Publications
Read publications and other informational products to learn more about USGS science occurring in the Mississippi Basin.
Filter Total Items: 5584
A new genus and species of blind sleeper (Teleostei: Eleotridae) from Oaxaca, Mexico: First obligate cave gobiiform in the Western Hemisphere A new genus and species of blind sleeper (Teleostei: Eleotridae) from Oaxaca, Mexico: First obligate cave gobiiform in the Western Hemisphere
Caecieleotris morrisi, new genus and species of sleeper (family Eleotridae), is described from a submerged freshwater cave in a karst region of the northern portion of the State of Oaxaca, Mexico, Río Papaloapan drainage, Gulf of Mexico basin. The new species represents the first cave-adapted sleeper known from the Western Hemisphere and is one of only 13 stygobitic gobiiforms known...
Authors
Stephen J. Walsh, Prosanta Chakrabarty
Head-started Kemp’s ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) nest recorded in Florida: Possible implications Head-started Kemp’s ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) nest recorded in Florida: Possible implications
A head-started Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) was documented nesting on South Walton Beach, Florida on 25 May 2015. This record supports the possibility that exposure to Florida waters after being held in captivity through 1–3 yrs of age during the head-starting process may have influenced future nest site selection of this and perhaps other Kemp’s ridley turtles. Such...
Authors
Donna J. Shaver, Margaret M. Lamont, Sharon Maxwell, Jennifer Shelby Walker, Ted Dillingham
Physiology of the invasive apple snail Pomacea maculata: tolerance to low temperatures Physiology of the invasive apple snail Pomacea maculata: tolerance to low temperatures
Apple snails of the genus Pomacea native to South America have invaded and become established in Europe, Asia, and the United States. Both the channeled apple snail Pomacea canaliculata and the island apple snail Pomacea maculata have been reported in the United States. The two species are difficult to distinguish using morphological characters, leading to uncertainty about the identity...
Authors
Lewis E. Deaton, William Schmidt, Brody Leblanc, Jacoby Carter, Kristy Mueck, Sergio Merino
Disease prevalence and snail predation associated with swell-generated damage on the threatened coral, Acropora palmata (Lamarck) Disease prevalence and snail predation associated with swell-generated damage on the threatened coral, Acropora palmata (Lamarck)
Disturbances such as tropical storms cause coral mortality and reduce coral cover as a direct result of physical damage. Storms can be one of the most important disturbances in coral reef ecosystems, and it is crucial to understand their long-term impacts on coral populations. The primary objective of this study was to determine trends in disease prevalence and snail predation on damaged...
Authors
Allan J. Bright, Caroline S. Rogers, Marilyn E. Brandt, Erinn Muller, Tyler B. Smith
Measurement of bedform migration rates on the Lower Missouri River in Missouri, USA using repeat measurements with a multibeam echosounder Measurement of bedform migration rates on the Lower Missouri River in Missouri, USA using repeat measurements with a multibeam echosounder
High-resolution repeat multibeam echosounder measurements on the Lower Missouri River near Boonville, Missouri, USA show bedform movement and sand storage patterns over daily to seasonal time scales and a range of discharges. Higher flows are frequently, but not always, associated with larger bedforms, higher bedform movement rates, and higher bedload transport rates. Measurements of the...
Authors
Caroline M. Elliott, Robert B. Jacobson
Water-quality data and Escherichia coli predictions for selected karst catchments of the upper Duck River watershed in central Tennessee, 2007–10 Water-quality data and Escherichia coli predictions for selected karst catchments of the upper Duck River watershed in central Tennessee, 2007–10
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Tennessee Duck River Development Agency, monitored water quality at several locations in the upper Duck River watershed between October 2007 and September 2010. Discrete water samples collected at 24 sites in the watershed were analyzed for water quality, and Escherichia coli (E. coli) and enterococci concentrations. Additional analyses
Authors
Jennifer C. Murphy, James Farmer, Alice Layton
Water resources of Washington Parish, Louisiana Water resources of Washington Parish, Louisiana
Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Washington Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-resource management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the availability, past and current use, use trends, and water...
Authors
Vincent E. White, Lawrence B. Prakken
Concentration trends for lead and calcium-normalized lead in fish fillets from the Big River, a mining-contaminated stream in southeastern Missouri USA Concentration trends for lead and calcium-normalized lead in fish fillets from the Big River, a mining-contaminated stream in southeastern Missouri USA
Lead (Pb) and calcium (Ca) concentrations were measured in fillet samples of longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis) and redhorse suckers (Moxostoma spp.) collected in 2005–2012 from the Big River, which drains a historical mining area in southeastern Missouri and where a consumption advisory is in effect due to elevated Pb concentrations in fish. Lead tends to accumulated in Ca-rich tissues...
Authors
Christopher J. Schmitt, Michael J. McKee
Vulnerabilities of national parks in the American Midwest to climate and land use changes Vulnerabilities of national parks in the American Midwest to climate and land use changes
Many national parks in the American Midwest are surrounded by agricultural or urban areas or are in highly fragmented or rapidly changing landscapes. An environmental stressor is a physical, chemical, or biological condition that affects the functioning or productivity of species or ecosystems. Climate change is just one of many stressors on park natural resources; others include...
Authors
Esther D. Stroh, Matthew A. Struckhoff, David Shaver, Krista A. Karstensen
Effects of hydrology, watershed size, and agricultural practices on sediment yields in two river basins in Iowa and Mississippi Effects of hydrology, watershed size, and agricultural practices on sediment yields in two river basins in Iowa and Mississippi
The specific sediment yield (SSY) from watersheds is the result of the balance between natural, scale-dependent erosion and deposition processes, but can be greatly altered by human activities. In general, the SSY decreases along the course of a river as sediments are trapped in alluvial plains and other sinks. However, this relation between SSY and basin area can actually be an...
Authors
Gustavo Henrique Merten, Heather L. Welch, M.D. Tomer
Small but tough: What can ecophysiology of croaking gourami Trichopsis vittatus (Cuvier 1831) tell us about invasiveness of non-native fishes in Florida? Small but tough: What can ecophysiology of croaking gourami Trichopsis vittatus (Cuvier 1831) tell us about invasiveness of non-native fishes in Florida?
Trichopsis vittata (Cuvier, 1831) is a small, freshwater gourami (Fam: Osphronemidae) native to southeast Asia. It was first detected in Florida in the 1970s and seems to have persisted for decades in a small area. In this study, we documented T. vittata’s ecophysiological tolerances (salinity and low-temperature) and qualitatively compared them to published values for other sympatric...
Authors
Pamela J. Schofield, Jessica Schulte
Somatic growth dynamics of West Atlantic hawksbill sea turtles: a spatio-temporal perspective Somatic growth dynamics of West Atlantic hawksbill sea turtles: a spatio-temporal perspective
Somatic growth dynamics are an integrated response to environmental conditions. Hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) are long-lived, major consumers in coral reef habitats that move over broad geographic areas (hundreds to thousands of kilometers). We evaluated spatio-temporal effects on hawksbill growth dynamics over a 33-yr period and 24 study sites throughout the West...
Authors
Karen A. Bjorndal, Milani Chaloupka, Vincent S. Saba, Carlos E. Diez, Robert P. van Dam, Barry H. Krueger, Julia A. Horrocks, Armando J.B. Santos, Claudio Bellini, Maria A.G. Marcovaldi, Mabel Nava, Sue Willis, Brendan J. Godley, Shannon Gore, Lucy A. Hawkes, Andrew McGowan, Matthew J. Witt, Thomas B. Stringell, Amdeep Sanghera, Peter B. Richardson, Annette C. Broderick, Quinton Phillips, Marta C. Calosso, John A.B. Claydon, Janice Blumenthal, Felix Moncada, Gonzalo Nodarse, Yosvani Medina, Stephen G. Dunbar, Lawrence D. Wood, Cynthia J. Lagueux, Cathi L. Campbell, Anne B. Meylan, Peter A. Meylan, Virginia R. Burns Perez, Robin A. Coleman, Samantha Strindberg, Vicente Guzman-H, Kristen M. Hart, Michael S. Cherkiss, Zandy Hillis-Starr, Ian Lundgren, Ralf H. Boulon, Stephen Connett, Mark E. Outerbridge, Alan B. Bolten