Unified Interior Regions
Region 4: Mississippi Basin
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Heavy-Mineral Sand Resources in the Southeastern U.S.
We are assessing the extent of industrial mineral resources hosted by heavy-mineral sands in the coastal plain of the southeastern United States. “Heavy-mineral sands" (HMS) is a term commonly used in industry and geologic literature to describe layered sediments deposited in coastal environments that contain dense (“heavy") minerals of economic value. The heavy minerals extracted from these...
Webinar: Projecting Climate Change Impacts on Wetland-Dependent Birds in the Prairie Pothole Region
View this webinar to learn how scientists are projecting the impacts of climate change on birds in the Prairie Pothole Region.
Paleoceanographic Proxy Calibration
A sediment trap time series in the northern Gulf of Mexico is used to better assess the control of environmental variables (e.g., temperature and salinity) on the flux of both microfossils and molecular fossils to the sediments. The information gained from sediment trap studies is used to develop better proxy-based estimates of past oceanographic conditions from analyses of microfossils and ...
Climate and Environmental Change in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean
This project documents paleoceanographic, climatic, and environmental changes in the Gulf of Mexico and adjacent land areas over the last 10,000 years. The paleoenvironmental data is used to determine rates of change in the past, and to better understand both the natural and anthropogenic factors that contribute to climate variability on inter-annual to millennial timescales.
Louisiana Barrier Island Habitat Mapping and Change Assessment
Barrier islands provide numerous invaluable ecosystem goods and services including storm protection and erosion control for the mainland, habitat for fish and wildlife, salinity regulation in estuaries, carbon sequestration in marshes, recreation, and tourism. These islands are dynamic environments due to their position at the land-sea interface. Storms, wave energy, tides, currents, and...
Hurricane Nate - Forecast and Documentation of Coastal Change
Hurricane Nate coastal change forecast and pre- and post-storm photos documenting coastal change.
Scenario-Based Assessments for Coastal Change Hazard Forecasts
A decade of USGS research on storm-driven coastal change hazards has provided the data and modeling capabilities needed to identify areas of our coastline that are likely to experience extreme and potentially hazardous erosion during an extreme storm.
National Assessment of Storm-Induced Coastal Change Hazards
This project focuses on understanding the magnitude and variability of extreme storm impacts on sandy beaches. The overall objective is to improve real-time and scenario-based predictions of coastal change to support management of coastal infrastructure, resources, and safety.
National Assessment of Coastal Vulnerability to Sea Level Rise
The original national coastal vulnerability index (CVI) assessment was motivated by expected accelerated sea-level rise (SLR) and the uncertainty in the response of the coastline to SLR. This research was conducted between 1999 and 2001, and is currently being updated using new data sources and methodology. This original study was part of the ...
Long-Term Coastal Change
Goals of this task include developing and improving coastal-change assessments and supporting long-term planning and decision making to ensure sustainable coastal economies, infrastructure, and ecosystems.
National Assessment of Coastal Change Hazards
Research to identify areas that are most vulnerable to coastal change hazards including beach and dune erosion, long-term shoreline change, and sea-level rise.
Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring
Historical and newly acquired data were used to assess and monitor changes in the aerial and subaqueous extent of islands, habitat types, sediment properties, environmental processes, and vegetation composition. Research is part of the Geologic and Morphologic Evolution of Coastal Margins...
Borehole‐scale testing of matrix diffusion for contaminated‐rock aquifers
A new method was developed to assess the effect of matrix diffusion on contaminant transport and remediation of groundwater in fractured rock. This method utilizes monitoring wells constructed of open boreholes in fractured rock to conduct backward diffusion experiments on chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) in groundwater. The...
Harte, Philip; Brandon, William C. Egg counts of Southern Leopard Frog, Lithobates sphenocephalus, egg masses from southern Louisiana, USA
Southern Leopard Frogs, Lithobates sphenocephalus (Cope, 1889), lay eggs year-round in their southern range, including Louisiana, but their peak breeding season is the cooler months from late fall through early spring (Mount, 1975; Caldwell, 1986; Dundee and Rossman, 1989). Double-enveloped eggs in globular masses are typically deposited in...
Glorioso, Brad M.; Muse, Lindy J.; Waddle, J. Hardin Non-freezing cold event stresses can cause significant damage to mangrove seedlings: Assessing the role of warming and nitrogen enrichment in a mesocosm study
Mangroves are expanding poleward along coastlines globally as a response to rising temperatures and reduced incidence of freezing under climate change. Yet, knowledge of mangrove responses to infrequent cold events in the context of future global and regional environmental changes is limited. We initiated a mesocosm experiment in which the...
Song, Weimin; Feng, Jianxiang; Krauss, Ken W.; Zhao, Yan; Wang, Zhonglei; Luo, Yiqi; Lin, Guanghui Conceptual frameworks
The chapter starts by addressing some of the issues that come from not using a conceptual framework. This point is illustrated using an example with causal factors. The chapter then goes on to explain the mechanics of establishing conceptual frameworks. Lastly, it lays out a step-by-step guide on how to create a framework—generating a set of...
Park, Keunhyun; Grace, James B.; Ewing, Reid Final project memorandum: Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Project
Low-lying public lands along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast are vulnerable to sea-level rise. Coastal planners and resource managers in the region have requested customized information that can be used to concisely communicate local sea-level rise scenarios and identify potential impacts to the missions of management agencies.In this project,...
Osland, Michael; Collini, Renee C. Editorial: Contributions of behavior and physiology to conservation biology
Conservation biology is a rapidly evolving discipline, with its synthetic, multidisciplinary framework expanding extensively in recent years. Seemingly disparate disciplines, such as behavior and physiology, are being integrated into this discipline's growing portfolio, resulting in diverse tools that can help develop conservation solutions....
Gabor, Caitlin R; Walls, Susan C. Local sea level rise information sheets for Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida
Two Pagers for Federally Managed Lands The Northern Gulf of Mexico Sentinel Site Cooperative partnered with individuals at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Wetland and Aquatic Research Center and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to produce customized two-pager information sheets for federal coastal refuges, parks, and reserves across the northern...
Chivoiu, Bogdan; Osland, Michael J.; Collini, Renee C.; Sara Martin; Tirpak, John M.; Wilson, Benjamin
Hydrogeology and interactions of groundwater and surface water near Mill Creek and the Herring River, Wellfleet, Massachusetts, 2017–18
Groundwater levels and stream stage were monitored by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Friends of Herring River, at 19 sites in the Mill Creek Basin, a tributary of the Herring River in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, on outer Cape Cod, to provide baseline data prior to a proposed restoration of tidal flow to the Herring River estuary...
Mullaney, John R.; Barclay, Janet R.; Laabs, Kaitlin L. ; Lavallee, Katherine D. Submarine canyons influence macrofaunal diversity and density patterns in the deep-sea benthos
Submarine canyons are often morphologically complex features in the deep sea contributing to habitat heterogeneity. In addition, they act as major conduits of organic matter from the shallow productive shelf to the food deprived deep-sea, promoting gradients in food resources and areas of sediment resuspension and deposition. This study focuses on...
Robertson, Craig M.; Demopoulos, Amanda; Bourque, Jill; Mienis, Furu; Duineveld, Gerard; Lavaleye, Mark; Koivisto, R.; Brooke, S.; Ross, S.; Rhode, M.; Davies, A. Carbon stock trends of baldcypress knees along climate gradients of the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley using allometric methods
Carbon stock trends of the knees of Taxodium distichum likely vary across climate gradients of the southeastern United States and contribute an unknown quantity of “teal” carbon to inland freshwater wetlands. Knee metrics (e.g., density, height, biomass) were measured in mixed T. distichum swamps across the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (MRAV...
Middleton, Beth A. Sensitivity of warm water fishes and rainbow trout to selected contaminants
Guidelines for developing water quality standards allow U.S. states to exclude toxicity data for the family Salmonidae (trout and salmon) when deriving guidelines for warm-water habitats. This practice reflects the belief that standards based on salmonid data may be overprotective of toxic effects on other fish taxa. In acute tests with six...
Besser, John M.; Dorman, Rebecca A.; Ivey, Chris D.; Cleveland, Danielle; Steevens, Jeffery
"Modified Unified Method" of carp capture
Populations of Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (silver carp) and Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (bighead carp), (together referred to herein as “bigheaded carp”) have increased exponentially in the greater Mississippi River Basin. Detrimental effects on native fish and economically important fisheries have occurred where these invasive, filter-feeding...
Chapman, Duane C.
Recording a High-Water Mark
Jonathan Gillip, USGS hydrologist, documents a high-water mark he flagged near a damage retirement community in Denham Springs, Louisiana, August 26. So far, USGS teams have flagged and surveyed more than 400 high-watermarks across southern Louisiana.
Surveying a High-Water Mark
Chris Henry and Daniel McCay, USGS hydrologic technicians, use GPS equipment to survey a high-water mark outside of a flooded elementary school in Denham Springs, Louisiana, August 28. This school was located in one of the hardest hit flood areas and the blue line simulates how high the water was at its peak during this historic flood.
USGS Scientists Mark a High-Water Mark in Louisiana
Daniel McCay and Chris Henry, USGS hydrologic technicians, use a level to draw a line on a high-water mark August 26. In most circumstances, when a high-water mark is flagged it would then be surveyed with GPS equipment to obtain its exact coordinates and elevation. However, because of the possibility of more storms hitting Louisiana the teams were initially only
...
Looking for High-Water Marks
Daniel McCay and Chris Henry, U.S. Geological Survey hydrologic technicians, search a neighborhood south of Denham Springs, Louisiana, for high-water marks August 26. The term high-water mark refers to the debris flood waters will leave on walls, buildings and trees. This thin line of residue is an indicator of how high the waters reached, yet the fragile nature of
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Flooding near Louisiana Water Science Center
The view on South Sherwood Forest Blvd near the USGS Louisiana Water Science Center office on August 15, 2016.
Flooded Street in Denham Springs
Backwater flooding across Florida Blvd near the Amite River Bridge in Denham Springs, LA.
Flooded House in Denham Springs
A flooded house near the confluence of the Comite and Amite Rivers near Denham Springs, LA.
Flooded Neighborhood in Denham Springs
A flooded neighborhood near the confluence of the Comite and Amite Rivers near Denham Springs, LA.
Lake sturgeon at the USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center
USGS Biologist prepares to artificially spawn a female lake sturgeon in the laboratory at the Columbia Environmental Research Center.
USGS Biologist prepares to release a reproductive female sturgeon.
USGS Biologist Sabrina Davenport prepares to release a reproductive female pallid sturgeon.
Pallid sturgeon free embryo at approximately 2 days post-hatch
Pallid sturgeon free embryo at approximately 2 days post-hatch, approximately 11-12 mm (about 0.45 of an inch) in length.
Several of the 772 new US Topo quadrangles for Mississippi now display parts of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail and other selected public trails. Further significant additions to the new quadrangles include map symbol redesign, enhanced railroad information and new road source data.
The drainage of small wetlands can decrease wildlife habitat and may contribute to flooding in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), according to a recent U.S. Geological Survey study.
Interior Department’s Northeast Climate Science Center has released a report today synthesizing the latest information on the vulnerability of species and ecosystems to climate change in a 22-state region in the Northeast and Midwest U.S.
Several of the 812 new US Topo quadrangles for Louisiana now display public trails along with improved data layers. Other significant additions include public land survey system information (PLSS), redesign of map symbols, enhanced railroad information and new road source data.
Water contamination by hormone-disrupting pollutants is a concern for water quality around the world. Existing research has determined that elevated concentrations of Bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical used in consumer products such as plastic food storage and beverage containers, have been deposited directly into rivers and streams by municipal or industrial wastewater.
MENLO PARK, Calif.— Smartphones and other personal electronic devices could, in regions where they are in widespread use, function as early warning systems for large earthquakes according to newly reported research.
MENLO PARK, California — Los teléfonos móviles y otros dispositivos electrónicos personales podrían ayudar en las regiones donde se encuentran en uso generalizado, y pueden funcionar como sistemas de alerta para terremotos mayor según la nueva investigación científica recien publicada.
The U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wetlands Research Center in Lafayette and the Southeast Ecological Science Center in Gainesville, Florida will merge under the same leadership effective October 1, 2015.
The U.S. Geological Survey’s Southeast Ecological Science Center in Gainesville and the National Wetlands Research Center in Lafayette, Louisiana will merge under the same leadership effective October 1, 2015.
Fish exposed to the endocrine-disrupting chemicals bisphenol A (BPA) or 17a-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in a laboratory have been found to pass adverse reproductive effects onto their offspring up to three generations later, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Missouri.
Newly released US Topo maps for Missouri now feature selected trails and other substantial updates. The data for the trails is provided to the USGS through a nation-wide “crowdsourcing” project managed by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA).
BOZEMAN – Pallid sturgeon come from a genetic line that has lived on this planet for tens of millions of years; yet it has been decades since anyone has documented any of the enormous fish successfully producing young that survive to adulthood in the upper Missouri River basin.
Contacts
Locations
Region 4: Mississippi Basin
Louisiana Water Science Center
Phone: (225) 298-5481
Fax: (225) 298-5490
Fork Polk Project Office
Phone: (337) 531-4522 Fax:
Fax: (337) 531-6039
Arkansas Water Science Center
Phone: (501) 228-3600
Fax: (501) 228-3601
Ruston Program Office
Phone: (318) 251-9630
Fax: (318) 251-0372
Missouri Water Science Center
Phone: 573-308-3667
Fax: (573) 308-3645
National Geospatial Technical Operations Center - Rolla, MO
Iowa Water Science Center
Phone: 319-337-4191
Fax: (319) 358-3606
Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center - Little Rock, AR Office
Phone: (501) 228-3600
Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center - Jackson, MS Office
Phone: (601) 933-2900
Fax: (601) 933-2901
Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center - Baton Rouge, LA Office
Phone: (225) 298-5481
Fax: (225) 298-5490
Wetland and Aquatic Research Center - Lafayette, LA
Phone: 337-266-8500
Fax: 337-266-8513
Columbia Environmental Research Center
Phone: 573-875-5399
Western Iowa Field Office - Council Bluffs
Phone: 712-323-0824
Fax: 712-322-7775
Central Iowa Field Office - Fort Dodge
Phone: 515-576-4571
Fax: 515-576-1692
Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center - Ruston, LA Office
Phone: (318) 251-9630
Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center - Fayetteville, AR Office
Phone: (479) 442-4888
Western Missouri Field Office - Lee's Summit
Phone: 816-554-3489
Fax: 816-554-9273
Eastern Missouri - Olivette
Phone: 314-567-7077 or 314-567-5440
Fax: 314-567-7641
