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At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
USGS2022

Melanism in a Common Murre Uria aalge in Kachemak Bay, Alaska

In accord with melanism being uncommon in birds, we could find only six published records of completely melanistic Common Murres Uria aalge , one of the most widely and intensively studied of all seabirds. We added to the record by observing a Common Murre in completely dark, melanistic alternate plumage every summer from 2017 to 2021 at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska, USA. In 2017, the bird frequented the colony periphery, indicating that it could have been a subadult. Subsequently, it occupied the same narrow rock ledge within the colony every summer from 2018 to 2021, an indication that it may have been attempting to breed. Because we have been conducting long-term monitoring on Gull Island, we are in the unique position to be able to monitor the attendance and reproductive performance of this distinctively marked murre into the future.

Alaska↗
USGS2023

Demographics and gross pathology of scoters and scaups killed by the Cosco Busan oil spill in California

Unusual wildlife mortality events provide a unique opportunity to collect information on demographics, disease, and body condition in affected wildlife, which may be useful for informing oil spill damage assessments and future spill responses. In November 2007, the Cosco Busan Oil Spill occurred in San Francisco Bay, California, a globally important wintering area for waterfowl. The spill resulted in the mortality of scoters Melanitta spp. and scaups Aythya spp., species that have declined significantly over recent decades. We examined the demography (sex and age ratios) and prevalence of grossly apparent disease (acanthocephalan parasite infection and mycotic disease) in 288 Surf Scoters M. perspicillata , White-winged Scoters M. deglandi , Greater Scaup A. marila , and Lesser Scaup A. affinis killed in the oil spill. The proportions of females and juveniles in examined Surf Scoters was unexpectedly high (0.98:1, females:males, 0.73:1 juveniles:adults) for this species with normally strong male- and adult-biased populations. This disproportionate mortality of female Surf Scoters could result in a greater population impact on this female-limited species, suggesting a mechanism for steep declines in San Francisco Bay scoter numbers in the years after the Cosco Busan oil spill. Significantly greater rates of acanthocephalan infection in juvenile vs. adult Surf Scoters indicated a possible interaction between acanthocephalan parasitism and juvenile-biased mortality in our sample. Birds that died during rehabilitation had significantly greater rates of mycotic disease (10% infected) than birds found dead in the field (3%), indicating that infections began or worsened during rehabilitation. Greater Scaup had proportionally greater rates of infection with mycotic disease (26% of individuals) than other species, indicating that they may be particularly susceptible to the disease. We encourage the documentation of demographics and disease as a regular part of future responses to oil spills, or other mortality events, to gain insight into population impacts and improve rehabilitation efforts of affected populations.

California↗
USGS2024

Breeding population size of the Pink-footed Shearwater Ardenna creatopus on Isla Mocha, Chile

Species population estimates are a fundamental component of conservation planning, but there are deficiencies in reliable data for many seabirds. The Pink-footed Shearwater Ardenna creatopus is a seabird that breeds on three islands worldwide, with the largest population on Isla Mocha, Chile. We aimed to update the breeding population estimate of Pink-footed Shearwaters on Isla Mocha, comparing results from design- and model-based estimation methods. We counted shearwater burrows in 220 randomly generated five-meter-radius plots across pre-defined strata on Isla Mocha. We estimated total number of burrows using area-based extrapolation (design-based method), and separately using a model predicting burrow density based on habitat (model-based method). We multiplied burrow abundance estimates by burrow occupancy for final population estimates. The stratum-area-weighted burrow density estimate for the 15.8 km 2 study area was 0.0106 burrows·m -2 (standard error [SE] = 0.0030). The average island-wide proportion of occupied burrows was 0.758 (standard deviation [SD] = 0.121). The design-based method estimated 168 209 burrows (95% confidence interval [CI] = 74 715-261 704, coefficient of variation [CV] = 0.28), and 127 503 breeding pairs (95% CI = 87 610-167 395). The model-based method estimated 233 436 burrows (95% CI = 151 237-332 179, CV = 0.19) and 181 859 breeding pairs (95% CI = 95 773-267 945, CV = 0.24). These population estimates are greater than previous estimates for Isla Mocha, whose means ranged from 19 440-42 095 breeding pairs. Because our study design differed from those used to generate previous estimates, our estimate should be considered a stand-alone result rather than an increase in the breeding population. Because of the low fit of the model-based result, the design-based result may be a more reliable estimate to use for species management efforts. Based on our estimate, approximately 90% of the Pink-footed Shearwater world population breeds on Isla Mocha, and with its restriction to only three breeding localities world-wide, the species remains vulnerable. The full manuscript in Spanish can be found in Appendix 1, available on the website.

Isla Mocha↗
USGS2022

Foraging ecology of Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus in the Caribbean during early chick rearing revealed by GPS tracking

Investigating the foraging patterns of tropical seabirds can provide important information about their ocean habitat affinities as well as prey choice. Foraging studies of Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus populations in the Caribbean are lacking. We sought to rectify this by opportunistically sampling regurgitates at nest sites on the island of St. Eustatius, Lesser Antilles, and by linking the GPS tracks of foraging adults to remotely sensed environmental variables. Diet samples were dominated by Exocoetidae (59.5%) and Belonidae (14.9%), although we were unable to identify 25.5% of samples due to digestion. Tropicbirds nesting on St. Eustatius exhibited diurnal foraging patterns, foraged in deeper waters with higher chlorophyll concentration, and consumed fewer Exocoetidae species compared to travelling behaviour. The maximum distance travelled from the colony was 953.7 km, with an average trip length of 176.8 (± 249.8) km. The biologged birds crossed multiple exclusive economic zones and marine protected areas, and on that basis, we suggest that efforts to protect and conserve this species may require transboundary collaboration throughout the wider Caribbean.

Marine Ornithology: Journal of Seabird Research an↗
USGS2001

Time-variation of hydrothermal discharge at selected sites in the Western United States: Implications for monitoring

We compiled time series of hydrothermal discharge consisting of 3593 chloride- or heat-flux measurements from 24 sites in the Yellowstone region, the northern Oregon Cascades, Lassen Volcanic National Park and vicinity, and Long Valley, California. At all of these sites the hydrothermal phenomena are believed to be as yet unaffected by human activity, though much of the data collection was driven by mandates to collect environmental-baseline data in acticipation of geothermal development. The time series average 19 years in length and some of the Yellowstone sites have been monitored intermittently for over 30 years. Many sites show strong seasonality but few show clear long-term trends, and at most sites statistically significant decadal-scale trends are absent. Thus, the data provide robust estimates of advective heat flow ranging from ~130 MW in the north-central Oregon Cascades to ~6100 MW in the Yellowstone region, and also document Yellowstone hydrothermal chloride and arsenic fluxes of 1740 and 15-20 g/s, respectively. The discharge time series show little sensitivity to regional tectonic events such as earthquakes or inflation/deflation cycles. Most long-term monitoring to date has focused on high-chloride springs and low-temperature fumaroles. The relative stability of these features suggests that discharge measurements done as part of volcano-monitoring programs should focus instead on high-temperature fumaroles, which may be more immediately linked to the magmatic heat source.

Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research↗
USGS2012

Geochemistry of thermal waters in Long Valley, Mono County, California

Thermal springs and wells in Long Valley, California, issue sodium bicarbonate‐chloride waters containing 1000–1420 mg/l of dissolved solids. Thermal waters of sodium bicarbonate‐chloride composition are usually associated with hot‐water reservoirs. Chloride concentrations and stable isotope data indicate that the thermal waters have had varied histories. All of the thermal springs issue a mixture of fluid from the thermal reservoir and less saline, cooler water from one or more shallow aquifers. The composition of springs in Hot Creek Gorge may have been further altered by minor subsurface boiling. Thermal springs between Hot Creek and Lake Crowley issue mixtures of fresh and thermal waters which have lost heat by conductive cooling and changed composition by reaction with rock in the shallow aquifer. The silica content of water from Magma Richie 5 and mixing calculations based on the concentrations of silica in thermal waters collected from springs in Hot Creek Gorge and along Little Hot Creek indicate a temperature of at least 200°C in the thermal reservoir. The sodium‐potassium‐calcium geothermometer yields a reservoir temperature estimate near 200°C for most of the thermal springs. If geothermal energy is developed in Long Valley, the high concentrations of arsenic (up to 2.2 mg/l), boron (up to 15 mg/l), and total dissolved solids in the thermal fluids will make it necessary to isolate the effluent of production wells from the freshwater system.

California↗
USGS1974

Continental depositon of Antarctic tillite indicated by carbon and oxygen isotopes

Freshwater deposition of the upper Paleozoic, Gondwana tillite in the Pensacola Mountains is indicated by low δ values of +4.9 to +6.1 permil δ0 1 8 (SMOW) and -1.8 to -15.9 permil δC 1 3 (PDB) in primary sedimentary calcite within the tillite. In contrast, Cambrian marine limestone from the Pensacola Mountains contains heavy isotopic abundances that are entirely characteristic of marine deposition.

Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey↗
USGS1973

Soda Creek springs - metamorphic waters in the eastern Alaska Range

The Soda Creek springs are a group of small, cold mineral springs on the southern flank of the eastern Alaska Range. The spring waters contain anomalous concentrations of carbon dioxide, sodium, chlorine, sulfate, boron, and ammonia and are actively precipitating deposits of calcite and aragonite. Sparingly present in these deposits are mixed-layer illite-montmorillonite clays and zeolite minerals. Low-temperature metamorphic reactions in subjacent marine sedimentary rocks of Jurassic and Cretaceous age may have produced the fluids and silicate minerals. With only a few exceptions, cool bicarbonate-rich springs in Alaska are concentrated south of the Denali fault system in south-central Alaska, southeastern Alaska, and along the Kaltag-Tintina fault system. These areas are characterized by active or recently active tectonism, major faults and folds, and an abundance of marine sedimentary rocks.

Alaska↗
USGS1987

Isotope geochemistry of minerals and fluids from Newberry volcano, Oregon

Isotopic compositions were determined for hydrothermal quartz, calcite, and siderite from core samples of the Newberry 2 drill hole, Oregon. The ??15O values for these minerals decrease with increasing temperatures. The values indicate that these hydrothermal minerals precipitated in isotopic equilibrium with water currently present in the reservoirs. The ??18O values of quartz and calcite from the andesite and basalt flows (700-932 m) have isotopic values which require that the equilibrated water ??18O values increase slightly (- 11.3 to -9.2???) with increasing measured temperatures (150-265??C). The lithic tuffs and brecciated lava flows (300-700 m) contain widespread siderite. Calculated oxygen isotopic compositions of waters in equilibrium with siderite generally increase with increasing temperatures (76-100??C). The ??18O values of siderite probably result from precipitation in water produced by mixing various amounts of the deep hydrothermal water (- 10.5 ???) with meteoric water (- 15.5 ???) recharged within the caldera. The ??13C values of calcite and siderite decrease with increasing temperatures and show that these minerals precipitated in isotopic equilibrium with CO2 of about -8 ???. The ??18O values of weakly altered (<5% alteration of plagioclase) whole-rock samples decrease with increasing temperatures above 100??C, indicating that exchange between water and rock is kinetically controlled. The water/rock mass ratios decrease with decreasing temperatures. The ??18O values of rocks from the bottom of Newberry 2 show about 40% isotopic exchange with the reservoir water. The calculated ??18O and ??D values of bottom hole water determined from the fluid produced during the 20 hour flow test are -10.2 and -109???, respectively. The ??D value of the hydrothermal water indicates recharge from outside the caldera. ?? 1987.

Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research↗
USGS1973

Pliocene marine fossils in the Paso Robles Formation, California

Marine invertebrates from the Paso Robles Formation recently discovered near Atascadero, Calif., indicate that the basal part of this chiefly nonmarine deposit is of provincial early Pliocene age. Heretofore the lack of direct fossil or radiometric evidence of the age of the Paso Robles has made it a difficult unit to place in the late Cenozoic history of the Coast Ranges. The assemblage is dominated by Ostrea vespertina and by Nettastomella rostrata , a rock-boring bivalve; its mode of preservation indicates that the fossils are in place and have not been recycled from older marine formations. This occurrence suggests that during the early Pliocene a seaway connected the present southern Salinas Valley area with the northern part of the Santa Maria basin; the fossils occur about halfway between the southernmost exposures of the Pancho Rico Formation near San Miguel and fossiliferous strata east of Pismo Beach, both marine units of early Pliocene age.

California↗
USGS2012

Discharge rates of fluid and heat by thermal springs of the Cascade Range, Washington, Oregon, and northern California

Fluid and heat discharge rates of thermal springs of the Cascade Range have been determined using the chloride inventory method. Discharge rates of thermal spring groups range from 1 to 120 L s &minus;1 . Most of the fluid (50%) and heat (61%) are discharged from two hot spring groups in northern Oregon. Total discharge from thermal springs in the Cascade Range of California, Oregon, and Washington is about 340 Ls &minus;1 , which corresponds to about 8.2&times;10 4 kJ s &minus;1 of heat. This does not include hot springs developed on the flanks of Mount St. Helens after the 1980 eruption. The Cascade Range consists of geologically and technically distinct segments; rates of convective heat discharge by the thermal springs in these segments correlate with volcanic rock extrusion rates for the last 2 m. y. In Oregon and Washington, many streams without known thermal or mineral springs in their drainage basins also were sampled for chloride and sodium to detect chemical anomalies that might be associated with previously unknown thermal or mineral waters. Only three chloride anomalies not associated with known thermal or mineral springs were identified in the streams of the Cascade Range.

Journal of Geophysical Research↗
USGS2011

Trends in marine debris in the U.S. Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, 1996-2003

Marine debris is a widespread and globally recognized problem. Sound information is necessary to understand the extent of the problem and to inform resource managers and policy makers about potential mitigation strategies. Although there are many short-term studies on marine debris, a longer-term perspective and the ability to compare among regions has heretofore been missing in the U.S. Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. We used data from a national beach monitoring program to evaluate and compare amounts, composition, and trends of indicator marine debris in the U.S. Caribbean (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and the Gulf of Mexico from 1996 to 2003. Indicator items provided a standardized set that all surveys collected; each was assigned a probable source: ocean-based, land-based, or general-source. Probable ocean-based debris was related to activities such as recreational boating/fishing, commercial fishing and activities on oil/gas platforms. Probable land-based debris was related to land-based recreation and sewer systems. General-source debris represented plastic items that can come from either ocean- or land-based sources; these items were plastic bags, strapping bands, and plastic bottles (excluding motor oil containers). Debris loads were similar between the U.S. Caribbean and the western Gulf of Mexico; however, debris composition on U.S. Caribbean beaches was dominated by land-based indicators while the western Gulf of Mexico was dominated by ocean-based indicators. Beaches along the eastern Gulf of Mexico had the lowest counts of debris; composition was dominated by land-based indicators, similar to that found for the U.S. Caribbean. Debris loads on beaches in the Gulf of Mexico are likely affected by Gulf circulation patterns, reducing loads in the eastern Gulf and increasing loads in the western Gulf. Over the seven years of monitoring, we found a large linear decrease in total indicator debris, as well as all source categories, for the U.S. Caribbean. Lower magnitude decreases were seen in indicator debris along the eastern Gulf of Mexico. In contrast, only land-based indicators declined in the western Gulf of Mexico; total, ocean-based and general-source indicators remained unchanged. Decreases in land-based indicators were not related to human population in the coastal regions; human population increased in all regions over the time of the study. Significant monthly patterns for indicator debris were found only in the Gulf of Mexico; counts were highest during May through September, with peaks occurring in July. Inclement weather conditions before the time of the survey also accounted for some of the variation in the western Gulf of Mexico; fewer items were found when there were heavy seas or cold fronts in the weeks prior to the survey, while tropical storms (including hurricanes) increased the amount of debris. With the development around the globe of long-term monitoring programs using standardized methodology, there is the potential to help management at individual sites, as well as generate larger-scale perspectives (from regional to global) to inform decision makers. Incorporating mechanisms producing debris into marine debris programs would be a fruitful area for future research.

Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Carribean↗
USGS2020

Timescales and processes of methane hydrate formation and breakdown, with application to geologic systems

Gas hydrate is an ice-like form of water and low molecular weight gas stable at temperatures of roughly -10ºC to 25ºC and pressures of ~3 to 30 MPa in geologic systems. Natural gas hydrates sequester an estimated one-sixth of Earth’s methane and are found primarily in deepwater marine sediments on continental margins, but also in permafrost areas and under continental ice sheets. When gas hydrate is removed from its stability field, its breakdown has implications for the global carbon cycle, ocean chemistry, marine geohazards, and interactions between the geosphere and the ocean-atmosphere system. Gas hydrate breakdown can also be artificially driven as a component of studies assessing the resource potential of these deposits. Furthermore, geologic processes and perturbations to the ocean-atmosphere system (e.g., warming temperatures) can cause not only dissociation, but also more widespread dissolution of hydrate or even formation of new hydrate in reservoirs. Linkages between gas hydrate and disparate aspects of Earth’s near-surface physical, chemical, and biological systems render an assessment of the rates and processes affecting the persistence of gas hydrate an appropriate Centennial Grand Challenge. This paper reviews the thermodynamic controls on methane hydrate stability and then describes the relative importance of kinetic, mass transfer, and heat transfer processes in the formation and breakdown (dissociation and dissolution) of gas hydrate. Results from numerical modeling, laboratory, and some fields studies are used to summarize the rates of hydrate formation and breakdown, followed by an extensive treatment of hydrate dynamics in marine and cryospheric gas hydrate systems.

Journal of Geophysical Research-Solid Earth↗
USGS2017

Endozoicomonas dominates the gill and intestinal content microbiomes of Mytilus edulis from Barnegat Bay, New Jersey

Blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, Linnaeus 1758 from southern Barnegat Bay, New Jersey were examined to determine the make-up of the normal blue mussel microbiome. Sequencing of 16S ribosomal DNA amplicons from gill and intestinal content microbiomes using the Illumina® MiSeq platform yielded 1,276,161 paired end sequence reads from the gill libraries and 1,092,333 paired end sequence reads from the intestinal content libraries. General bioinformatic analyses were conducted with the open-source packages Qiime and Mothur. Phylotype assignments to the genus level were made using the commercial One Codex platform. This resulted in 1,697,852 gill and 988,436 intestinal content sequences being classified to genus. A majority of these (67.6% and 37.2% respectively) were assigned to a single operational taxonomic unit (Mytilus edulis Symbiont, MeS) that has homologies with other recently described Endozoicomonas pathogens and symbionts of marine invertebrates. MeS shares 98% identity with an uncultured bacterium from the gill tissue of an invasive indo-Pacific oyster and with HQE1 and HQE2 isolated from the sea squirt, Styela clava. Other than MeS, most of the detected bacterial species are known from marine sediments and seawater.

New Jersey↗
USGS1998

Mapping the Gulf of Maine with side-scan sonar: A new bottom-type classification for complex seafloors

The bedrock-framed seafloor in the northwestern Gulf of Maine is characterized by extreme changes in bathymetric relief and covered with a wide variety of surficial materials. Traditional methods of mapping cannot accurately represent the great heterogeneity of such a glaciated region. A new mapping scheme for complex seafloors, based primarily on the interpretation of side-scan sonar imagery, utilizes four easily recognized units: rock, gravel, sand and mud. In many places, however, the seafloor exhibits a complicated mixture or extremely 'patchy' distribution of the four basic units, which are too small to map individually. Twelve composite units, each a two-component mixture of the basic units, were established to represent this patchiness at a small scale (1:100,000). Using a geographic information system, these and all other available data (seismic profiles, grab samples, submersible dives and cores) were referenced to a common geographic base, superimposed on bathymetric contours and then integrated into surficial geologic maps of the regional inner continental shelf. This digital representation of the seafloor comprises a multidimensional, interactive model complete with explicit attributes (depth, bottom type) that allow for detailed analysis of marine environments.

Journal of Coastal Research↗
USGS2012

Revised geomagnetic polarity time scale for the interval 0–5 m.y. B.P.

A change in the constants used in K‐Ar dating and a significant increase in new data have made a recompilation and recomputation of data used to define the Late Cenozoic K‐Ar polarity time scale highly desirable at this time. All available data in the range 0–5 m.y. have been recalculated using the refined constants, with 354 data points in this time interval now meeting the minimum criteria for acceptability. Recalculation of the major polarity epoch boundaries has yielded ages of 0.73 m.y. for the Brunhes‐Matuyama, 2.48 m.y. for the Matuyama‐Gauss, and 3.40 m.y. for the Gauss‐Gilbert boundaries. A revised polarity time scale has been constructed based on available K‐Ar data and information obtained from marine magnetic anomalies and deep‐sea sedimentary cores.

Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth↗