Publications

Study RegionCape Cod, Massachusetts, U.S.A.Study FocusAnthropogenic nitrogen (N) is a key factor in degrading groundwater and surface-water quality, particularly in coastal New England where onsite wastewater systems are prevalent. This study evaluated whether direct N-load measurements in streams on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, coupled with flow-path information from groundwater-flow models...

The global use of antidepressants has steadily increased, raising concern to aquatic ecosystems due to the incomplete removal during wastewater treatment. Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) act on the neuronal system by inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine. However, despite visual function being heavily dependent on the neuronal system, a knowledge gap remains regarding...

Information on a species’ population dynamics, such as changes in abundance and distribution, can be used to identify declining populations and initiate conservation efforts and protections. For the Ornate Chorus Frog (Pseudacris ornata), anecdotal observations of local extirpation and population declines have been noted, but trends in its range-wide population status are generally...

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, Office of Water Resources, computed selected at-site streamflow statistics at U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in and near Massachusetts and developed regional regression equations for estimating selected streamflows at ungaged stream sites in Massachusetts. Two sets of regional

Chronic selenium (Se) water quality criteria are based primarily on dietary organoselenium exposure and subsequent reproductive effects in fish. Available chronic Se toxicity data suggests that invertebrates are less sensitive than fish, but chronic invertebrate studies are limited. We evaluated yeast-based diets for chronic toxicity studies with Hyalella azteca and Chironomus dilutus...

Light and temperature are driving forces that shape the evolution and physiology of mesophotic organisms. On the Mississippi-Alabama continental shelf, octocorals dominate the mesophotic seascape and provide habitat for many fish and invertebrate species. Gaps in knowledge regarding the fundamental physiological responses of these species to light and temperature are of particular...

Rivers of the northern Great Plains have lacked long-term, continuous water temperature assessments, and there is limited information on thermal regimes of these systems and factors driving water temperature. We collected and assembled 2001–2022 water temperature data from 18 sites on four reaches of three rivers that differ in anthropogenic impacts: semi-natural Yellowstone River (YR)...

Management plans with clear priorities can help to achieve brown pelican Pelecanus occidentalis conservation objectives in the northern Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico). Efforts to establish clear priorities can be hindered by information gaps, especially those related to the uncertainty associated with changing conditions that influence brown pelican populations. We addressed these gaps...

Cold seeps, fueled by hydrocarbon-based chemosynthesis, support unique benthic communities that can vary across small spatial scales influenced by local geochemistry. We examined the community structure and function of macrofauna in cold seeps along the Cascadia margin on the edge of gas hydrate stability—a dynamic environment that may fluctuate as seafloor temperatures change. These...

There exists a long-standing disconnect between statistical and mechanistic approaches to the development of causal understanding. Statistical approaches, which have dominated the literature, have focused on the need to obtain perfectly unbiased estimates of causal effects often using either experimental, quasi-experimental or other methods. Mechanistic approaches have instead focused on

Determining appropriate spatio-temporal scales for monitoring migratory shorebirds is challenging. Effective surveys must detect population trends without excessive or insufficient sampling, yet many programs lack formal evaluations of survey effectiveness. Using data from 2012 to 2019 on Louisiana’s barrier islands (Whiskey, west Raccoon, east Raccoon, and Trinity), we assessed how...

Salt marsh resilience to sea-level rise largely depends on the balance of sediment exchanges with surrounding bays. In this study, we investigate mechanisms that determine residual sediment fluxes using continuous measurements of bay-marsh sediment exchange conducted in a tidal creek spanning 13 months (753 tidal cycles) in an intertidal marsh recently subsidized with sediment via thin...