotor) habitat connectivity to identify potential corridors for rabies spread. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases 44. doi:10.3390/tropicalmed203044.
Atwood, T. C., E. Peacock, K. M. Lillie, R. R. Wilson, and S. Miller. 2015. Demographic composition and behavior of polar bears summering on shore in Alaska. USGS Administrative Report, 26 p.
Beasley, J. C., T. C. Atwood, M. E. Byrne, K. C. VerCauteren, S. R. Johnson, and O. E. Rhodes, Jr. 2015. A behaviorally-explicit approach for evaluating vaccine baits to mesopredators to control epizootics in fragmented landscapes. PLoS One 10:e0113206. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0113206.
Anderson, A., S. A. Shwiff, R. B. Chipman, T. C. Atwood, T. Cozzens, F. Fillo, R. Hale, B. Hatch, J. Maki, O. E. Rhodes, Jr, E. E. Rees, C. E. Rupprecht, R. Tinline, K. C. VerCauteren, and D. Slate. 2014. Forecasting the spread of raccoon rabies using a purpose-specific group decision-making process. Human-Wildlife Interactions 8(1):130-138.
Slate, D., R. B. Chipman, T. P. Algeo, S. A. Mills, K. M. Nelson, C. K. Croson, E. J. Dubovi, R. W. Renshaw, K. C. VerCauteren, T. C. Atwood, S. Johnson, and C. E. Rupprecht. 2014. Safety and immunogenicity in the first field trial with ONRAB in raccoons in the United States. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 50(3):582-595. doi:10.7589/2013-08-207.
Kunkel, K. E., T. K. Ruth, T. C. Atwood, D. H. Pletscher, and M. G. Hornocker. 2013. Assessing the value of wolves and cougars as conservation surrogates by linking carnivore hunting success with landscape characteristics. Animal Conservation 16:32-40. doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.2012.00568.x.
Beasley, J. D., W. S. Beatty, T. C. Atwood, S. Johnson, and O. E. Rhodes, Jr. 2012. A comparison of methods for estimating raccoon abundance: Implications for disease vaccination programs. Journal of Wildlife Management 76(6):1290-1297. doi:10.1002/jwmg.379.
Atwood, T. C. and S. W. Breck. 2012. Carnivores, Conflict, and Conservation: Defining the Landscape of Conflict. Pages 99-118 in F. I. Álvares and G. E. Mata, (eds.). Carnivores: Species, Conservation, and Management. Nova Publishers.
Atwood, T. C., T. L. Fry, and B. R. Leland. 2011. Partitioning of a limited resource by sympatric carnivores in the Chihuahuan Desert and the implications for disease transmission. Journal of Wildlife Management 75:1609-1615.
Atwood, T. C., J. K. Young, J. P. Beckmann, S. W. Breck, O. E. Rhodes, Jr, J. A. Fike, and K. D. Bristow. 2011. Modeling connectivity of black bears in a desert sky island archipelago. Biological Conservation 144(12):2851-2862. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2011.08.002.
Fry, T. L., T. C. Atwood, and M. R. Dunbar. 2010. Utility of rhodamine B as a biomarker in raccoons. Human-Wildlife Interactions 4:275-282.
Atwood, T. C. and E. M. Gese. 2010. Importance of resource selection and social behaviour to partitioning of hostile space by sympatric canids. Journal of Mammalogy 91:490-499.
Atwood, T. C., T. J. DeLiberto, H. J. Smith, J. Stevenson, and K. C. VerCauteren. 2009. Raccoon spatial ecology related to cattle and bovine tuberculosis. Journal of Wildlife Management 73:647-654.
Atwood, T. C., E. M. Gese, and K. E. Kunkel. 2009. Spatial decomposition of predation risk in a multiple-predator multiple-prey system. Journal of Wildlife Management 73:876-884.
Atwood, T. C. and E. M. Gese. 2008. Coyotes (Canis latrans) and recolonizing wolves (Canis lupus): Social rank mediates risk-conditional behaviour at ungulate carcasses. Animal Behaviour 75:753-762.
VerCauteren, K. C., T. C. Atwood, T. J. DeLiberto, H. J. Smith, J. Stevenson, T. Gidlewski, and B. V. Thomsen. 2008. Sentinel-based surveillance of coyotes to detect bovine tuberculosis in Michigan. Emerging Infectious Diseases 14:1862-1869.
Atwood, T. C., K. C. VerCauteren, T. J. DeLiberto, H. J. Smith, and J. Stevenson. 2007. Coyotes as a potential sentinel species to detect bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) infection in white-tailed deer in Michigan. Journal of Wildlife Management 71:1545-1554.
Atwood, T. C., E. M. Gese, and K. E. Kunkel. 2007. Comparative patterns of predation by cougars and recolonizing wolves. Journal of Wildlife Management 71:1098-1106.
Atwood, T. C. 2006. The influence of habitat patch attributes on coyote group size and interaction in a fragmented landscape. Canadian Journal of Zoology 84:80-87.
Atwood, T. C. 2006. Behavioral interactions between wolves, Canis lupus, and coyotes, Canis latrans, at ungulate carcasses in southwest Montana. Western North American Naturalist 66:390-394.
Atwood, T. C., H. P. Weeks, Jr., and T. M. Gehring. 2004. Spatial ecology of coyotes along a suburban-to-rural gradient. Journal of Wildlife Management 85:1000-1009.
Swihart, R. K., T. C. Atwood, J. R. Goheen, D. A. Scheiman, K. E. Munroe, and T. M. Gehring. 2003. Patch occupancy in North American mammals: Is patchiness in the eye of the beholder? . Journal of Biogeography 30:1259-1279.
Atwood, T. C. and H. P. Weeks, Jr.. 2003. Sex-specific patterns of mineral lick preference in white-tailed deer. Northeastern Naturalist 10:409-414.
Atwood, T. C. and H. P. Weeks, Jr.. 2002. Sex- and age-specific patterns of mineral lick use by white-tailed deer. American Midland Naturalist 148:289-296.
Atwood, T. C. and H. P. Weeks, Jr.. 2002. Facultative dyad formation in adult male coyotes. Northeastern Naturalist 9:353-358.
**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.
*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