William Beatty, PhD
William leads research on wildlife population modeling, movement ecology, and space use with an emphasis on migratory waterbirds
Professional Experience
2024 – Present, Research Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, La Crosse, Wisconsin
2021 – 2024, Research Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, La Crosse, Wisconsin
2016 – 2021, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management, Anchorage, Alaska
2014 – 2016, Research Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska
2012 – 2014, Post-doctoral Fellow, University of Missouri, Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Purdue University, Wildlife Science, 2012
M.S., Eastern Illinois University, Biological Sciences, 2008
B.S., University of Missouri, Fisheries and Wildlife Science, 2005
Affiliations and Memberships*
The Wildlife Society
Society for Marine Mammalogy
Science and Products
Walrus Used and Available Resource Units for Northeast Chukchi Sea, 2008-2012 Walrus Used and Available Resource Units for Northeast Chukchi Sea, 2008-2012
Sea ice loss represents a stressor to the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens), which feeds on benthic macroinvertebrates in the Bering and Chukchi seas. However, no studies have examined the effects of sea ice on foraging walrus space use patterns. Thus, we examined walrus foraging resource selection as a function of proximity to resting substrates and prey biomass with a...
Walrus Haulout and In-water Activity Levels Relative to Sea Ice Availability in the Chukchi Sea, 2008-2014 Walrus Haulout and In-water Activity Levels Relative to Sea Ice Availability in the Chukchi Sea, 2008-2014
An animal's energetic costs are dependent on the amount of time it allocates to various behavioral activities. For Arctic pinnipeds, the time allocated to active and resting behaviors could change with future reductions in sea ice cover and longer periods of open water. The Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) is a large Arctic pinniped that rests on sea ice or land between...
Walrus Bayesian State-space Model Output from the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea, 2008-2012 Walrus Bayesian State-space Model Output from the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea, 2008-2012
State-space models offer researchers an objective approach to modeling complex animal location datasets, and state-space model behavior classifications are often assumed to have a link to animal behavior. We evaluated the behavioral classification accuracy of a Bayesian state-space model in Pacific walruses using Argos satellite tags outfitted with sensors to detect animal behavior in...
Filter Total Items: 24
Exploring effects of vessels on walrus behaviors using telemetry, automatic identification system data and matching Exploring effects of vessels on walrus behaviors using telemetry, automatic identification system data and matching
Arctic marine mammals have had little exposure to vessel traffic and potential associated disturbance, but sea ice loss has increased accessibility of Arctic waters to vessels. Vessel disturbance could influence marine mammal population dynamics by altering behavioral activity budgets that affect energy balance, which in turn can affect birth and death rates. As an initial step in...
Authors
Rebecca L. Taylor, Chadwick V. Jay, William S. Beatty, Anthony S. Fischbach, Lori T. Quakenbush, Justin A. Crawford
Estimating Pacific walrus abundance and survival with multievent mark-recapture models Estimating Pacific walrus abundance and survival with multievent mark-recapture models
Arctic marine ecosystems are undergoing rapid physical and biological change associated with climate warming and loss of sea ice. Sea ice loss will impact many species through altered spatial and temporal availability of resources. In the Bering and Chukchi Seas, the Pacific walrus Odobenus rosmarus divergens is one species that could be impacted by rapid environmental change, and thus...
Authors
William S. Beatty, Patrick R. Lemons, Jason P. Everett, Cara J. Lewis, Rebecca L. Taylor, Robert J. Lynn, Suresh A. Sethi, Lori T. Quakenbush, John J. Citta, Michelle Kissling, Natalia Kryukova, John K. Wennburg
Restoration of Gavia immer (common loon) in Minnesota—2021 annual report Restoration of Gavia immer (common loon) in Minnesota—2021 annual report
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill caused extensive injury to natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico, and Gavia immer (common loon) were negatively affected from the spill. The Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group funded the project Restoration of Common Loons in Minnesota to restore common loons lost to the spill. In 2020–21, priority lakes in an eight-county region in north-central...
Authors
William S. Beatty, Luke J. Fara, Steven C. Houdek, Kevin P. Kenow, Brian R. Gray
Environmental drivers of autumn migration departure decisions in midcontinental mallards Environmental drivers of autumn migration departure decisions in midcontinental mallards
Background The timing of autumn migration in ducks is influenced by a range of environmental conditions that may elicit individual experiences and responses from individual birds, yet most studies have investigated relationships at the population level. We used data from individual satellite-tracked mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) to model the timing and environmental drivers of autumn...
Authors
Florian G. Weller, William S. Beatty, Elisabeth B. Webb, Dylan C. Kesler, David G. Krementz, Kwasi Asante, Luke W. Naylor
Agent-based modeling of movements and habitat selection by mid-continent mallards Agent-based modeling of movements and habitat selection by mid-continent mallards
We found that the absence of existing conservation measures would reduce wintering mallard population size by ~70-80%, underlining the importance of current wetland easements for waterfowl foraging. Under standard conditions, the partial active flooding of easements later in the season and the upgrading of unmanaged wetlands to managed status resulted in greatest mallard populations...
Authors
Florian G. Weller, Elisabeth B. Webb, William S. Beatty, Sean Fogenburg, Dylan Kesler, Robert H. Blenk, John M. Eadie, Kevin Ringelman, Matt L. Miller
Genetic variation in sea otters (Enhydra lutris) from the North Pacific with relevance to the threatened Southwest Alaska Distinct Population Segment Genetic variation in sea otters (Enhydra lutris) from the North Pacific with relevance to the threatened Southwest Alaska Distinct Population Segment
For the sea otter (Enhydra lutris), genetic population structure is an area of research that has not received significant attention, especially in Southwest Alaska where that distinct population segment has been listed as threatened since 2005 pursuant to the U.S. Endangered Species Act. In this study, 501 samples from 14 locations from Prince William Sound, Alaska to the Commander...
Authors
Blair G. Flannery, Ora L. Russ, Michelle St. Martin, William S. Beatty, Kristen Worman, Joel Garlich-Miller, Verena A. Gill, Patrick R. Lemons, Daniel Monson, Kimberly A. Kloecker, Daniel Esler, John Wenburg
Science and Products
Walrus Used and Available Resource Units for Northeast Chukchi Sea, 2008-2012 Walrus Used and Available Resource Units for Northeast Chukchi Sea, 2008-2012
Sea ice loss represents a stressor to the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens), which feeds on benthic macroinvertebrates in the Bering and Chukchi seas. However, no studies have examined the effects of sea ice on foraging walrus space use patterns. Thus, we examined walrus foraging resource selection as a function of proximity to resting substrates and prey biomass with a...
Walrus Haulout and In-water Activity Levels Relative to Sea Ice Availability in the Chukchi Sea, 2008-2014 Walrus Haulout and In-water Activity Levels Relative to Sea Ice Availability in the Chukchi Sea, 2008-2014
An animal's energetic costs are dependent on the amount of time it allocates to various behavioral activities. For Arctic pinnipeds, the time allocated to active and resting behaviors could change with future reductions in sea ice cover and longer periods of open water. The Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) is a large Arctic pinniped that rests on sea ice or land between...
Walrus Bayesian State-space Model Output from the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea, 2008-2012 Walrus Bayesian State-space Model Output from the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea, 2008-2012
State-space models offer researchers an objective approach to modeling complex animal location datasets, and state-space model behavior classifications are often assumed to have a link to animal behavior. We evaluated the behavioral classification accuracy of a Bayesian state-space model in Pacific walruses using Argos satellite tags outfitted with sensors to detect animal behavior in...
Filter Total Items: 24
Exploring effects of vessels on walrus behaviors using telemetry, automatic identification system data and matching Exploring effects of vessels on walrus behaviors using telemetry, automatic identification system data and matching
Arctic marine mammals have had little exposure to vessel traffic and potential associated disturbance, but sea ice loss has increased accessibility of Arctic waters to vessels. Vessel disturbance could influence marine mammal population dynamics by altering behavioral activity budgets that affect energy balance, which in turn can affect birth and death rates. As an initial step in...
Authors
Rebecca L. Taylor, Chadwick V. Jay, William S. Beatty, Anthony S. Fischbach, Lori T. Quakenbush, Justin A. Crawford
Estimating Pacific walrus abundance and survival with multievent mark-recapture models Estimating Pacific walrus abundance and survival with multievent mark-recapture models
Arctic marine ecosystems are undergoing rapid physical and biological change associated with climate warming and loss of sea ice. Sea ice loss will impact many species through altered spatial and temporal availability of resources. In the Bering and Chukchi Seas, the Pacific walrus Odobenus rosmarus divergens is one species that could be impacted by rapid environmental change, and thus...
Authors
William S. Beatty, Patrick R. Lemons, Jason P. Everett, Cara J. Lewis, Rebecca L. Taylor, Robert J. Lynn, Suresh A. Sethi, Lori T. Quakenbush, John J. Citta, Michelle Kissling, Natalia Kryukova, John K. Wennburg
Restoration of Gavia immer (common loon) in Minnesota—2021 annual report Restoration of Gavia immer (common loon) in Minnesota—2021 annual report
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill caused extensive injury to natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico, and Gavia immer (common loon) were negatively affected from the spill. The Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group funded the project Restoration of Common Loons in Minnesota to restore common loons lost to the spill. In 2020–21, priority lakes in an eight-county region in north-central...
Authors
William S. Beatty, Luke J. Fara, Steven C. Houdek, Kevin P. Kenow, Brian R. Gray
Environmental drivers of autumn migration departure decisions in midcontinental mallards Environmental drivers of autumn migration departure decisions in midcontinental mallards
Background The timing of autumn migration in ducks is influenced by a range of environmental conditions that may elicit individual experiences and responses from individual birds, yet most studies have investigated relationships at the population level. We used data from individual satellite-tracked mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) to model the timing and environmental drivers of autumn...
Authors
Florian G. Weller, William S. Beatty, Elisabeth B. Webb, Dylan C. Kesler, David G. Krementz, Kwasi Asante, Luke W. Naylor
Agent-based modeling of movements and habitat selection by mid-continent mallards Agent-based modeling of movements and habitat selection by mid-continent mallards
We found that the absence of existing conservation measures would reduce wintering mallard population size by ~70-80%, underlining the importance of current wetland easements for waterfowl foraging. Under standard conditions, the partial active flooding of easements later in the season and the upgrading of unmanaged wetlands to managed status resulted in greatest mallard populations...
Authors
Florian G. Weller, Elisabeth B. Webb, William S. Beatty, Sean Fogenburg, Dylan Kesler, Robert H. Blenk, John M. Eadie, Kevin Ringelman, Matt L. Miller
Genetic variation in sea otters (Enhydra lutris) from the North Pacific with relevance to the threatened Southwest Alaska Distinct Population Segment Genetic variation in sea otters (Enhydra lutris) from the North Pacific with relevance to the threatened Southwest Alaska Distinct Population Segment
For the sea otter (Enhydra lutris), genetic population structure is an area of research that has not received significant attention, especially in Southwest Alaska where that distinct population segment has been listed as threatened since 2005 pursuant to the U.S. Endangered Species Act. In this study, 501 samples from 14 locations from Prince William Sound, Alaska to the Commander...
Authors
Blair G. Flannery, Ora L. Russ, Michelle St. Martin, William S. Beatty, Kristen Worman, Joel Garlich-Miller, Verena A. Gill, Patrick R. Lemons, Daniel Monson, Kimberly A. Kloecker, Daniel Esler, John Wenburg
*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