Publications
Read publications and other informational products to learn more about USGS science occurring in the Mississippi Basin.
Filter Total Items: 5583
Effectiveness of stewardship and management strategies to conserve coastal bird populations in the northern Gulf of Mexico: A literature review Effectiveness of stewardship and management strategies to conserve coastal bird populations in the northern Gulf of Mexico: A literature review
Shorebirds, seabirds, and wading birds (hereafter coastal birds) have experienced considerable losses over the last century and require proactive conservation management to stabilize or grow populations. Habitat loss and/or degradation and human disturbance are among the most urgent threats faced by coastal bird populations. Identifying effective conservation management techniques to...
Authors
Jennifer L. Fuller, Nicole L. Michel, Evan M. Adams, Abigail J. Darrah, Auriel Fournier, Jacquelyn K. Grace, Lianne Koczur, Bethany A.C. Kraft, Terri J. Maness, Sarah P. Saunders, Caz M. Taylor, Kiara L. Valentine, Theodore J. Zenzal
Flow cytometric detection of waterborne bacteria metabolic response to anthropogenic chemical inputs to aquatic ecosystems Flow cytometric detection of waterborne bacteria metabolic response to anthropogenic chemical inputs to aquatic ecosystems
Typical investigations into the biological consequences of suspected xenobiotics or nutrients introduced in watersheds include analytical chemistry screens of environmental samples—such as periphyton responses or studies of fish condition—which are all costly in terms of equipment, reagents, time, and human resources. An alternative is to assess pollutant effects on waterborne bacteria...
Authors
Jill Jenkins, Scott Mize, Darren Johnson, Bonnie L. Brown
Impact of thermoelectric power plant operations and water use reporting methods on thermoelectric power plant water use Impact of thermoelectric power plant operations and water use reporting methods on thermoelectric power plant water use
Thermoelectric power generation accounts for over 41% of total U.S. freshwater withdrawals, making understanding the determinants of power plants’ water withdrawals (WW) and consumption (WC) critical for reducing the sector’s reliance on increasingly scarce water resources. However, reported data inconsistencies and incomplete analysis of potential determinants of thermoelectric water...
Authors
Eric Sjostedt, Richard Rushforth, Vincent Tidwell, Melissa A. Harris, Ryan McManamay, Landon Marston
Reproductive biology of invasive grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in two North American systems Reproductive biology of invasive grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in two North American systems
Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) are nonnative, herbivorous freshwater fish that represent an ecological threat in North American waters. However, data are limited on reproductive biology specific to wild populations in midwestern North America, despite recent concern for grass carp establishment within the Great Lakes. Basic information on reproductive traits could be useful to...
Authors
Tammy Michelle Wilson, Matthew Ross Acre, Fred Williams, Robin D. Calfee, Christine M. Mayer, Robert L. Mapes, Chris M. Kemp, Ryan T. Young, Michael E. Byrne
Reviews and syntheses: Variable inundation across Earth's terrestrial ecosystems Reviews and syntheses: Variable inundation across Earth's terrestrial ecosystems
The structure, function, and dynamics of Earth's terrestrial ecosystems are profoundly influenced by how often (frequency) and how long (duration) they are inundated with water. A diverse array of natural and human-engineered systems experience temporally variable inundation whereby they fluctuate between inundated and non-inundated states. Variable inundation spans extreme events to...
Authors
James Stegen, Amy J. Burgin, Michelle H. Busch, Joshua B. Fisher, Joshua Ladau, Jenna Abrahamson, Lauren Kinsman-Costello, Li Li, Xingyuan Chen, Thibault Datry, Nate McDowell, Corianne Tatariw, Anna Braswell, Jillian M. Deines, Julia A. Guimond, Peter Regier, Kenton Rod, Edward K.P. Bam, Etienne Fluet-Chouinard, Inke Forbrich, Kristin L. Jaeger, Teri O'Meara, Timothy D. Scheibe, Erin Seybold, Jon N. Sweetman, Jianqiu Zheng, Daniel C. Allen, Elizabeth Herndon, Beth Middleton, Scott Painter, Kevin Roche, Julianne Scamardo, Ross Vander Vorste, Kristin Boye, Ellen Wohl, Margaret Zimmer, Kelly Hondula, Maggi Laan, Anna Marshall, Kaizad F. Patel
Cancer risk and estimated lithium exposure in drinking groundwater in the US Cancer risk and estimated lithium exposure in drinking groundwater in the US
Importance Lithium is a naturally occurring element in drinking water and is commonly used as a mood-stabilizing medication. Although clinical studies have reported associations between receiving lithium treatment and reduced cancer risk among patients with bipolar disorder, to our knowledge, the association between environmental lithium exposure and cancer risk has never been studied in...
Authors
Jiajun Luo, Liange Zheng, Zhihao Jin, Yuqing Yang, William I. Krakowka, Eric Hong, Melissa A. Lombard, Joseph D. Ayotte, Habibul Ahsan, Jayant M. Pinto, Briseis Aschebrook-Kilfoy
Not just corticosterone: Further characterization of the endocrine response of Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) reveals elevated plasma aldosterone concentrations during field capture events Not just corticosterone: Further characterization of the endocrine response of Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) reveals elevated plasma aldosterone concentrations during field capture events
To develop safe and effective management policies, it is important to understand the physiologic effects of fishing interactions and scientific research methods on endangered marine species. In the present study, validated assays for plasma corticosterone, free thyroxine (fT4), and aldosterone were used to assess the endocrine status of 61 presumed healthy, wild Kemp's ridley sea turtles
Authors
Charles J. Innis, Katherine M. Graham, Cody R. Mott, Kristen Hart, David Roche, Michael Cherkiss, Elizabeth A. Burgess
Multispectral red-edge indices accurately estimate nitrogen content in winter cereal cover crops Multispectral red-edge indices accurately estimate nitrogen content in winter cereal cover crops
Winter cover crops reduce erosion and nutrient runoff from agricultural systems. Although cereal cover crops can decrease field nitrate leaching by 50%–95%, the magnitude of this reduction varies within and between fields, making it challenging to monitor the impact of cover crops on nitrate leaching at large spatial extents. Satellite remote sensing using red-edge bands has been shown...
Authors
Alison Thieme, Jyoti Jennewein, W. Dean Hively, Brian T. Lamb, Alicia Whitcraft, S.B. Mirsky, S.C. Reberg-Horton, C. Justice
A high efficiency method for the extraction and quantitative analysis of 45 PFAS in whole fish A high efficiency method for the extraction and quantitative analysis of 45 PFAS in whole fish
This study describes and validates a new method for extracting perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from whole-body fish tissue, demonstrates that freeze-dry preservation of tissue conserves bioaccumulative PFAS, and details a method demonstration on Lake Michigan fish. While fish filets are more commonly analyzed for their significance to human health, whole fish are...
Authors
Sarah Balgooyen, Madelynn Scott, Brett R. Blackwell, Erin L. Pulster, Michael B. Mahon, Ryan F. Lepak, Will Backe
Groundwater age estimates for the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer based on tracer data collected during 2018–20 Groundwater age estimates for the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer based on tracer data collected during 2018–20
This study characterized groundwater age across the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer (MRVA). Groundwater samples from 69 MRVA wells and 19 wells in Tertiary units of the Mississippi embayment aquifer system (MEAS) were analyzed for sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), tritium (3H), helium (He), and (or) carbon-14 of dissolved inorganic carbon (14C). The age distributions of 89 samples...
Authors
Michael C. Gratzer, John E. Solder, Katherine J. Knierim, James A. Kingsbury, Andrew M. O’Reilly, Gregg R. Davidson
What is eDNA method standardization and why do we need it? What is eDNA method standardization and why do we need it?
The rapid advancement of environmental DNA (eDNA) science in the past two decades has inspired a concomitant growth in the development of eDNA sampling and analytical methods. However, these methods are often developed by individual laboratories or institutions, which can isolate protocols within programmes, agencies or regions and prevent the beneficial exchange of data and ideas...
Authors
Susanna Theroux, Adam Sepulveda, Cathryn L. Abbott, Zachary Gold, Alison W. Watts, Margaret Hunter, Katy E. Klymus, Shana L. Hirsch, Joseph M. Craine, Devin Nicole Jones-Slobodian, Rachel J. Brown, Joshua A. Steele, Miwa Takahashi, Rachel T. Noble, John A. Darling
Time-varying rates of organic and inorganic mass accumulation in southeast Louisiana marshes: Relationships to sea-level anomalies and tropical storms Time-varying rates of organic and inorganic mass accumulation in southeast Louisiana marshes: Relationships to sea-level anomalies and tropical storms
Louisiana's coastal wetlands are complex systems that require a continuous input of organic and inorganic material to keep pace with relative sea-level rise. Coastal restoration projects such as sediment diversions are being implemented to mitigate land loss and increase availability of inorganic sediment to coastal wetlands, and marshes specifically rely on organic material to build...
Authors
Sophie Vincent, Carol Wilson, Gregg A. Snedden, Tracy Quirk