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USGS2023

High resolution lidar data shed light on inter-island translocation of endangered bird species in the Hawaiian Islands

Translocation, often a management solution reserved for at-risk species, is a highly time-sensitive intervention in the face of a rapidly changing climate. The definition of abiotic and biotic habitat requirements is essential to the selection of appropriate release sites in novel environments. However, field-based approaches to gathering this information are often too time intensive, especially in areas of complex topography where common, coarse-scale climate models lack essential details. We apply a fine-scale remote sensing-based approach to study the 'akikiki ( Oreomystis bairdi ) and 'akeke'e ( Loxops caeruleirostris ), Hawaiian honeycreepers endemic to Kaua'i that are experiencing large-scale population declines due to warming-induced spread of invasive disease. We use habitat suitability modeling based on fine-scale light detection and ranging (lidar)-derived habitat structure metrics to refine coarse climate ranges for these species in candidate translocation areas on Maui. We found that canopy density was consistently the most important variable in defining habitat suitability for the two Kaua'i species. Our models also corroborated known habitat preferences and behavioral information for these species that are essential for informing translocation. We estimated a nesting habitat that will persist under future climate conditions on east Maui of 23.43 km 2 for 'akikiki, compared to the current Kaua'i range of 13.09 km 2 . In contrast, the novel nesting range for 'akeke'e in east Maui was smaller than its current range on Kaua'i (26.29 vs. 38.48 km 2 , respectively). We were also able to assess detailed novel competitive interactions at a fine scale using models of three endemic Maui species of conservation concern: 'ākohekohe ( Palmeria dolei ), Maui 'alauahio ( Paroreomyza montana ), and kiwikiu ( Pseudonestor xanthophrys ). Weighted overlap areas between the species from both islands were moderate (<12 km 2 ), and correlations between Maui and Kaua'i bird habitat were generally low, indicating limited potential for competition. Results indicate that translocation to east Maui could be a viable option for 'akikiki but would be more uncertain for 'akeke'e. Our novel multifaceted approach allows for the timely analysis of both climate and vegetation structure at informative scales for the effective selection of appropriate translocation sites for at-risk species.

Hawaii↗

USGS2026

Cook Inlet beluga whale calling varies by group characteristics, behavior, and tidal state

Communication allows social species to exchange information among group members. In aquatic environments, acoustic signals are among the most effective forms of communication and are important for many species, including cetaceans. Beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucas ) are highly social and vocal, yet little is known about the functionality of their social calls. To examine context-dependent vocal behavior in belugas, we collected passive acoustic data and fine-scale behavioral observations for the endangered Cook Inlet beluga population. The resulting dataset includes 1,720 annotated vocalizations collected over 21 behaviorally encoded encounters. We fit generalized linear mixed models to these data to investigate the effect of behavioral state, group size, calf presence, and tidal state on (1) calling rate (number of calls/minute) and (2) call category (whistles, pulsed calls, combined calls). Belugas were more likely to call when traveling and had higher calling rates during flood tides. Group-level calling rate increased sublinearly with group size, suggesting that individuals called less in larger groups, possibly reflecting increased listening, vocal coordination, or a strategy to avoid acoustic masking. Group calling rate increased before transitions between traveling and milling, suggesting a possible link between communication and behavioral transitions. Whistles were more prevalent when traveling, while pulsed calls were more prevalent when milling. Combined calls occurred only when calves were present, indicating the importance of these calls in communication with calves. Identifying these communication patterns and the contexts in which they occur can enhance our understanding of beluga whale ecology and aid in conservation efforts via passive acoustic monitoring.

Alaska↗

USGS2022

Eastern Ecological Science Center — Fish and aquatic animal health

Science provided by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC) helps to protect fish and aquatic animal health and support disease management of our Nation’s fisheries and aquatic animal populations. Our capabilities and expertise span diverse, yet highly integrated disciplines related to all aspects of biology, ecology, and animal health. Our scientists work to identify novel and emerging pathogens and diseases to assess fish and aquatic animal responses to parasites, pathogens, adverse environmental conditions, and chemical exposures. Eastern Ecological Science Center research is conducted both in laboratories and in the field in various aquatic environments ranging from headwater streams to the ocean. The EESC team provides science leadership and support for fisheries and aquatic species specialists nationwide.

Fact Sheet↗

USGS1958

Suggestions for reduction of natural mortality in fish populations

Illness, in fish as well as in other animals, when caused by an infectious disease, is often not the result of infection with pathogens alone. In many cases the pathogens and hosts can exist side by side without development of disease symptoms. Such symptoms, with resulting illness or death, appear only when the balance of mutual tolerance between the host and the pathogen is shifted in favor of the pathogen. Factors of several different kinds may render a host susceptible to disease; such things as poor nutrition, unfavorable physical conditions in the environment and the hereditary make‐up of the fish itself. Drugs may allow temporary control of infectious diseases but for the long‐range control it is better to increase the resistance of the host. Some suggestions are given, based largely on experience with disease control in hatcheries and fish farms, for minimizing natural mortality of fish from infectious diseases.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗

USGS2019

Examination of Bathymodiolus childressi nutritional sources, isotopic niches, and food-web linkages at two seeps in the US Atlantic margin using stable isotope analysis and mixing models

Chemosynthetic environments support distinct benthic communities capable of utilizing reduced chemical compounds for nutrition. Hundreds of methane seeps have been documented along the U.S. Atlantic margin (USAM), and detailed investigations at a few seeps have revealed distinct environments containing mussels, microbial mats, authigenic carbonates, and soft sediments. The dominant mussel, Bathymodiolus childressi , contains methanotrophic endosymbionts but is also capable of filter feeding, and stable isotope analysis (SIA) of mussel-shell periostracum suggests that these mussels are mixotrophic, assimilating multiple food resources. However, it is unknown whether mixotrophy is widespread or varies spatially and temporally. We used SIA (δ 13 C, δ 15 N, and δ 34 S) and an isotope mixing model (MixSIAR) to estimate resource contribution to B. childressi and characterize food webs at two seep sites (Baltimore Seep; 400 m and Norfolk Seep; 1500 m depths) along the USAM, and applied a linear mixed-effects model to explore the role of mussel population density and tissue type in influencing SIA variance. After controlling for location and temporal variation, isotopic variability was a function of proportion of live mussels present and tissue type. Isotopic differences were also spatially discrete, possibly reflecting variations in the underlying carbon source at the two sites. Low mussel δ 13 C values (∼−63‰) are consistent with a dependence on microbial methane. However, MixSIAR results revealed mixotrophy for mussels at both sites, implying a reliance on a mixture of methane and phytoplankton-derived particulate organic material. The mixing model results also reveal population density-driven patterns, suggesting that resource use is a function of live mussel abundance. Mussel isotopes differed by tissue type, with gill having the lowest δ 15 N values relative to muscle and mantle tissues. Based on mass balance equations, up to 79% of the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) of the pore fluids within the anaerobic oxidation of the methane zone is derived from methane and available to fuel upper slope deep-sea communities, such as fishes ( Dysommina rugosa and Symphurus nebulosus ), echinoderms ( Odontaster robustus , Echinus wallisi , and Gracilechinus affinis ), and shrimp, ( Alvinocaris markensis ). The presence of these seeps thereby increases the overall trophic and community diversity of the USAM continental slope. Given the presence of hundreds of seeps within the region, primary production at seeps may serve as an important, yet unquantified, energy source to the USAM deep-sea environment.

Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia↗

USGS2022

Africa’s drylands in a changing world: Challenges for wildlife conservation under climate and land-use changes in the Greater Etosha Landscape

Proclaimed in 1907, Etosha National Park in northern Namibia is an iconic dryland system with a rich history of wildlife conservation and research. A recent research symposium on wildlife conservation in the Greater Etosha Landscape (GEL) highlighted increased concern of how intensification of global change will affect wildlife conservation based on participant responses to a questionnaire. The GEL includes Etosha and surrounding areas, the latter divided by a veterinary fence into large, private farms to the south and communal areas of residential and farming land to the north. Here, we leverage our knowledge of this ecosystem to provide insight into the broader challenges facing wildlife conservation in this vulnerable dryland environment. We first look backward, summarizing the history of wildlife conservation and research trends in the GEL based on a literature review, providing a broad-scale understanding of the socioecological processes that drive dryland system dynamics. We then look forward, focusing on eight key areas of challenge and opportunity for this ecosystem: climate change, water availability and quality, vegetation and fire management, adaptability of wildlife populations, disease risk, human-wildlife conflict, wildlife crime, and human dimensions of wildlife conservation. Using this model system, we summarize key lessons and identify critical threats highlighting future research needs to support wildlife management. Research in the GEL has followed a trajectory seen elsewhere reflecting an increase in complexity and integration across biological scales over time. Yet, despite these trends, a gap exists between the scope of recent research efforts and the needs of wildlife conservation to adapt to climate and land-use changes. Given the complex nature of climate change, in addition to locally existing system stressors, a framework of forward-thinking adaptive management to address these challenges, supported by integrative and multidisciplinary research could be beneficial. One critical area for growth is to better integrate research and wildlife management across land-use types. Such efforts have the potential to support wildlife conservation efforts and human development goals, while building resilience against the impacts of climate change. While our conclusions reflect the specifics of the GEL ecosystem, they have direct relevance for other African dryland systems impacted by global change.

Africa, Greater Etosha Landscape↗

USGS2019

Negative frequency-dependent foraging behaviour in a generalist herbivore (Alces alces) and its stabilizing influence on food-web dynamics

1. Resource selection is widely appreciated to be context‐dependent and shaped by both biological and abiotic factors. However, few studies have empirically assessed the extent to which selective foraging behaviour is dynamic and varies in response to environmental conditions for free‐ranging animal populations. 2. Here, we assessed the extent that forage selection fluctuated in response to different environmental conditions for a free‐ranging herbivore, moose (Alces alces), in Isle Royale National Park, over a 10‐year period. More precisely, we assessed how moose selection for coniferous versus deciduous forage in winter varied between geographic regions and in relation to (a) the relative frequency of forage types in the environment (e.g. frequency‐dependent foraging behaviour), (b) moose abundance, (c) predation rate (by grey wolves) and (d) snow depth. These factors are potentially important for their influence on the energetics of foraging. We also built a series of food‐chain models to assess the influence of dynamic foraging strategies on the stability of food webs. 3. Our analysis indicates that moose exhibited negative frequency dependence, by selectively exploiting rare resources. Frequency‐dependent foraging was further mediated by density‐dependent processes, which are likely to be predation, moose abundance or some combination of both. In particular, frequency dependence was weaker in years when predation risk was high (i.e. when the ratio of moose to wolves was relatively low). Selection for conifers was also slightly weaker during deep snow years. 4. The food‐chain analysis indicates that the type of frequency‐dependent foraging strategy exhibited by herbivores had important consequences for the stability of ecological communities. In particular, the dynamic foraging strategy that we observed in the empirical analysis (i.e. negative frequency dependence being mediated by density‐dependent processes) was associated with more stable food web dynamics compared to fixed foraging strategies. 5. The results of this study indicated that forage selection is a complex ecological process, varying in response to both biological (predation and moose density) and abiotic factors (snow depth) and over relatively small spatial scales (between regions). This study also provides a useful framework for assessing the influence of other aspects of foraging behaviour on the stability of food web dynamics.

Michigan↗

USGS2005

The effect of varying protein levels on blood chemistry, food consumption, and behavior of captive seaducks

The Chesapeake Bay is a primary wintering area for scoters and the long-tailed ducks (Clangia hyemalis) that migrate along the Atlantic Flyway. Recently, the Chesapeake Bay had undergone an ecosystem shift and little is known about how this is affecting the seaduck populations. We are determining what are the preferred food sources of the seaducks wintering on the Bay and analyzing the factors influencing prey selection whether it is prey composition, energy assimilated, prey availability, or a combination of any or all of these factors. We have established a captive colony of surf (Melanitta perspicillata) and white-winged scoters (Melanitta fusca) as well as long-tailed ducks at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center to allow us to examine these factors in a more controlled environment. This project contains a multitude of experiments and the resultant data will be compiled into a compartmental model on the feeding ecology of seaducks wintering on the Bay. The first experiment entailed feeding groups of each species (four ducks per pen of equal sex ratio, if possible, and four pens per species) three diets varying in percent protein levels from November to February. Each diet was randomly assigned to each pen and the amount of food consumed was recorded each day. New feed was given when all existing food was consumed. Behavioral trials and blood profiles were completed on all study birds to determine the effects of the varying diets. There were no significant differences in food consumption, blood chemistry, and behavior detected at the 5% level among the diets for all three species of interest. There was a seasonal effect determined based on the food consumption data for white-winged scoters, but not for surf scoters or long-tailed ducks. The blood profiles of the surf scoters were compared to blood profiles of wild surf scoters and a there was no difference detected at the 5% level. As a health check of the ducks an aspergillosis test was run on the blood obtained during the experiment and it was found that surf scoters are more resistant to the disease than the other species. In the next two winters natural prey items available to seaducks wintering in the Chesapeake Bay will be offered on palettes to examine preference without the additional energetic costs of diving. Assimilation efficiency trials will be run on all three species to determine amount of energy the ducks obtain from each food source. Finally, using two large aquariums, prey preference will be analyzed with the additional energetic costs of diving and searching for prey. In addition, we will determine the effect of availability of a prey item on the prey selection of seaducks. We hope the model created from these experiments will allow managers to examine the effects of changes in the benthos on the seaduck populations wintering in the Chesapeake Bay.

Book chapter↗

USGS2011

The effects of sediment and mercury mobilization in the South Yuba River and Humbug Creek confluence area, Nevada County, California: Concentrations, speciation, and environmental fate – Part 1: Field characterization

Millions of pounds of mercury (Hg) were deposited in the river and stream channels of the Sierra Nevada from placer and hard-rock mining operations in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The resulting contaminated sediments are relatively harmless when buried and isolated from the overlying aquatic environment. The entrained Hg in the sediment constitutes a potential risk to human and ecosystem health should it be reintroduced to the actively cycling portion of the aquatic system, where it can become methylated and subsequently bioaccumulated in the food web. Each year, sediment is mobilized within these fluvial systems during high stormflows, transporting hundreds of tons of Hg-laden sediment downstream. The State of California and resource-management agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service, are concerned about additional disturbances, such as from suction gold dredging activities, which have the potential to mobilize Hg associated with buried sediment layers elevated in Hg that are otherwise likely to remain buried under normal storm conditions. The BLM initiated a study looking at the feasibility of removing Hg-contaminated sediment at the confluence of the South Yuba River and Humbug Creek in the northern Sierra Nevada of California by using standard suction-dredge technology. Additionally, the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) supported a comprehensive characterization of the intended dredge site. Together, the BLM and SWRCB supported a comprehensive characterization of Hg contamination at the site and the potential effects of sediment disturbance at locations with historical hydraulic mining debris on downstream environments. The comprehensive study consisted of two primary components: field studies and laboratory experiments. The field component, described in this report, had several study elements: 1) a preliminary, smallscale, in-stream dredge test; 2) comprehensive characterization of grain size distribution, Hg speciation, and mineralogy of bed and suspended sediment; 3) a determination of the past and current sources of sediment in the study area; 4) an assessment of Hg bioaccumulation in the local invertebrate population; and 5) a comparison of potential Hg transport caused by natural storm disturbances with potential Hg mobilization caused by suction dredging as a method of Hg removal at the study site. The laboratory component of the study assessed the potential influence of the disturbance of Hg-contaminated sediment through experiments designed to simulate in-stream transport, deposition, and potential methylation of Hg, described in a companion report (see Marvin-DiPasquale and others, 2011). Results of the field studies indicate that the fine-grained fraction (silt-clay, less than 0.063 millimeters) contains the greatest concentration of Hg in contaminated sediment. Because the fine-grained fraction is the most susceptible to longrange fluvial transport, disturbance of Hg-contaminated sediment is likely to increase the concentration and load of Hg in downstream waters. The preliminary, small-scale dredge test showed an increase in the concentration of fine particles and Hg in the water column caused by the dredge activity, despite relatively low concentrations of fine particles and Hg (about 300 nanograms per gram) at the dredge site. Characterization of sediment from two test pits and other sites in the vicinity of the confluence of the South Yuba River and Humbug Creek revealed a highly variable distribution of fine- and coarse-grained sediment. The highest levels of Hg contamination (up to 11,100 ng/g) were associated with the fine-grained fraction of sediment from the bedrock contact zone of Pit 2, a horizon which also yielded grains of gold and gold-Hg amalgam. A closed-circuit tank experiment with a venturi dredge at the base of Pit 1, in a gravel bar within the South Yuba River, resulted in fine-grained suspended sediment remaining in suspension more than 40 hours following the disturbance simulation. Although the volumetric concentration of Hg declined over time as particles settled out, the concentration of Hg on the suspended particles increased over time as the suspended material became finer grained, because Hg is preferentially adsorbed on to clay-sized particles. Mineralogical and chemical analyses indicated that the buried fine-grained material with the greatest Hg contamination was derived from hydraulic mining debris, which consist primarily of Eocene gravels mined in the Malakoff Diggins, North Bloomfield, and Lake City areas within the South Yuba River watershed. Coarse material and more recently deposited sediment were derived primarily from upstream sources on the South Yuba River. The biota assessment indicated that invertebrate taxa collected from all sites on the South Yuba River in 2007, including lower Humbug Creek, had elevated concentrations of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) compared to a reference site on the Bear River, upstream of mining effects. Differences with the reference site were less pronounced in 2008 when a significant reduction in MeHg concentrations was observed in biota across all taxa from concentrations in 2007. It is possible that the inter-annual variation was related to the fact that suction dredging was active in the South Yuba River in 2007 but not in 2008 when a local moratorium was imposed by the BLM. There were significant variations among taxa for both THg and MeHg concentrations, with the water striders (Gerridae) having the highest concentrations of both THg and MeHg; variation among sites was not as strong as between years or among taxa. These results suggest that additional monitoring would be helpful to investigate the possible linkage between variations in MeHg bioaccumulation and levels of suction dredge activity in areas of historical gold mining. Results from the field studies indicate that disturbance of the finegrained Hg-contaminated sediment would likely lead to enhanced mobilization of Hg to downstream environments; therefore, the use of suction dredging to remove Hg at the South Yuba River and Humbug Creek confluence area would likely result in enhanced Hg transport downstream relative to natural conditions.

California↗

USGS2021

Exploiting common senses: Sensory ecology meets wildlife conservation and management

Multidisciplinary approaches to conservation and wildlife management are often effective in addressing complex, multi-factor problems. Emerging fields such as conservation physiology and conservation behaviour can provide innovative solutions and management strategies for target species and systems. Sensory ecology combines the study of ‘how animals acquire’ and process sensory stimuli from their environments, and the ecological and evolutionary significance of ‘how animals respond’ to this information. We review the benefits that sensory ecology can bring to wildlife conservation and management by discussing case studies across major taxa and sensory modalities. Conservation practices informed by a sensory ecology approach include the amelioration of sensory traps, control of invasive species, reduction of human–wildlife conflicts and relocation and establishment of new populations of endangered species. We illustrate that sensory ecology can facilitate the understanding of mechanistic ecological and physiological explanations underlying particular conservation issues and also can help develop innovative solutions to ameliorate conservation problems.

Conservation Physiology↗

USGS2007

Otolith research for Puget Sound

Otoliths are hard structures located in the brain cavity of fish. These structures are formed by a buildup of calcium carbonate within a gelatinous matrix that produces light and dark bands similar to the growth rings in trees. The width of the bands corresponds to environmental factors such as temperature and food availability. As juvenile salmon encounter different environments in their migration to sea, they produce growth increments of varying widths and visible 'checks' corresponding to times of stress or change. The resulting pattern of band variations and check marks leave a record of fish growth and residence time in each habitat type. This information helps Puget Sound restoration by determining the importance of different habitats for the optimal health and management of different salmon populations. The USGS Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC) provides otolith research findings directly to resource managers who put this information to work.

Washington↗

USGS2009

The Ozark Highlands

The Ozark Highlands include diverse topographic, geologic, soil, and hydrologic conditions that support a broad range of habitat types. The landscape features rugged uplands - some peaks higher than 2,500 feet above sea level - with exposed rock and varying soil depths and includes extensive areas of karst terrain. The Highlands are characterized by extreme biological diversity and high endemism (uniqueness of species). Vegetation communities are dominated by open oak-hickory and shortleaf pine woodlands and forests. Included in this vegetation matrix is an assemblage of various types of fens, forests, wetlands, fluvial features, and carbonate and siliceous glades. An ever-growing human population in the Ozark Highlands has become very dependent on reservoirs constructed on major rivers in the region and, in some cases, groundwater for household and public water supply. Because of human population growth in the Highlands and increases in industrial and agricultural activities, not only is adequate water quantity an issue, but maintaining good water quality is also a challenge. Point and nonpoint sources of excessive nutrients are an issue. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) partnership programs to monitor water quality and develop simulation tools to help stakeholders better understand strategies to protect the quality of water and the environment are extremely important. The USGS collects relevant data, conducts interpretive studies, and develops simulation tools to help stakeholders understand resource availability and sustainability issues. Stakeholders dependent on these resources are interested in and benefit greatly from evolving these simulation tools (models) into decision support systems that can be used for adaptive management of water and ecological resources. The interaction of unique and high-quality biological and hydrologic resources and the effects of stresses from human activities can be evaluated best by using a multidisciplinary approach that the USGS can provide. Information varying from defining baseline resource conditions to developing simulation models will help resource managers and users understand the human impact on resource sustainability. Varied expertise and experience in biological and water-resources activities across the entire Highlands make the USGS a valued collaborator in studies of Ozark ecosystems, streams, reservoirs, and groundwater. A large part of future success will depend on the involvement and active participation of key partners.

Fact Sheet↗

USGS2002

Atlas of water resources in the Black Hills area, South Dakota

The Black Hills area is an important resource center that provides an economic base for western South Dakota through tourism, agriculture, the timber industry, and mineral resources. In addition, water originating from the area is used for municipal, industrial, agricultural, and recreational purposes throughout much of western South Dakota. The Black Hills area also is an important recharge area for aquifers in the northern Great Plains. Population growth, resource development, and periodic droughts have the potential to affect the quantity, quality, and availability of water within the Black Hills area. Growth has resulted in competing interests for available water supplies. The Black Hills Hydrology Study was initiated in 1990 to address these concerns. This long-term study is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the West Dakota Water Development District, which represents various local and county cooperators.

Hydrologic Atlas↗

USGS2012

National assessment of shoreline change: Historical shoreline change in the Hawaiian Islands

Sandy beaches of the United States are some of the most popular tourist and recreational destinations. Coastal property constitutes some of the most valuable real estate in the country. Beaches are an ephemeral environment between water and land with unique and fragile natural ecosystems that have evolved in equilibrium with the ever-changing winds, waves, and water levels. Beachfront lands are the site of intense residential and commercial development even though they are highly vulnerable to several natural hazards, including marine inundation, flooding and drainage problems, effects of storms, sea-level rise, and coastal erosion. Because the U.S. population continues to shift toward the coast where valuable coastal property is vulnerable to erosion, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting a national assessment of coastal change. One aspect of this effort, the National Assessment of Shoreline Change, uses shoreline position as a proxy for coastal change because shoreline position is one of the most commonly monitored indicators of environmental change (for example, Fletcher, 1992; Dolan and others, 1991; Douglas and others, 1998; Galgano and others, 1998). Additionally, the National Research Council (1990) recommended the use of historical shoreline analysis in the absence of a widely accepted model of shoreline change. A principal purpose of the USGS shoreline change research is to develop a common methodology so that shoreline change analyses for the continental U.S., portions of Hawaii, and Alaska can be updated periodically in a consistent and systematic manner. The primary objectives of this study were to (1) develop and implement improved methods of assessing and monitoring shoreline movement, and (2) improve current understanding of the processes controlling shoreline movement. Achieving these ongoing long-term objectives requires research that (1) examines the original sources of shoreline data (for example, maps, air photos, global positioning system (GPS), Light Detection and Ranging (lidar)); (2) evaluates the utility of different shoreline proxies (for example, geomorphic feature, water mark, tidal datum, elevation), including the errors associated with each; (3) investigates bias and potential errors associated with integrating different shoreline proxies from different sources; (4) develops standard, uniform methods of shoreline change analysis; (5) examines the effects of human activities on shoreline movement and rates of change; and (6) investigates alternative mathematical methods for calculating historical rates of change and uncertainties associated with them. This report summarizes historical shoreline changes on the three most densely populated islands of the eight main Hawaiian Islands: Kauai, Oahu, and Maui. The report emphasizes the hazard from “chronic” (decades to centuries) erosion at regional scales and strives to relate this hazard to the body of knowledge regarding coastal geology of Hawaii because of its potential impact on natural resources, the economy, and society. Results are organized by coastal regions (island side) and sub-regions (common littoral characteristics). This report of Hawaii coasts is part of a series of reports that include text summarizing methods, results, and implications of the results. In addition, geographic information system (GIS) data used in the analyses are made available for download (Romine and others, 2012). The rates of shoreline change and products presented in this report are not intended for site-specific analysis of shoreline movement, nor are they intended to replace any official source of shoreline change information identified by local or State government agencies, or other Federal entities that are used for regulatory purposes. Rates of shoreline change presented herein may differ from other published rates, and differences do not necessarily indicate that the other rates are inaccurate. Some discrepancies are to be expected, considering the many possible ways of determining shoreline positions and rates of change, and the inherent uncertainty in calculating these rates. Rates of shoreline change presented in this report represent shoreline movement under past conditions and are not intended for use in predicting future shoreline positions or future rates of shoreline change.

Hawai'i↗

USGS2015

Concentrations of hormones, pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants in groundwater affected by septic systems in New England and New York

Septic-system discharges can be an important source of micropollutants (including pharmaceuticals and endocrine active compounds) to adjacent groundwater and surface water systems. Groundwater samples were collected from well networks tapping glacial till in New England (NE) and sandy surficial aquifer New York (NY) during one sampling round in 2011. The NE network assesses the effect of a single large septic system that receives discharge from an extended health care facility for the elderly. The NY network assesses the effect of many small septic systems used seasonally on a densely populated portion of Fire Island. The data collected from these two networks indicate that hydrogeologic and demographic factors affect micropollutant concentrations in these systems. The highest micropollutant concentrations from the NE network were present in samples collected from below the leach beds and in a well downgradient of the leach beds. Total concentrations for personal care/domestic use compounds, pharmaceutical compounds and plasticizer compounds generally ranged from 1 to over 20 μg/L in the NE network samples. High tris(2-butoxyethyl phosphate) plasticizer concentrations in wells beneath and downgradient of the leach beds (> 20 μg/L) may reflect the presence of this compound in cleaning agents at the extended health-care facility. The highest micropollutant concentrations for the NY network were present in the shoreline wells and reflect groundwater that is most affected by septic system discharges. One of the shoreline wells had personal care/domestic use, pharmaceutical, and plasticizer concentrations ranging from 0.4 to 5.7 μg/L. Estradiol equivalency quotient concentrations were also highest in a shoreline well sample (3.1 ng/L). Most micropollutant concentrations increase with increasing specific conductance and total nitrogen concentrations for shoreline well samples. These findings suggest that septic systems serving institutional settings and densely populated areas in coastal settings may be locally important sources of micropollutants to adjacent aquifer and marine systems.

New York↗

USGS2021

Linking field and laboratory studies: Reproductive effects of perfluorinated substances on avian populations

Although both laboratory and field studies are needed to effectively assess effects and risk of contaminants to free-living organisms, the limitations of each must be understood. The objectives of this paper are to examine information on field studies of reproductive effects of perfluorinated substances (PFASs) on bird populations, discuss the differences among field studies, and then place those results in context with laboratory studies. Hypotheses to explain the divergences between field studies and between laboratory and field studies will be discussed. Those differences include mixture issues, misattribution of the mechanism or the specific PFAS causing impairments, as well as other possible reasons. Finally, suggestions to better link laboratory and field studies will be presented. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:690–696. Published 2021. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management↗

USGS2020

Effects of latitude, season, and temperature on Lake Sturgeon movement

Ecologists have a limited understanding of the rangewide variation in movement behavior in freshwater fishes, but recent expansion of biotelemetry allows biologists to investigate how fish movement can help to predict behavioral shifts in response to changing environments. The Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens is a wide-ranging, migratory, coolwater species, making it a candidate species for studying patterns in movement ecology. We conducted a literature review and meta-analysis of seasonal movement data compiled from 38 Lake Sturgeon telemetry studies in North America to build an understanding of spatiotemporal variation in movement behavior. Lake Sturgeon movement studies were underrepresented for low-latitude populations in the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio/Tennessee River basins. Highest movement usually occurred during spring spawning migrations, whereas other populations exhibited their highest movement in the fall, potentially in order to overwinter near spawning grounds. Our meta-regression analysis indicated that latitude or summer maximum temperature best predicted standardized mean difference between spring and summer movement in Lake Sturgeon populations across the species’ range. Our results suggest that Lake Sturgeon populations at lower latitudes and those that experience warmer summer temperatures have lower summer movement relative to spring movement. Managers may use this information to prioritize actions promoting the conservation of seasonally important habitats for the continued recovery of migratory coolwater fish (e.g., Lake Sturgeon) that potentially experience stressful thermal conditions.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

USGS1979

Coal depositional models in some Tertiary and Cretaceous coal fields in the U.S. Western Interior

Detailed stratigraphic and sedimentological studies of the Tertiary Tongue River Member of the Fort Union Formation in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming, and the Cretaceous Blackhawk Formation and Star Point Sandstone in the Wasatch Plateau, Utah, indicate that the depositional environments of coal played a major role in controlling coal thickness, lateral continuity, potential minability, and type of floor and roof rocks. The potentially minable, thick coal beds of the Tongue River Member were primarily formed in long-lived floodbasin backswamps of upper alluvial plain environment. Avulsion of meandering fluvial channels contributed to the erratic lateral extent of coals in this environment. Laterally extensive coals formed in floodbasin backswamps of a lower alluvial plain environment; however, interruption by overbank and crevasse-splay sedimentation produced highly split and merging coal beds. Lacustrine sedimentation common to the lower alluvial plain, similar to the lake-covered lower alluvial valley of the Atchafalaya River Basin, is related to a high-constructive delta. In contrast to these alluvial coals are the deltaic coal deposits of the Blackhawk Formation. The formation consists of three coal populations: upper delta plain, lower delta plain, and ‘back-barrier’. Coals of the lower delta plain are thick and laterally extensive, in contrast to those of the upper delta plain and ‘back-barrier’, which contain abundant, very thin and laterally discontinuous carbonaceous shale partings. The reworking of the delta-front sediments of the Star Point Sandstone suggests that the Blackhawk-Star Point delta was a high-destructive system.

Utah, Wyoming↗