Unified Interior Regions
Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands)
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North American Waterfowl Management Plan
The ultimate success of North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) depends on maintaining relevance to stakeholders and society. In order to be relevant, a first step is to better understand what people value in regard to waterfowl and their habitats.
Quantitative and Statistical Research Collaboration
Mathematical and statistical models are powerful research tools that play several important roles in conceptualizing and understanding the structure and dynamics of complicated ecological systems, including developing mechanistic hypotheses pertaining to ecological systems, designing studies that elucidate ecosystem structure and function, and extracting information from data.
Ecology and Control of Invasive Reptiles in Florida
This project involves ongoing development of tools for the detection and capture of invasive reptiles in Florida, with an emphasis on Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) and Black and white tegu lizards (Salvator merianae). The goals are to reduce the risk of reptile invasions in high-value resources such as Everglades National Park and the Florida Keys, to access early detection methods of...
Control and Landscape-Scale Suppression of the Invasive Brown Treesnake
The Brown Treesnake is a highly destructive reptile species that has extirpated many native species of birds, bats, and lizards from the U.S. Territory of Guam. For more than two decades branch scientists with the Invasive Reptile Project have developed, validated, and tested the feasibility of Brown Treesnake control and suppression at various spatial scales.
Status and Trends of Emergent Wetlands in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010
Throughout the past century, emergent wetlands have been declining across the Gulf of Mexico. Emergent wetland ecosystems provide a plethora of resources including plant and wildlife habitat, commercial and recreational economic activity, water quality, and natural barriers against storms.
Monitoring of Amphibians at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in Northwest Florida
Freshwater wetlands provide critical habitat for a diverse array of organisms, including many amphibians. Yet, under the threat of climate change, these habitats are among the most imperiled ecosystems on Earth.
Statistical Models for the Design and Analysis of Environmental DNA (eDNA) Surveys of Invasive and Imperiled Species
Detecting invasive species at low densities or prior to population establishment is critical for successful control and eradication. For example, Burmese pythons occupy thousands of square kilometers of mostly inaccessible habitats.
Preserving Gulf Sturgeon—A Fish Tale of Gargantuan Proportions
It's hard to imagine a better job than doing fieldwork with the USGS Coastal Ecology crew as they work to keep tabs on the Gulf sturgeon population.
Storm Impact Assessments on Coastal Bird Populations, Behavior, and Nesting along the Outer Banks Barrier Islands, North Carolina
Using historic maps and contemporary imagery, we will quantify and synthesize existing data on the distribution and abundance of shorebirds in North Carolina and changes in habitats related to storms, such as Hurricane Sandy; coastal development, such as the Intracoastal Waterway; inlet modifications; and shoreline erosion to give us a better understanding of historic trends for shorebirds and...
Fish Slam - Spring 2016
May 23, 2016 – Five teams of fishery biologists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the National Park Service (NPS), Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH), University of Florida (UF), and Florida International University (FIU) sampled 12 sites for non-native fishes in Broward and Miami-Dade counties in southeastern Florida.
Impacts of Sea Level Rise & Ecosystem Restoration on Wildlife
The interior marshes of the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge (TTINWR) are currently negatively impacted by sea level rise through saltwater intrusion from the south which furthers mangrove encroachment into the freshwater marsh.
Assessment of Small Mammal Demographics and Communities in the Picayune Strand Restoration Area
The Picayune Strand Restoration Project (PSRP) is in the process of restoring pre-drainage hydrology to the southwest portion of the Greater Everglades ecosystem.
Estimated use of water in Georgia for 2015 and water-use trends, 1985–2015
Water-withdrawal, water-use, and water-return information have been collected and compiled for each county in Georgia every 5 years since 1980 using data obtained from various Federal, State, and private agencies, as well as additional online sources. For 2015, water use, water withdrawal, and water returns were estimated for each county, water-...
Painter, Jaime A.Hurricane Matthew: Predictions, observations, and an analysis of coastal change
Hurricane Matthew, the strongest Atlantic hurricane of the 2016 hurricane season, made land-fall south of McClellanville, S.C., around 1500 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on October 8, 2016. Hurricane Matthew affected the States of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina along the U.S. Atlantic coastline. Numerous barrier islands...
Birchler, Justin J.; Doran, Kara S.; Long, Joseph W.; Stockdon, Hilary F.Adapterama II: Universal amplicon sequencing on Illumina platforms (TaggiMatrix)
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) of amplicons is used in a wide variety of contexts. In many cases, NGS amplicon sequencing remains overly expensive and inflexible, with library preparation strategies relying upon the fusion of locus-specific primers to full-length adapter sequences with a single identifying sequence or ligating adapters onto PCR...
Glenn, Travis C; Pierson, Todd W; Bayona-Vásquez, Natalia J; Kieran, Troy J.; Hoffberg, Sandra L.; Thomas, Jesse; Lefever, Daniel E.; Finger Jr., John W.; Gao, Bei; Bian, Xiaoming; Louha, Swarnali; Kolli, Ramya; Bentley, Kerin; Rushmore, Julie; Wong, Kelvin; Rothrock, Michael; McKee, Anna M.; Guo, Tai L.; Mauricio, Rodney; Molina, Marirosa; Cummings, Brian; Lash, Lawrence H.; Lu, Kun; Gilbert, Gregory S.; Hubbell, Stephen P.; Faircloth, Brant C.Tropical cyclones and the organization of mangrove forests: A review
Background Many mangrove ecosystems are periodically exposed to high velocity winds and surge from tropical cyclones and often recover with time and continue to provide numerous societal benefits in the wake of storm events. Scope This review focuses on the drivers and disturbance mechanisms (visible and functional) that tropical cyclones of...
Krauss, Ken; Osland, MichaelCatalog of microscopic organisms of the Everglades, part 2—The desmids of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
The Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge (refuge), Boynton Beach, Florida, contains approximately 147,000 acres southeast of Lake Okeechobee. Water quality in the interior portion of the refuge is strongly influenced by rainfall, resulting in slightly acidic waters with low dissolved ions. Desmids, a unique, ornate group of...
Rosen, Barry H.; Stahlhut, Katherine N.; Hall, John D.Withdrawal and consumption of water by thermoelectric power plants in the United States, 2015
The U.S. Geological Survey has developed models to estimate thermoelectric water use based on linked heat and water budgets. The models produced plant-level withdrawal and consumption estimates using consistent methods for 1,122 water-using, utility-scale thermoelectric power plants in the United States for 2015. Total estimated withdrawal for...
Harris, Melissa A.; Diehl, Timothy H.Groundwater/surface-water interactions along Ellerbe Creek in Durham, North Carolina, 2016–18
An assessment of groundwater/surface-water interactions along Ellerbe Creek, a major tributary to upper Falls Lake in Durham County, North Carolina, was conducted from July 2016 to March 2018 to determine if groundwater is a likely source of elevated nitrate input to the stream. Groundwater/surface-water interactions were characterized by synoptic...
Antolino, Dominick J.Standardizing a non-lethal method for characterizing the reproductive status and larval development of freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionoida)
Actively monitoring the timing, development, and reproductive patterns of endangered species is critical when managing for population recovery. Freshwater mussels are among the most imperiled organisms in the world, but information about early larval (glochidial) development and brooding periods is still lacking for many species. Previous studies...
Beaver, Caitlin; Geda, Susan; Johnson, NathanPrediction and inference of flow-duration curves using multi-output neural networks
We develop multi-output neural network models (MNNs) to predict flow-duration curves (FDCs) in 9,203 ungaged locations in the Southeastern United States for six decades between 1950-2009. The model architecture contains multiple response variables in the output layer that correspond to individual quantiles along the FDC. During training,...
Worland, Scott C.; Steinschneider, Scott; Asquith, William H.; Knight, Rodney; Wieczorek, Michael E.Coastal Salinity Index along the southeastern Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico, 1983 to 2018
Coastal droughts have a different dynamic than upland droughts, which are typically characterized by agricultural, hydrologic, meteorological, and (or) socioeconomic effects. Drought uniquely affects coastal ecosystems because of changes in the salinity conditions of estuarine creeks and rivers. The location of the freshwater-saltwater interface...
Petkewich, Matthew; Lackstrom, Kirsten; McCloskey, Bryan J.; Rouen, Lauren F.; Conrads, Paul A.Wetland biomass and productivity in Coastal Louisiana: Base line data (1976-2015) and knowledge gaps for the development of spatially explicit models for ecosystem restoration and rehabilitation initiatives
Coastal Louisiana host 37% of the coastal wetland area in the conterminous US, including one of the deltaic coastal regions more susceptible to the synergy of human and natural impacts causing wetland loss. As a result of the construction of flood protection infrastructure, dredging of channels across wetlands for oil/gas exploration and maritime...
Rivera-Monroy, Victor H.; Elliton, Courtney; Narra, Siddhartha; Meselhe, Ehab; Zhao, Xiaochen; White, Eric; Sasser, Charles E.; Visser, Jenneke M.; Meng, X.; Wang, Hongqing; Xue, Zuo; Jaramillo, FernandoEnvironmental DNA (eDNA) detection of nonnative bullseye snakehead in southern Florida
Bullseye Snakehead Channa marulius (Hamilton 1822) was first detected in the southern Florida town of Tamarac in 2000 and has been expanding its geographic range since. Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is a newly-developed technique used to noninvasively detect cryptic or low-density species or those that are logistically difficult-to-study....
Hunter, Margaret; Schofield, Pam; Meigs-Friend, Gaia; Brown, Mary; Ferrante, JasonOuter Banks in South Carolina, November 2011
Picture of the Outer Banks in late fall (South Carolina, 2011)
Climate Connections: Questions from Puerto Rico
America has questions about climate change, and the USGS has real answers. In this episode of Climate Connections, USGS scientists answer questions gathered from Puerto Rico. Questions include:
- Why has the rainy season been so long in Puerto Rico?
- How is global warming impacting the island of Puerto Rico?
- What are solar storms and are they
Responding to Hurricanes, Floods and Droughts in North Carolina
North Carolina, like many years before, is responding to flooding in the East and drought in the West. Holly Weyers, USGS North Carolina Water Science Center Director, discusses these extreme events.
Oblique aerial photograph near Rodanthe, North Carolina, Aug. 30, 2011
Oblique aerial photograph near Rodanthe, North Carolina, looking south along the coast on August 30, 2011, three days after landfall of Hurricane Irene.
Climate Connections: Questions from North and South Carolina
America has questions about climate change, and the USGS has real answers. In this episode of Climate Connections, USGS scientists answer questions gathered from North and South Carolina.
Bayesian Model, Fly Fishing, Effects of Urbanization on Stream Ecology
Tom Cuffney and Song Qian describe their U.S. Geological Survey research on the effects of urbanization on stream ecology, while fly fishing.
USGS Water Activities in South Carolina - Update
An update on USGS Water activities in South Carolina as SC Water Science Center Director Eric Strom is interviewed by SC Public Radio ‘Your Day’ host, Donna London.
Connecting People and Urban Streams
Faith Fitzpatrick (U.S. Geological Survey) outlines the importance of habitat to the health of streams and shows examples of connecting people to urban streams through rehabilitation efforts across the USA. (5 minute version)
Connecting People and Urban Streams
Faith Fitzpatrick (U.S. Geological Survey) describes how urban development affects aquatic habitat in streams, and how stream rehabilitation efforts across the USA are improving urban stream habitat and improving people's connection to their urban streams.
Measuring discharge during May 2011 Memphis, Tennessee flood
Measuring discharge during May 2011 Memphis, Tennessee flood
USGS boat crew prepares for a discharge measurement
USGS boat crew prepares for a discharge measurement during May 2011 Memphis, Tennessee flooding
A report published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) contains a regional map and an associated database that inventory 36 locations of reported natural asbestos and fibrous amphibole occurrences in the central United States.
Hurricane impacts, invasive species, wildlife disease, and the effect of fire on ecosystems are among the topics that scientists of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will discuss as they meet with other leading ecological scientists, educators, and policy-makers from around the globe at the 91st Ecological Society of America meeting in Memphis, Tenn. Aug. 6-11.
Dr. Barry Rosen has been selected to lead U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) science in the state of Florida as the Director of the Florida Integrated Science Center (FISC), the agency announced today.
Dr. Barry Rosen has been selected to lead U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) science in the state of Florida as the Director of the Florida Integrated Science Center (FISC), the agency announced today.
As another potentially busy hurricane season approaches, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists are sharing data and photos with the public to stress the importance of evacuation and storm preparedness.
Despite recent rain, water levels in streams throughout the Mid-Atlantic and surrounding regions remain near record lows for this time of year, according to hydrologists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
In a cooperative research program, the USGS, NASA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) are using airborne laser mapping systems to quantify coastal change along the entire coastline affected by Hurricane Katrina.
In a cooperative research program, the USGS, NASA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) are using airborne laser mapping systems to quantify coastal change along the entire coastline affected by Hurricane Katrina (http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/katrina/).
U.S. Geological Survey scientists report that preliminary analysis of satellite data indicate Hurricane Katrina caused substantial marsh loss in St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes.
The USGS is releasing today a 25-minute videotape of footage showing coastal impacts resulting from Hurricane Katrina along the coastline of the northern Gulf of Mexico.
The USGS is releasing today a 25-minute videotape of footage showing coastal impacts resulting from Hurricane Katrina along the coastline of the northern Gulf of Mexico.
The USGS has posted aerial photos from the northern Gulf of Mexico coastline showing before and after conditions in response to Hurricane Katrina. The photos show five photo pairs of the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana, and three photo pairs of Dauphin Island, Alabama. A set of ‘quick response’ photos from Bay St. Louis to Biloxi, Mississippi are also posted.
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