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USGS2021

If you give a clam an estuary: The story of potamocorbula

When you look at San Francisco Bay, what animals do you see? You may see lots of fish swimming around and birds flying above. What you DON’T see is Potamocorbula, a little clam that has had a big impact. Many years ago, ships accidentally brought Potamocorbula into the Bay. Pretty soon, Potamocorbula spread out all over in large numbers! Clams pump water over their gills and eat small particles of food, like phytoplankton, that pass through with the water. Potamocorbula can pump water much faster than other clams that live in the Bay, and they can eat more than their share of phytoplankton. Sometimes Potamocorbula eats phytoplankton faster than phytoplankton can grow! What problems does that cause for other animals, like birds and fish, that also need phytoplankton? Does Potamocorbula’s invasion only have negative impacts? In this article, we dive to the bottom of the Bay to find some answers. Book series publishing the chapter: https://kids.frontiersin.org/collection/13528/where-the-river-meets-the-ocean-stories-from-san-francisco-estuary

California↗

USGS2021

Small shorebirds feast on green slime to fuel their long migration

Shorebirds wade in shallow waters along shorelines searching for food. More than a million shorebirds visit the San Francisco Estuary each year during their migration to feast on the insects, worms, clams, and crabs that live on or under the surface of the sand or mud. The abundant food in the Estuary provides shorebirds with the energy they need to migrate thousands of kilometers, between their breeding areas in the Arctic and their wintering areas along the Pacific coast of North and South America. Scientists have discovered that, during migration, small species of shorebirds eat a green slime called biofilm that grows on the surface of the mud. Larger shorebirds do not eat biofilm. This article describes how the bills and tongues of small shorebirds help them eat biofilm, what biofilm is, and why biofilm is an important food for those birds during migration.

Frontiers for Young Minds↗

USGS2022

Keeping an eye on water quality from the sky

You can learn a lot about rivers, lakes, estuaries, and oceans by looking down at them from the sky. Scientists use a technique called remote sensing to measure the amount of light or heat energy reflected and emitted from the Earth. Sensors can be on satellites or mounted on airplanes, helicopters, or drones. Scientists use this information to map the quality of water in the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary. Remote sensing helps scientists see where and when there might be problems for human health or for the plants and animals living in the estuary.

California↗

USGS2022

The mysterious case of the missing razor clams

Oceans are changing and these changes are affecting animals that live there. Animals respond differently to changes in water temperature, food availability, or contaminants. Those responses can be seen in their genes. Gene transcription is a tool that allows scientists to see the response of an animal’s genes to its environment. We used gene transcription to compare two populations of Pacific razor clams in Alaska: one that has lots of clams and one that used to have lots but doesn’t anymore. We were surprised when we didn't find any differences in their gene responses! So, we had to think about what else might be influencing the number of clams in these two populations. As we “dug” for answers, we found out that there are differences between the populations that don‘t influence their genes but may impact their numbers, such as predation.

Frontiers for Young Minds↗

USGS2022

Where land and sea meet: Brown bears and sea otters

In Katmai National Park, Alaska, USA, we have seen changes in the number of brown bears and sea otters. The number of animals of a species a habitat can support is called carrying capacity. Even though bears live on land and sea otters live in the ocean, these two mammals share coastal habitats. Bears eat salmon, other fish, plants, clams, and beached whales. Sea otters feed on clams and other marine invertebrates. All these foods are influenced by the ocean. Recently, we have seen fewer bears but more sea otters! What changed? Many things, but several observations point to the ocean. There are fewer salmon, whales, and clams, so bears rely more on plants for food. Fewer clams mean sea otters must work harder to find food. Our studies are helping us to understand how and why carrying capacity for a given species may change over time.

Alaska↗

USGS2022

How beavers are changing Arctic landscapes and Earth’s climate

Beavers build dams that change the way water moves between streams, lakes, and the land. In Alaska, beavers are moving north from the forests into the Arctic tundra. When beavers build dams in the Arctic, they cause frozen soil, called permafrost, to thaw. Scientists are studying how beavers and the thawing of permafrost are impacting streams and rivers in Alaska’s national parks. For example, permafrost thaw from beavers can add harmful substances like mercury to streams. Mercury can be taken up by stream food webs, including fish, which then become unhealthy to eat. Permafrost thaw can also move carbon (from dead plants) to beaver ponds. When this carbon decomposes, it can be released from beaver ponds into the air as greenhouse gases, which cause Earth’s climate to warm. Scientists are trying to keep up with these busy beavers to better understand how they are changing Arctic landscapes and Earth’s climate.

Alaska↗

USGS2022

Fish ear stones offer climate change clues in Alaska's lakes

Otoliths, also known as ear stones, are small body parts that help fish with hearing and balance. Like tree rings, otoliths form one light and one dark band per year, creating rings. These rings can be measured to understand fish growth. The wider the ring, the greater the growth. In our study, we used otoliths to understand how one fish species—lake trout—responds to rising temperature in the state of Alaska. We found that warmer spring air temperature and earlier lake ice melt were related to faster lake trout growth. This finding is consistent with other studies that link warmer water temperature and earlier lake ice melt to increased plankton in Alaska’s lakes. Together, these findings suggest that climate-driven increases at the bottom of the food web might benefit top predators like lake trout. However, the relationship between warmer temperature and faster growth may not last.

Alaska↗

USGS2024

Underwater flashlights: What light can tell us about water quality

Water is essential for life. The particles and dissolved chemicals found in rivers, lakes, and oceans are constantly changing with weather, seasons, and human activities. The substances found in water can be helpful or harmful to humans and other organisms. New technologies allow scientists to use waterproof computers (called sensors) to record the quality of water as it changes throughout the day or night. Many sensors use the interaction of water with light, or other energy forms, to learn about what is in it. Through observing what happens to light energy in water, scientists can reveal the sources and movements of harmful pollutants or essential nutrients for plants, animals, and bacteria. Networks containing many sensors work together to provide continuous information about the ever-changing conditions that affect all living organisms that depend on water.

Frontiers for Young Minds↗

USGS2024

What the cliffs near America’s earliest settlements tell us about climate change

Climate change is a big problem for natural habitats, people, and the systems that support society, including roads, water supply, electrical grids, and phone and internet connections. It’s an important theme in politics, economics, and culture. Scientists make computer models to show what the climate might be like in the future, and it looks very different from what we are used to. Scientists can also learn about the future climate by looking at geological records from the past. About 3 million years ago, most of the US east coast was under water. Sediments that collected on the ocean floor show what the ocean environment was like back then. Some of these sediments are now exposed above water as bluffs along the James River near colonial Jamestown in southeastern Virginia, and they hold many clues as to what Earth may look like in the future.

Virginia↗

USGS2026

A deep dive into subduction zones and the Japan Trench

Deep beneath the ocean, giant slabs of rock slide beneath one another in areas called subduction zones. These powerful movements shape the planet by building mountains, creating fiery volcanoes, and even causing huge earthquakes. Scientists study subduction zones to understand why these natural events happen and where and how they might occur so we can be better prepared. One important subduction zone is the Japan Trench, where a big earthquake happened in 2011. To learn more about subduction zones, scientists go on ocean drilling expeditions. They sail on research ships, drill into the seafloor, and collect rock samples. These samples help scientists understand what happened in the past and how subduction zones work. In turn, this information helps communities better understand and prepare for future earthquakes.

Frontiers for Young Minds↗