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At least 1,207 records · Page 67Linked to original sources

USGS2009

Performance of temperature and dissolved oxygen criteria to predict habitat use by lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush)

We compared theoretical habitat volumes, determined from traditional combinations of temperature and dissolved oxygen concentration (DO) boundaries, with in situ habitat use by acoustically tagged lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ). The widely used criteria of 8–12 °C underestimated lake trout habitat use by 68%–80%. Instead, combined temperature (<12 or 15 °C) and DO (>4 or 6 mg·L –1 ) criteria most closely matched lake trout habitat use, had a similar seasonal trend as the tagged fish, suggested modest reductions (5% of total lake volume) in habitat during a warmer year, and performed best when the constraints of temperature and DO were most limiting. All data were collected in a small boreal shield lake (27 ha, z max = 21 m) at the Experimental Lakes Area in northwestern Ontario, Canada, during two contrasting periods of thermal stratification (2003: warmer and longer; 2004: cooler and shorter), providing an assessment of observed and theoretical habitat volumes over current environmental extremes.

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences↗

USGS2010

Empirical evaluation of predator-driven diel vertical migration in Lake Superior

Recent studies on Lake Superior suggest that diel vertical migration (DVM) of prey (generalized Coregonus spp.) may be influenced by the density of predatory siscowet (Salvelinus namaycush). We empirically evaluated this hypothesis using data from acoustic, midwater trawl, and bottom trawl sampling at eight Lake Superior sites during three seasons in 2005 and a subset of sites in 2006. We expected the larger-bodied cisco (Coregonus artedi) to exhibit a shallower DVM compared with the smaller-bodied kiyi (Coregonus kiyi). Although DVM of kiyi and cisco were consistent with expectations of DVM as a size-dependent, predator-mediated process, we found no relationship between siscowet density and the magnitude of DVM of either coregonid. Cisco appear to have a size refuge from siscowet predation. Kiyi and siscowet co-occur in demersal habitat > 150 m during the day, where visual predation is unlikely, suggesting predator avoidance is not a factor in the daytime distribution of kiyi. Seasonal patterns of kiyi DVM were consistent with reported DVM of their primary prey Mysis relicta. Our results suggest that consideration of nonvisual foraging, rather than lightbased foraging theory (i.e., the antipredation window), is necessary to understand the processes driving DVM in deepwater systems.

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences↗

USGS2011

Olfactory-mediated stream-finding behavior of migratory adult sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)

Stream-finding behavior of adult sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), an anadromous fish that relies on pheromones to locate spawning streams, was documented in the vicinity of an important spawning river in the Great Lakes. Untreated and anosmic migrating sea lampreys were implanted with acoustic transmitters and then released outside the Ocqueoc River. Lampreys swam only at night and then actively. When outside of the river plume, lampreys pursued relatively straight bearings parallel to the shoreline while making frequent vertical excursions. In contrast, when within the plume, lampreys made large turns and exhibited a weak bias towards the river mouth, which one-third of them entered. The behavior of anosmic lampreys resembled that of untreated lampreys outside of the plume, except they pursued a more northerly compass bearing. To locate streams, sea lampreys appear to employ a three-phase odor-mediated strategy that involves an initial search along shorelines while casting vertically, followed by river-water-induced turning that brings them close to the river's mouth, which they then enter using rheotaxis. This novel strategy differs from that of salmonids and appears to offer this poor swimmer adaptive flexibility and suggests ways that pheromonal odors might be used to manage this invasive species.

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences↗

USGS2019

Measuring settling velocity in a strongly tidal estuary

Predicting sediment transport in estuarine systems requires understanding sediment settling velocity, its range of fluctuations, and the shortcomings of the tools to measure it. Previous studies have used Laser In-Situ Scattering and Transmissometry (LISST) instruments to measure particle size and Acoustic Doppler Velocimeters (ADV) to return estimates of settling velocity. We deployed both instruments over a 4-week period in summer 2016 in San Pablo Bay, CA, and observed conflicting results from the two instruments. The LISST indicated the settling velocity decreased with increasing bed shear stress, while the ADV showed that settling velocity increased. Comparing the experimental conditions from this study with previous research reveals that the ADV method requires steady state conditions that were not achieved. Although the ADV method uses easily measured quantities to return the settling velocity, it relies on assumptions that are not always valid in estuarine settings.

California↗

USGS2015

Bottom stress measurements on the inner shelf

Bottom stress shapes the mean circulation patterns, controls sediment transport, and influences benthic habitat in the coastal ocean. Accurate and precise measurements of bottom stress have proved elusive, in part because of the difficulty in separating the turbulent eddies that transport momentum from inviscid wave-induced motions. Direct covariance measurements from a pair of acoustic Doppler velocimeters has proved capable of providing robust estimates, so we designed a mobile platform coined the NIMBBLE for these measurements, and deployed two of them and two more conventional quadpods at seven sites on the inner shelf over a period of seven months. The resulting covariance estimates of stress and bottom roughness were lower than log-fit estimates, especially during calmer periods. Analyses of these data suggest the NIMBBLEs may provide an accurate and practical method for measuring bottom stress.

Conference Paper↗

USGS1995

Comparison of BASS and VACM current measurements during STRESS

Current measurements from a vector-averaging current meter (VACM) on a subsurface mooring and a benthic acoustic stress sensor (BASS) on a bottom tripod are compared to assess their relative accuracy. The instruments were deployed off northern California at a midshelf site (water depth approximately 90 m) as part of the STRESS (Sediment Transport Events on Shelves and Slopes) field program. The subsurface mooring and bottom tripod were within a few hundred meters of each other, with the BASS 5.0 m and the VACM 6.7 m above the bottom, during two tripod deployments of 49 and 32 days in the winter of 1988/89. Speed differences between the VACM and BASS current observations have a mean of 0.2 cm s −1 and a standard deviation of 1.2 cm s −1 . If the mean speed profile is logarithmic, the expected mean speed difference due to the vertical separation is about 0.4 cm s −1 . The average speed difference between the VACM and BASS increases as near-bottom wave orbital velocities get large relative to hourly averaged currents, consistent with laboratory studies of VACMs in oscillating flows. Direction differences have a mean of 1° and standard deviations of about 5° for speeds greater than 10 cm s −1 . The relative accuracy of the corresponding velocity measurements is ±2 cm s −1 (mean differences less than 0.6 cm s −1 and standard deviations of about 1 cm s −1 ). The equations used to convert VACM rotor rotation rates to current speed we based on a calibration study by Woodward and Appell rather than one based on a study by Cherriman that is routinely used at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The former yields closer agreement between the BASS and VACM speed measurements during STRESS (mean speed difference 0.2 cm s −1 versus 1.4 cm s −1 ).

Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology↗

USGS2013

Tracking animals in freshwater with electronic tags: past, present and future

Considerable technical developments over the past half century have enabled widespread application of electronic tags to the study of animals in the wild, including in freshwater environments. We review the constraints associated with freshwater telemetry and biologging and the technical developments relevant to their use. Technical constraints for tracking animals are often influenced by the characteristics of the animals being studied and the environment they inhabit. Collectively, they influence which and how technologies can be used and their relative effectiveness. Although radio telemetry has historically been the most commonly used technology in freshwater, passive integrated transponder (PIT) technology, acoustic telemetry and biologgers are becoming more popular. Most telemetry studies have focused on fish, although an increasing number have focused on other taxa, such as turtles, crustaceans and molluscs. Key technical developments for freshwater systems include: miniaturization of tags for tracking small-size life stages and species, fixed stations and coded tags for tracking large samples of animals over long distances and large temporal scales, inexpensive PIT systems that enable mass tagging to yield population- and community-level relevant sample sizes, incorporation of sensors into electronic tags, validation of tag attachment procedures with a focus on maintaining animal welfare, incorporation of different techniques (for example, genetics, stable isotopes) and peripheral technologies (for example, geographic information systems, hydroacoustics), development of novel analytical techniques, and extensive international collaboration. Innovations are still needed in tag miniaturization, data analysis and visualization, and in tracking animals over larger spatial scales (for example, pelagic areas of lakes) and in challenging environments (for example, large dynamic floodplain systems, under ice). There seems to be a particular need for adapting various global positioning system and satellite tagging approaches to freshwater. Electronic tagging provides a mechanism to collect detailed information from imperilled animals and species that have no direct economic value. Current and future advances will continue to improve our knowledge of the natural history of aquatic animals and ecological processes in freshwater ecosystems while facilitating evidence-based resource management and conservation.

Animal Biotelemetry↗

USGS2015

Observational data on the effects of infection by the copepod Salmincola californiensis on the short- and long-term viability of juvenile Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) implanted with telemetry tags

Background Fish movements are often studied using radio or acoustic tags assuming the handling and tagging procedures have little effect on the behavior of the animal. Indeed, many studies provide guidelines for acceptable methods. However, these studies generally assume the fish are otherwise healthy but this may not always be the case. One example is the infection of juvenile salmon in the western USA by the naturally-occurring parasitic copepod Salmincola californiensis, for which little is known about the effects on results from tagged animals. We report on observational data from juvenile Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) surgically implanted with telemetry tags relative to the numbers of S. californiensis within their branchial cavities and on their bodies to determine if the intensity of infection resulted in differences in mortality shortly after tagging or post-release activity in a reservoir over a period of about 4 months. Results The data indicate a negative effect of copepods in the branchial cavities on short-term mortality (within 24 h of tagging) and suggest negative effects on movements after release into the reservoir. Short-term mortalities were infrequent and, due to the observational nature of the data, few tagged fish had more than three copepods in their branchial cavities, although surveys of fish in the reservoir indicate much greater infection intensities are common. Copepod numbers on the body did not appear to be associated with short-term mortality or movements after release. The number of copepods on the body was unrelated to the number within the branchial cavities, indicating site-specific counts are needed to assess the infection. Conclusion Infection with Salmincola californiensis is common in juvenile Chinook salmon in western USA reservoirs and may affect the viability of fish used in studies of telemetered animals. Our limited assessment suggests infection by Salmincola californiensis affects the short-term morality of tagged fish and may affect long-term viability of tagged fish after release; however, the intensity of infection in the sample population did not represent the source population due to the observational nature of the data. We suggest these results warrant further study into the effects of infection by Salmincola californiensis on the results obtained through active telemetry and perhaps other methods requiring handling of infected fish.

Animal Biotelemetry↗

USGS2024

Spatiotemporal patterns in habitat use of natal and non-natal adult Atlantic sturgeon in two spawning rivers

Background Monitoring movement across an organism’s ontogeny is often challenging, particularly for long-lived or wide-ranging species. When empirical data are unavailable, general knowledge about species’ ecology may be used to make assumptions about habitat use across space or time. However, inferences about habitat use based on population-level ecology may overlook important eco-evolutionary contributions from individuals with heterogenous ethologies and could diminish the efficacy of conservation and management. Methods We analyzed over a decade of acoustic telemetry data to understand individual differences in habitat use of federally endangered adult Atlantic sturgeon ( Acipenser o. oxyrinchus ) in the Delaware and Hudson rivers during spawning season. In particular, we sought to understand whether sex or natal origin could predict patterns in habitat use, as there is a long-held assumption that adult Atlantic sturgeon seldom stray into non-natal rivers. Results In both rivers, migration timing, spawning habitat occupancy, and maximum upstream migration distance were similar between natal and non-natal individuals. While non-natal individuals represented only 13% of fish detected in the Hudson River, nearly half of all tagged fish detected in the Delaware River were non-natal and generally occupied freshwater habitats longer than natal individuals. In both systems males had more heterogenous patterns of habitat use and longer duration of occupancy than did females. Conclusions This study demonstrates the importance of non-natal rivers for fulfilling ontogenetic habitat requirements in Atlantic sturgeon. Our results may also highlight an opportunity to improve conservation and management by extending habitat designations to account for more heterogenous patterns in individual habitat use in non-natal freshwater environments.

Delaware↗

USGS2024

A comparison of survival and behavior of lake whitefish following transmitter implantation using electro- or chemical immobilization

Background The number of telemetry studies focused on lake whitefish ( Coregonus clupeaformis ) in the Laurentian Great Lakes has steadily increased over the last decade, but field tests of immobilization methods used for tag implantation, which have the potential to affect survival and behavior of fish after release, are lacking. We compared post-tagging survival and behavior of lake whitefish that were immobilized for tag implantation using electroimmobilization via a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit or by chemical immobilization via exposure to 10% eugenol. Results Acoustic tags were implanted into 126 adult lake whitefish ( N = 126; N = 67 TENS treatment group, N = 59 eugenol treatment group) collected from the Fox River, Wisconsin, during the spawning period in November 2021. We found no significant differences between treatments in the number of days that lake whitefish spent in the Fox River following tagging (TENS mean = 13.4 days, eugenol mean = 14.7), and also found that the proportions of fish within each treatment group that returned to the Fox River during fall 2022 (51% from TENS treatment group, 49% from eugenol treatment group) did not differ from the proportions for all fish that were confirmed to be alive at that time. The best Cormack–Jolly–Seber model indicated no differences in survival between the two treatment groups (monthly survival = 0.980, 95% CI 0.970–0.987). Fish immobilized using TENS underwent almost immediate induction and recovery from surgeries, while fish immobilized using eugenol had induction times that ranged 167–487 s (mean = 347 s) and recovery times that ranged 51–2358 s (mean = 1242 s). Conclusions Short- and long-term behavior (time to exit of Fox River, return to Fox River in the next spawning season) and monthly survival estimates of lake whitefish did not differ between the immobilization treatments. Either method may be suitable for immobilization during tag implantation, but the additional time needed for induction and recovery of fish when using eugenol may be a limiting factor in some field-based tagging situations.

Wisconsin↗

USGS2025

Home ranges of economically important reef fishes at North Carolina artificial reefs

Home range is a vital component to understanding animal ecology and can vary with factors like species, body size, and habitat. Artificial reefs are increasingly used to supplement or enhance habitat for reef fish. Quantifying reef fish home range sizes and the factors affecting home ranges is thus critical to understanding the efficacy of artificial reefs to sustain communities that reflect those on natural reefs. We estimated home ranges of reef fishes at artificial reefs in the southeast United States, evaluated what factors affected those home ranges, and compared them to home ranges of similarly sized fish on natural reefs. From June–October 2021 and 2022, we deployed acoustic tags on five fishery targeted reef species, black sea bass ( Centropristis striata ), gag ( Mycteroperca microlepis ), greater amberjack ( Seriola dumerili ), almaco jack ( S. rivoliana ), and red snapper ( Lutjanus campechanus ), on four artificial reefs near Cape Lookout, North Carolina. Tagged fish were tracked using a fine-scale positioning system for ~ 120 days. Home ranges varied by species and fish size (i.e., total length). Black sea bass had the smallest home ranges (mean = 6266 m 2 ), gag and red snapper had moderate home ranges (38,265 m 2 and 53,553 m 2 , respectively), and almaco jack and greater amberjack had the largest (152,146 m 2 , and 414,107 m 2 , respectively). Black sea bass, gag, and red snapper displayed increased home range size with total length while greater amberjack and almaco jack home ranges remained relatively constant across lengths. Greater amberjack home ranges were further influenced by artificial reef complex area with an increase in reef area leading to a larger home range. Our data from artificial reefs showed considerable overlap in the relationship between home range and body size when compared to similarly sized predatory reef fish on natural reefs. This information will be vital in improving ecological understanding of how artificial reefs can influence area use of reef-associated species to help inform future artificial reef deployments. Moreover, these results provide an important comparison between artificial reefs and natural reefs as habitats for reef-associated species, a topic that will become increasingly important as the quantity of artificial structures in our oceans increases. deployments. Moreover, these results provide an important comparison between artificial reefs and natural reefs as habitats for reef-associated species, a topic that will become increasingly important as the quantity of artificial structures in our oceans increases.

North Carolina↗

USGS2023

Movement and behavioral states of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in response to a behavioral deterrent in a navigational lock

Freshwater ecosystems are some of the most affected by biological invasions due, in part, to the introduction of invasive carp worldwide. Where carp have become established, management programs often seek to limit further range expansion into new areas by reducing their movement through interconnected rivers and waterways. Lock and dams are important locations for non-physical deterrents, such as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), to reduce unwanted fish passage without disrupting human use. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the behavioral responses of common carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) to non-physical deterrents within a navigation structure on the Fox River, Wisconsin. Acoustic telemetry combined with hidden Markov models (HMMs) was used to analyze variation in carp responses to treatments. Outcomes may inform CO 2 effectiveness at preventing invasive carp movement through movement pinch-points.

Wisconsin↗

USGS2021

White-nose syndrome-related changes to Mid-Atlantic bat communities across an urban-to-rural gradient

Background White-nose Syndrome (WNS) has reduced the abundance of many bat species within the United States’ Mid-Atlantic region. To determine changes within the National Park Service National Capital Region (NCR) bat communities, we surveyed the area with mist netting and active acoustic sampling (2016–2018) and compared findings to pre-WNS (2003–2004) data. Results The results indicated the continued presence of the threatened Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared bat) and species of conservation concern, including Perimyotis subflavus (Tri-colored bat), Myotis leibii (Eastern Small-footed bat) and Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown bat). However, we documented a significant reduction in the abundance and distribution of M. lucifugus and P. subflavus , a decrease in the distribution of M. septentrionalis , and an increase in the abundance of Eptesicus fuscus (Big Brown bat). Conclusions Documented post-WNS M. septentrionalis recruitment suggests that portions of the NCR may be important bat conservation areas. Decreases in distribution and abundance of P. subflavus and M. lucifugus indicate probable extirpation from many previously occupied portions of the region.

Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia↗

USGS2021

Fire, land cover, and temperature drivers of bat activity in winter

Background Understanding the effects of disturbance events, land cover, and weather on wildlife activity is fundamental to wildlife management. Currently, in North America, bats are of high conservation concern due to white-nose syndrome and wind-energy development impact, but the role of fire as a potential additional stressor has received less focus. Although limited, the vast majority of research on bats and fire in the southeastern United States has been conducted during the growing season, thereby creating data gaps for bats in the region relative to overwintering conditions, particularly for non-hibernating species. The longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris Mill.) ecosystem is an archetypal fire-mediated ecosystem that has been the focus of landscape-level restoration in the Southeast. Although historically fires predominately occurred during the growing season in these systems, dormant-season fire is more widely utilized for easier application and control as a means of habitat management in the region. To assess the impacts of fire and environmental factors on bat activity on Camp Blanding Joint Training Center (CB) in northern Florida, USA, we deployed 34 acoustic detectors across CB and recorded data from 26 February to 3 April 2019, and from 10 December 2019 to 14 January 2020. Results We identified eight bat species native to the region as present at CB. Bat activity was related to the proximity of mesic habitats as well as the presence of pine or deciduous forest types, depending on species morphology ( i.e., body size, wing-loading, and echolocation call frequency). Activity for all bat species was influenced positively by either time since fire or mean fire return interval. Conclusion Overall, our results suggested that fire use provides a diverse landscape pattern at CB that maintains mesic, deciduous habitat within the larger pine forest matrix, thereby supporting the diverse bat community at CB during the dormant season and early spring.

Florida↗

USGS1982

The use of vertical seismic profiles in seismic investigations of the earth

During the past 8 years, the U.S. Geological Survey has conducted an extensive investigation on the use of vertical seismic profiles (VSP) in a variety of seismic exploration applications. Seismic sources used were surface air guns, vibrators, explosives, marine air guns, and downhole air guns. Source offsets have ranged from 100 to 7800 ft. Well depths have been from 1200 to over 10,000 ft. We have found three specific ways in which VSPs can be applied to seismic exploration. First, seismic events observed at the surface of the ground can be traced, level by level, to their point of origin within the earth. Thus, one can tie a surface profile to a well log with an extraordinarily high degree of confidence. Second, one can establish the detectability of a target horizon, such as a porous zone. One can determine (either before or after surface profiling) whether or not a given horizon or layered sequence returns a detectable reflection to the surface. The amplitude and character of the reflection can also be observed. Third, acoustic properties of a stratigraphic sequence can be measured and sometimes correlated to important exploration parameters. For example, sometimes a relationship between apparent attenuation and sand percentage can be established. The technique shows additional promise of aiding surface exploration indirectly through studies of the evolution of the seismic pulse, studies of ghosts and multiples, and studies of seismic trace inversion techniques. Nearly all current seismic data‐processing techniques are adaptable to the processing of VSP data, such as normal moveout (NMO) corrections, stacking, single‐and multiple‐channel filtering, deconvolution, and wavelet shaping.

Geophysics↗

USGS2010

Frequency domain, waveform inversion of laboratory crosswell radar data

A new waveform inversion for crosswell radar is formulated in the frequency-domain for a 2.5D model. The inversion simulates radar waves using the vector Helmholtz equation for electromagnetic waves. The objective function is minimized using a backpropagation method suitable for a 2.5D model. The inversion is tested by processing crosswell radar data collected in a laboratory tank. The estimated model is consistent with the known electromagnetic properties of the tank. The formulation for the 2.5D model can be extended to inversions of acoustic and elastic data.

Book↗

USGS2016

Prospecting for marine gas hydrate resources

As gas hydrate energy assessment matures worldwide, emphasis has evolved away from confirmation of the mere presence of gas hydrate to the more complex issue of prospecting for those specific accumulations that are viable resource targets. Gas hydrate exploration now integrates the unique pressure and temperature preconditions for gas hydrate occurrence with those concepts and practices that are the basis for conventional oil and gas exploration. We have aimed to assimilate the lessons learned to date in global gas hydrate exploration to outline a generalized prospecting approach as follows: (1) use existing well and geophysical data to delineate the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ), (2) identify and evaluate potential direct indications of hydrate occurrence through evaluation of interval of elevated acoustic velocity and/or seismic events of prospective amplitude and polarity, (3) mitigate geologic risk via regional seismic and stratigraphic facies analysis as well as seismic mapping of amplitude distribution along prospective horizons, and (4) mitigate further prospect risk through assessment of the evidence of gas presence and migration into the GHSZ. Although a wide range of occurrence types might ultimately become viable energy supply options, this approach, which has been tested in only a small number of locations worldwide, has directed prospect evaluation toward those sand-hosted, high-saturation occurrences that were presently considered to have the greatest future commercial potential.

Interpretation↗

USGS2020

Gas hydrate quantification in Walker Ridge block 313, Gulf of Mexico, from full-waveform inversion of ocean-bottom seismic data

The Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Joint Industry Project Leg 2 logging-while-drilling data in Walker Ridge lease block 313 (WR313) in the GOM detected gas hydrate in coarse- and fine-grained sediments at sites WR313-G and WR313-H. The coarse-grained units are thin ( ⁠ < 10 m ⁠ ) and highly saturated, whereas the fine-grained unit is thick (approximately 200 m) with low saturation and fracture-filling gas hydrate. Unlike its coarse-grained counterpart, the seismic character of the fine-grained unit does not clearly indicate the presence of gas hydrate, which would likely have remained undiscovered in the absence of drilling. In this paper, through frequency-domain acoustic full-waveform inversion (FWI) of ocean-bottom seismometer data along a 2D multichannel seismic transect near sites WR313-G and WR313-H, we detect and quantify gas hydrate in the fine-grained unit. Key results are as follows: First, the base of the gas hydrate stability zone, which is not obvious in the reflection profile, can be discerned in the FWI results. Second, the gas hydrate in the fine-grained unit is mainly confined to the area between two sets of opposite-dipping normal faults implying that the fault architecture may be partially responsible for this gas hydrate accumulation and distribution.

Gulf of Mexico↗