Geology Reports⌕ Search
Home/Archive/USGS

USGS · 70180715

Water over the bridge

John F. Piatt
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

The March-April issue of American Scientist contains a commentary by Julia K. Parrish and P. Dee Boersma ( Macroscope , "Muddy Waters") that purports to "assess the validity of the claims made concerning seabird mortality as a result of the [Exxon Valdez oil] spill." Parrish and Boersma would have us believe that estimates of seabird mortality made in 1990 by myself and colleagues were exaggerated and that later upward revisions of those estimates were unwarranted. Their assessment, however, is seriously flawed.

Explore related subjects

American ScientistArticle

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

John F. Piatt. 1995. Water over the bridge. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70180715

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related USGS reports

USGS2014

Aquatic invasive species: Lessons from cancer research

Aquatic invasive species are disrupting ecosystems with increasing frequency. Successful control of these invasions has been rare: Biologists and managers have few tools for fighting aquatic invaders. In contrast, the medical community has long worked to develop tools for preventing and fighting cancer. Its successes are marked by a coordinated research approach with multiple steps: prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment options and rehabilitation. The authors discuss how these steps can be applied to aquatic invasive species, such as the American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus), in the Northern Rocky Mountain region of the United States, to expedite tool development and implementation along with achievement of biodiversity conservation goals.

American Scientist↗
USGS2011

Pliocene climate lessons

The middle portion of the Pliocene Epoch—about three million years ago—is the most recent period when global temperatures were sustained at levels comparable to those we may see at the end of this century due to climate change. One way to seek a more accurate view of a warmer Earth is to look closely at that time. Paleoclimate studies of the mid-Pliocene are also emerging as a ground truth for testing the accuracy of computer models used to predict Earth’s future climate.

American Scientist↗
USGS2005

Charting color from the eye of the beholder

Everyone knows the particular shade of yellow that adorns all school buses across the United States. But how do we define exactly what shade this is, and reproduce the same color from coast to coast? Much of the standardization of colors stems from the century-old work of Alfred Munsell, who created one of the first colorimetry systems defined by how people see color: lightness, hue, and chroma (how much the apparent hue differs from neutral grey). Munsell's color charts have been customized for different fields, and are still in use in areas as diverse as beer brewing and soil science.

American Scientist↗