Unified Interior Regions
Region 4: Mississippi Basin
Regions L2 Landing Page Tabs
Integrating Mapping and Modeling to Support the Restoration of Bird Nesting Habitat at Breton Island National Wildlife Refuge
In response to storms, reduced sediment supply, and sea-level rise, Breton Island is rapidly deteriorating, impacting the available nesting habitat of endangered seabirds. This study provides critical information regarding the physical environment of the island system. Research is part of the ...
Science Support for the Mississippi Coastal Improvement Project
Since 2007, the USGS (with NPS and USACE) has been mapping the seafloor and substrate around the Mississippi barrier islands to characterize the near-surface stratigraphy and identify the influence it has on island evolution and fate. Research is part of the Geologic and Morphologic...
Geologic Evolution of Cat Island, Mississippi
The geologic evolution of Cat Island has been influenced by deltaic, lagoonal/estuarine, tidal, and oceanographic processes, resulting in a complex stratigraphic record.
Use of Remote Sensing Data to Quantify Bird and Bat Distributions and Inform Migratory Bird Conservation Efforts
Three federal wildlife refuge complexes on the upper Texas coast include portions of the Columbia Bottomlands and other forests that are important for migratory birds and possibly bats: Texas Mid-Coast, Trinity River, and Chenier Plain.
Use of Remote Sensing Data to Quantify Bird Distributions and Aid in the Environmental Assessment of Energy Development in the Gulf of Mexico Region
Knowing where migratory birds consistently stop to rest and forage is critical for conservation planning, particularly along the northern and western Gulf where there is increased interest in energy development.
Geologic and Morphologic Evolution of Coastal Margins
A combination of geophysics, sediment sampling, and chronology techniques are used to characterize the regional geomorphologic response of coastal systems to environmental changes.
Barrier Island Evolution
The Barrier Island Evolution Project addresses a research gap between the short time scale of individual storms (hours to days) and the longer time scales associated with the historic and geologic evolution of the coastal system (decades to millennia).
The Gulf of Mexico Water Dashboard: Cross-Center Collaboration Brings Real-time, USGS Water Data to the Gulf Coast through a Spatially Enabled Mapping Application
The USGS Southeast Regional Office has funded a cross-center collaboration between the Wetland and Aquatic Research Center and the Texas Water Science Center for the development of the Gulf of Mexico Water Dashboard. The objective of this effort is to expand the Texas Water Dashboard platform to include the coastal regions of the five Gulf states: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and...
Detecting Differences in Bacterial Metabolism in the Buffalo National River
Each year, the Buffalo National River (BUFF) attracts 1.6 million visitors, many of whom enjoy recreational water activities. Since 2013, a confined animal feeding operation (CAFO) for swine has been operating on Big Creek, a BUFF tributary.
Hydrologist visits 4th-graders at Baton Rouge public school
Where: Westdale Heights Academic Magnet school, Baton Rouge, LA
Background: Dennis Demcheck has been volunteering at the public school since 2012, discussing bird identification, migration patterns, and drawing birds. The presentation emphasized scientific observation and the importance of accurate data collection.
Partners/Stakeholders: None. Dennis talked to about 75 students...
Pilot Testing and Protocol Development of Apple Snail Suppression at Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge
The maculata apple snail (Pomacea maculata) has invaded many coastal and some inland areas in south Louisiana. Reports have indicated that the freshwater snails have significantly reduced the amount of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and floating leaved vegetation (FLV) available for waterfowl and other wildlife.
Lower Mississippi-Gulf WSC - Baton Rouge Sediment Lab Price List - 2018 Fiscal Year
LOWER MISSISSIPPI-GULF WSC - BATON ROUGE SEDIMENT LAB PRICE LIST - 2018 FISCAL YEAR
2018
FISCAL YEAR
(Effective date will begin with samples received
by the Laboratory after October 1, 2017)
Category count models for adaptive management of metapopulations: Case study of an imperiled salamander
Managing spatially structured populations of imperiled species presents many challenges. Spatial structure can make it difficult to predict population responses to potential recovery activities, and learning through experimentation may not be advised if it could harm threatened populations. Adaptive management provides an appealing framework when...
O'Donnell, Katherine; Fackler, Paul L.; Johnson, Fred A.; Bonneau, Mathieu; Martin, Julien; Walls, Susan C. Increasing rates of carbon burial in southwest Florida coastal wetlands
Rates of organic carbon (OC) burial in some coastal wetlands appear to be greater in recent years than they were in the past. Possible explanations include ongoing mineralization of older OC or the influence of an unaccounted‐for artefact of the methods used to measure burial rates. Alternatively, the trend may represent real acceleration in OC...
Breithaupt, Joshua L.; Smoak, Joseph M.; Bianchi, Thomas S.; Vaughn, Derrick; Sanders, Christian; Radabaugh, Kara; Osland, Michael J.; Feher, Laura C.; Lynch, James C.; Cahoon, Donald R.; Anderson, Gordon H.; Whelan, Kevin R. T.; Rosenheim, Brad E.; Moyer, Ryan P.; Chambers, Lisa
Simulation of water-management scenarios for the Mississippi Delta
To compare the effectiveness of proposed alternative water-supply scenarios on future water availability in the Mississippi Delta, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality are collaborating on the update and enhancement of an existing regional groundwater-flow model of the area. Through this collaboration...
Haugh, Connor J.; Killian, Courtney D.; Barlow, Jeannie R. B. Modeling soil porewater salinity response to drought in tidal freshwater forested wetlands
There is a growing concern about the adverse effects of saltwater intrusion via tidal rivers, streams and creeks into tidal freshwater forested wetlands (TFFW) due to sea‐level rise (SLR) and intense and extended drought events. However, the magnitude and duration of porewater salinity in exceedance of plant salinity stress threshold (2 practical...
Wang, Hongqing; Krauss, Ken W.; Noe, Gregory B.; Stagg, Camille L.; Swarzenski, Christopher M.; Duberstein, Jamie A.; Conner, William H.; DeAngelis, Donald L. Characterization of pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) spawning habitat in the Lower Missouri River
Acipenseriformes (sturgeons and paddlefish) globally have declined throughout their range due to river fragmentation, habitat loss, overfishing, and degradation of water quality. In North America, pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) populations have experienced poor to no recruitment, or substantial levels of hybridization with the closely...
Elliott, Caroline M.; Delonay, Aaron J.; Chojnacki, Kimberly; Jacobson, Robert B. Final project memorandum: Identifying conservation objectives for the Gulf Coast habitats of the black skimmer and gull-billed tern
Many shorebirds and nearshore waterbirds are of conservation concern across the Gulf of Mexico due to stressors such as human disturbance, predation, and habitat loss and degradation. Conservation and protection of these birds is important for the functioning of healthy ecosystems and for maintaining biodiversity in North America. Consequently,...
Cronin, James P. Acute toxicity and clotting times of anticoagulant rodenticides to red-toothed (Odonus niger) and black (Melichthys niger) triggerfish, fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) areused in rateradication efforts on island wildlife refuges. ARbait pellets can get into coralreefareasduring broadcasting and leadto exposure ofnon-target organisms, such as marine fishes. The objective of this study was to determine the sensitivity of representative saltwater fishes, Red-toothed triggerfish (Odonus...
Riegerix, Rachelle; Tanner, Mike; Gale, Robert W.; Tillitt, Donald E. Influence of remediation on sediment toxicity within the Grand Calumet River, Indiana, USA
The Grand Calumet River (GCR), located in northern Indiana, is contaminated due to a wide range of historical industrial activities. This study was conducted to determine the influence of sediment remediation within the GCR on concentrations of chemical contaminants and toxicity to sediment-dwelling organisms. Between 2005 and 2016, sediments with...
Steevens, Jeffery; Besser, John M.; Dorman, Rebecca A.; Sparks, Daniel W. Expert bioblitzes facilitate non-native fish tracking and interagency partnerships
Documenting the distribution and composition of non-native species populations can be challenging, especially when species cross jurisdictional boundaries that require interagency coordination. Herein I report the development of three tools that have been used in Florida over the past seven years to assist with tracking of non-native fishes: 1) an...
Schofield, Pamela J. Throughfall reduction x fertilization: Deep soil water usage in a clay rich ultisol under loblolly pine in the Southeast USA
Forests in the Southeast USA are predicted to experience a moderate decrease in precipitation inputs over this century that may result in soil water deficiency during the growing season. The potential impact of a drier climate on the productivity of managed loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations in the Southeast USA is uncertain. Access to...
Qi, Jiaguo; Markewitz, Daniel M.; McGuire, Mary Ann; Samuelson, Lisa; Ward, Eric Passive seismic survey of sediment thickness, Dasht-e-Nawar basin, eastern Afghanistan
Exploration of water resources is needed for public supply, extraction of mineral resources, and economic development in Afghanistan. Remotely-sensed data are useful for identifying the general nature of surface sediments, however, “boots on the ground” geophysical surveys or drilling programs are needed to quantify the thickness of sediments or...
Mack, Thomas J. Identification of Acara (Cichlidae: Cichlasoma) established in Florida, USA
The Black Acara, Cichlasoma bimaculatum (Linnaeus, 1758), was first reported as introduced to Florida in 1965. Native to Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, western French Guiana, and northern Brazil, the species is now distributed throughout Florida’s southern peninsula. Examination of live and preserved acara from Central Florida, heretofore...
Robins, Robert H; Brown, Mary E.; Crutchfield, Ryan A
Pallid sturgeon free embryo at approximately 5 days post-hatch
Figure 3. Pallid sturgeon free embryo at approximately 5 days post-hatch, approximately 14-15 mm (about 0.57 of an inch) in length.
Pallid sturgeon free embryo at approximately 10 days post-hatch
Pallid sturgeon free embryo at approximately 10 days post-hatch, approximately 19-20 mm (about 0.77 of an inch) in length.
Newly hatched pallid sturgeon free embryos.
Pallid sturgeon free embryos on the day of hatch, approximately 8-9 mm (about 0.33 of an inch) in length.
Oaxaca Cave Sleeper is a newly discovered species
This Oaxaca Cave Sleeper is one of thirteen specimens collected from a cave beneath a reservoir on Mexico's Tonto River. It lacks eyes, is unpigmented, and has sensory adaptations characteristic of fish that live in total darkness. Thuis is the holotype, the example used to describe and name this newly identified species. Credit: Howard L. Jelks and Stephen J. Walsh, USGS
A laboratory specimen shows the cavefish's absence of eyes
A laboratory preparation of a Oaxaca Cave Sleeper specimen shows the absence of eyes in this newly identified cavefish species. Credit: Stephen J. Walsh, USGS
Farm in northeast Iowa
A corn farm in northeast Iowa. A new USGS report shows that drought periods followed by rainfall caused nitrate levels to increase to the highest ever measured in some Midwest streams during a 2013 study.
Stan Musial bridge in St. Louis, Missouri
Photo of the Stan Musial bridge in St. Louis, Missouri.
A new assessment of channel bed erosion near 13 highway bridges in the greater St. Louis, Missouri, area is now available in an online report from the U.S. Geological Survey, produced in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Transportation.
View of Old Mans Creek near Iowa City, Iowa
View of Old Mans Creek near Iowa City, Iowa upstream from a bridge used for collecting water-quality samples (USGS Site ID: 05455100). This site was part of the sampling network for the first reconnaissance study to assess
...
WRP Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana
Wetlands Reserve Program site in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana. Ten years ago, this landowner worked with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service through the Wetlands Reserve Program to design and construct this slough as part of a plan to restore this field’s natural wetland hydrology.
WRP Morehouse Parish, Louisiana
Wetlands Reserve Program site in Morehouse Parish, Louisiana. Green tree frogs rest on a Wetlands Reserve Program easement boundary sign in Morehouse Parish, Louisiana.
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced today that Interior’s South Central Climate Science Center is awarding nearly $550,000 to universities and other partners for research to guide managers of parks, refuges and other cultural and natural resources in planning how to help species and ecosystems adapt to climate change.
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced today that Interior’s Northeast Climate Science Center (NE CSC) is awarding nearly $700,000 to universities and other partners for research to guide managers of parks, refuges and other cultural and natural resources in planning how to help species and ecosystems adapt to climate change.
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced today that Interior’s Southeast Climate Science Center is awarding nearly $150,000 to its host university and other partners for research to guide managers of parks, refuges and other cultural and natural resources in planning how to help species and ecosystems adapt to climate change.
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced today that Interior’s North Central Climate Science Center in Fort Collins, Colorado, is awarding nearly $400,000 to universities and other partners.
As part of the continued US Topo maps revision and improvement cycle, the USGS will be including mountain bike trails to upcoming quadrangles on a state-aligned basis.
The bear species nicknamed “teddy” more than a century ago that inspired the iconic stuffed toy still popular today will likely survive at least another century, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey study.
Nesting loggerhead sea turtles in the northern Gulf of Mexico feed among areas that were oiled by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill and where human activities occur, several of which are known to pose threats to sea turtles, a new U.S Geological study showed.
The U.S. Virgin Islands are now available for structure updates with The National Map Corps crowd-sourcing volunteers
Streamflow in the eastern portions of the Missouri River watershed has increased over the past 52 years, whereas other parts have seen downward trends.
On the one-year anniversary of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today released a new report showing that forests, wetlands and farms in the eastern United States naturally store 300 million tons of carbon a year (1,100 million tons of CO2 equivalent).
U.S. Geological Survey field crews are measuring flooding on the Big Sioux River and its tributaries in South Dakota.
Scientists have extracted DNA from fish eggs found in northern sections of the Upper Mississippi River and have determined that the eggs and larvae are not from Asian carp.
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
National Geospatial Technical Operations Center - Rolla, MO
Missouri Water Science Center
Phone: 573-308-3667
Fax: (573) 308-3645
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
