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Wind River Subbasin Restoration, annual report of U.S. Geological Survey activities: Parr monitoring and instream passive integrated transponder detection, January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015
We used Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT)-tagging and a series of instream PIT-tag interrogation systems (PTIS) to investigate life-histories, populations, and efficacy of habitat restoration actions for steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss in the Wind River subbasin, WA. Our tagging focused on parr in headwater areas of the subbasin and our PTISs provide information on movement of these parr, which is primarily, but not exclusively downstream. The PTISs also provide data on life-history aspects of other steelhead life-stages. The Wind River subbasin in southwest Washington State provides habitat for a population of wild Lower Columbia River steelhead and is an excellent watershed for long-term studies of population dynamics and responses to restoration of this wild population. Much data on steelhead population metrics have been gathered from the Wind River providing information on habitat restoration actions and ongoing research into steelhead life histories. Additionally, the Wind River is an excellent control watershed of an exclusivly wild steelhead population to which basins with hatchery programs can compare. No hatchery steelhead have been planted in the Wind River subbasin since 1994, and hatchery adults are estimated to be less than one percent of adults in any year (pers comm. Thomas Buehrens, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife). Numerous restoration actions have been implemented in the subbasin, including the removal of Hemlock Dam on Trout Creek in 2009. Data from our study, and companion work by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), will contribute to Bonneville Power Administration’s (BPA) Research Monitoring and Evaluation (RM&E) Program Strategy of Fish Population Status Monitoring (www.cbfish.org/ProgramStrategy.mvc/ViewProgramStrategySummary/1), specifically the sub-strategies of: 1) Assessing the Status and Trends of Diversity of Natural Origin Fish Populations and to uncertainties research regarding differing life histories of a wild steelhead population, 2) Assessing the Status and Trend of Adult Natural Origin Fish Populations, and 3) Monitoring and Evaluating the Effectiveness of Tributary Habitat Actions Relative to Environmental, Physical, or Biological Performance Objectives. During summer 2015, we sampled and PIT-tagged age-0 and age-1 steelhead parr in headwater areas of the Wind River subbasin to characterize population traits and investigate variable life-histories, including growth and parr movement downstream prior to smolting. Throughout the year, we maintained a series of instream PTISs to monitor movement of tagged steelhead parr, smolts, and adults. Detections at the instream PTISs showed trends of parr 8 emigration during summer and fall, in addition to the expected movement of parr and smolts in spring. These data are increasing our understanding of varied life histories of juvenile steelhead; paired with other steelhead population work in the subbasin we hope to better understand the factors influencing parr movements. Monitoring of PIT-tagged fish over multiple years is providing information on contribution of various life-history strategies to smolt production and adult returns, as well as identifying factors influencing parr movement. Movements of PIT-tagged adult steelhead were also monitored with our instream PTISs. These data have provided information on timing of adult movements to various parts of the watershed, which allows us to assess adult returns to tributary watersheds within the Wind River subbasin. Determination of adult use of tributary watersheds is providing data to contribute to evaluation of the efficacy of the removal of Hemlock Dam on Trout Creek. Hemlock Dam, located at rkm 2.0 of Trout Creek was removed in summer 2009 and had contributed to hydrologic impairment of Trout Creek. Evaluating restoration efforts is of interest to many managers and agencies so that funding and time are allocated for best results. The evaluation of various life-his
The effect of acid rain and altitude on concentration, δ34S, and δ18O of sulfate in the water from Sudety Mountains, Poland
The analyses of sulfate content, δ 34 S and δ 18 O of dissolved sulfate, and δ 18 O of water were carried out in a 14 km 2 crystalline massif located in the Sudety Mountains (SW Poland) to 1) assess the amount of the sulfate delivered to the surface and groundwater systems by modern atmospheric precipitation, 2) determine the effect of altitude on these parameters, and 3) investigate their seasonal variations. In April and November of 2002, August 2003, and March and September of 2005, samples of water were collected from springs and streams of the massif. During these seasons, sulfate contents and δ 18 O(SO 4 2− ) values varied from 5.80 to 18.00 mg/l and from 3.96 to 8.23‰, respectively, showing distinctively higher values of δ 18 O(SO 4 2− ) in wet seasons. The δ 34 S(SO 4 2− ) values had a relatively narrow range from 4.09 to 5.28‰ and were similar to those reported for organic matter in soil and the canopy throughfall in the Sudety Mountains. Sulfate content, δ 34 S(SO 4 2− ), δ 18 O(SO 4 2− ), and δ 18 O(H 2 O) values revealed a remarkable dependence on the altitude. The calculated altitude effects for five season averages of these parameters were − 1.00 mg/l/100 m, − 0.18‰/100 m, − 0.27‰/100 m, and − 0.17‰/100 m, respectively. This dependence on the altitude resulted mainly from the mixing of sulfates of different origins such as anthropogenic sulfate, sulfate produced in the soil within the weathered zone of the massif, and that one from the tree canopy. The oxygen isotope mass balance indicates that, in the study area, about one third of the sulfate delivered to the surface and groundwater by modern precipitation comes from anthropogenic pollution. Further interaction of meteoric water within the weathered rocks causes a continuous decrease of δ 18 O(SO 4 2− ) values resulting from biological transformation of the sulfate due to plant vegetation and decomposition of organic matter.
Water quality in the lower Illinois River Basin, Illinois, 1995-98
Major influences and findings for water quality and biology in central Illinois, including the Illinois River from Ottawa, Illinois to Valley City, Illinois, are described and illustrated. Samples were collected to determine nitrate, phosphorus, pesticides, volatile organic carbon compounds, and radon-222 in streams and ground water. Agricultural and other land-use practices are discussed in relation to their effects on water quality and aquatic life and habitat. Implications of arsenic in ground water are examined. The interactions between nutrients and stream algal populations are discussed. Results are compared with other studies across the country.
U.S. Geological Survey scientific activities in the exploration of Antarctica: 2002-03 field season
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) mapping program in Antarctica is one of the longest continuously funded projects in the United States Antarctic Program (USAP). This is the 53rd U.S. expedition to Antarctica in which USGS scientists have participated. The financial support from the National Science Foundation, which extends back to the time of the International Geophysical Year (IGY) in 1956–57, can be attributed to the need for accurate maps of specific field areas or regions where NSF-funded science projects were planned. The epoch of Antarctic exploration during the IGY was being driven by science, and, in a spirit of peaceful cooperation, the international scientific community wanted to limit military activities on the continent to logistical support. The USGS, a Federal civilian science agency in the Department of the Interior, had, since its founding in 1879, carried out numerous field-based national (and some international) programs in biology, geology, hydrology, and mapping. Therefore, the USGS was the obvious choice for these tasks, because it already had a professional staff of experienced mapmakers and program managers with the foresight, dedication, and understanding of the need for accurate maps to support the science programs in Antarctica when asked to do so by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. Public Laws 85-743 and 87-626, signed in August 1958 and in September 1962, respectively, authorized the Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior, through the USGS, to support mapping and scientific work in Antarctica. The USGS mapping and science programs still play a significant role in the advancement of science in Antarctica today. Antarctica is the planet's 5th largest continent [13.2 million km 2 (5.1 million mi 2 )], it contains the world's largest (of two) remaining ice sheets, and it is considered to be one of the most important scientific laboratories on Earth. This report provides documentation of USGS scientific activities in the exploration of Antarctica during the 2002–03 field season (Mullins, 2002).
U.S. Geological Survey scientific activities in the exploration of Antarctica: 1995-96 field season
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) mapping program in Antarctica is one of the longest continuously funded projects in the United States Antarctic Program (USAP). This is the 46th U.S. expedition to Antarctica in which USGS scientists have participated. The financial support from the National Science Foundation, which extends back to the time of the International Geophysical Year (IGY) in 1956-57, can be attributed to the need for accurate maps of specific field areas or regions where NSF-funded science projects were planned. The epoch of Antarctic exploration during the IGY was being driven by science and, in a spirit of peaceful cooperation, the international scientific community wanted to limit military activities on the continent to logistical support. The USGS, a Federal civilian science agency in the Department of the Interior, had, since its founding in 1879, carried out numerous field-based national (and some international) programs in biology, geology, hydrology, and mapping. Therefore, the USGS was the obvious choice for these tasks, because it already had a professional staff of experienced mapmakers and program managers with the foresight, dedication, and understanding of the need for accurate maps to support the science programs in Antarctica when asked to do so by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. Public Laws 85-743 and 87-626, signed in August 1958 and in September 1962, respectively, authorized the Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior, through the USGS, to support mapping and scientific work in Antarctica. The USGS mapping and science programs still play a significant role in the advancement of science in Antarctica today. Antarctica is the planet's 5th largest continent (13.2 million km 2 (5.1 million mi 2 )), it contains the world's largest (of two) remaining ice sheet, and it is considered to be one of the most important scientific laboratories on Earth. This report provides documentation of USGS scientific activities in the exploration of Antarctica during the 1995-96 field season (Mullins and Meunier, 1995).
Quantifying the benthic source of nutrients to the water column of Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon
Executive Summary Five sampling trips were coordinated in April, May and August 2006, and May and July 2007 to sample the water column and benthos of Upper Klamath Lake, OR (Fig. 1; Table 1), before, during and after the annual cyanophyte bloom of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA). A pore-water profiler was designed and fabricated to obtain the first high-resolution (centimeter-scale) estimates of the vertical concentration gradients for diffusive-flux determinations. Estimates based on molecular diffusion may underestimate benthic flux because solute transport across the sediment-water interface can be enhanced by processes including bioturbation, bioirrigation and ground-water advection. Water-column and benthic samples were also collected to help interpret spatial and temporal trends in diffusive-flux estimates. Data from these samples complement geochemical analyses of bottom-sediments taken from Upper Klamath Lake (UKL) in 2005. This ongoing study provides information necessary for developing process-interdependent solute-transport models for the watershed (that is, models integrating physical, geochemical and biological processes), and supports efforts to evaluate remediation or load-allocation strategies. To augment studies funded by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), the Department of Interior supported an additional full deployment of pore-water profilers in July 2007, during the summer AFA bloom. Results from this recent field trip are not fully completed. Data not presented herein will be included in a subsequent publication, scheduled for March 2009.
Chemical and biological conditions in Bald Eagle Creek and prognosis of trophic characteristics of Foster Joseph Sayers Reservoir, Centre County, Pennsylvania
Foster Joseph Sayers. Reservoir will b.e impounded on moderately fertile soils; however, its water source, Bald Eagle Creek, is a bicarbonate-water stream that is over~y-enriched with nutrients. About 650 of the 1,730 acres to be inundated in summer are subject to infestation with aquatic weeds. Nuisance algal "blooms" are expected to occur in summer. The reservoir will stratify in early summer and water · releas·ed for conservation purposes and acid neutralization will consist mostly of hypolimnetic water. This water will be nearly depleted in. dissolved oxygen and will, at times, contain relatively high concentrations of heavy metallic ions and hydrogen:!sulfide.
Water-quality reconnaissance of lakes in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
Water samples were collected from three lakes in Voyageurs National Park to assess chemical and biological water quality in March and August 1977. Bottom material samples were also collected and analyzed for chemical quality. Results of the analyses show that the water system was dilute; specific conductance ranged from 32 to 111 micromhos. Blue-green algae, particularly Oscillatoria , were the most common phytoplankton in the samples. Differences in water quality, shown particularly by concentrations of nutrients and dissolved solids, were detected between samples collected in different areas of the park. The collected data were used to design a monitoring program to assess eutrophication that may occur during the development of the park.
Infaunal and neoichnological characteristics of the South Texas Outer Continental Shelf
The zonation of macrobenthic infauna on the South Texas Outer Continental Shelf is related to water depth and sediment facies. Five zones can be defined by species distribution and density, diversity, equitability, and biogenic sedimentary structures. The numbers of species and individuals per unit area correlate locally with substrate characteristics (particularly sand-to-mud ratios). Sandier substrates have more species and individuals than muddier ones. In the study area, sand-to-mud ratios generally decrease as water depth increases. Consequently, the numbers of species and individuals decrease away from land. Diversity (H") is higher in sandier substrates than in muddier substrates. Overall diversity decreases in a seaward direction. Equitability increases as sand-to-mud ratios decrease and thus tends to increase as water depth increases. Biogenic sedimentary structures on the South Texas Outer Continental Shelf result from the interaction of biologic and geologic processes. The zonation of the structures is useful in overall environmental interpretations of Holocene events and processes. The zonation can be defined in terms of diversity, density, and distribution. Zonation of biogenic sedimentary structures parallel macrobenthic infaunal zonation. Substrates with diverse and dense biogenic sedimentary structures are associated with diverse, dense macrobenthic infaunal assemblages. The distribution of biogenic sedimentary structures is similar to the distribution of sediment types. Diversity and density of biogenic sedimentary structures decrease away from land. Locally, individual biogenic sedimentary structures become more obvious and distinct in finer sediments and deeper water.
Response of fish communities to cropland density and natural environmental setting in the Eastern Highland Rim Ecoregion of the lower Tennessee River basin, Alabama and Tennessee, 1999
Response of fish communities to cropland density and natural environmental setting were evaluated at 20 streams in the Eastern Highland Rim Ecoregion of the lower Tennessee River Basin during the spring of 1999. Sites were selected to represent a gradient of cropland densities in basins draining about 30 to 100 square miles. Fish communities were sampled by using a combination of seining and electrofishing techniques. A total of 10,550 individual fish, representing 63 species and 15 families, were collected during the study and included the families Cyprinidae (minnows), 18 species; Percidae (perch and darters), 12 species; and Centrarchidae (sunfish), 12 species. Assessments of environmental characteristics, including instream and terrestrial data and land-cover data, were conducted for each site. Instream measurements, such as depth, velocity, substrate type, and embeddedness, were recorded at 3 points across 11 equidistant transects at each site. Terrestrial measurements, such as bank angle, canopy angle, and canopy closure percentage, were made along the stream bank and midchannel areas. Water-quality data collected included pH, dissolved oxygen, specific conductivity, water temperature, nutrients, and fecal-indicator bacteria. Substrate embeddedness was the only variable correlated with both cropland density and fish communities (as characterized by ordination scores and several community level metrics). Multivariate and nonparametric correlation techniques were used to evaluate fish-community responses to physical and chemical factors associated with a cropland-density gradient, where the gradient was defined as the percentage of the basin in row crops. Principal component analysis and correspondence analysis suggest that the Eastern Highland Rim Ecoregion is composed of three subgroups of sites based on inherent physical and biological differences. Data for the subgroup containing the largest number of sites were then re-analyzed, revealing that several environmental variables, such as nutrient concentrations, stream gradient, bankfull width, and substrate embeddedness, were related to cropland density; however, only a subset of those variables (substrate embeddedness, elevation, and streamflow) were related to fish communities. Results from this analysis suggest that although many water-quality and habitat variables are covariant with cropland density, most of the variables do not significantly affect fish-community composition; instead, fish communities primarily respond to the cumulative effects of sedimentation.
First record of laughing gull (Larus atricilla) in French Polynesia
On 6 March 2003 at 0800 h and again at 1300 h, while preparing for biological surveys in the Tuamotu and Gambier archipelagos of French Polynesia, we observed an immature gull flying in Rikitea harbor on Mangareva in the Gambier Islands. On both occasions we observed the gull for several minutes at distances as close as 20 m while it flew around the waterfront. It was a medium-sized gull, with long, pointed wings. The head was white with dark streaks and smudging on the nape. The bill was dark and of moderate length and thickness. The back and inner secondaries were dark grey, and the outer secondaries and primaries were a mottled dusky grey-brown. There was a complete, broad, dark band across the tip of the tail. These characters, particularly the long, pointed wings and broad tail band, led us to conclude that the bird was a laughing gull ( Larus atricilla ) in first winter plumage. Franklin’s gull ( L. pipixcan ) is similar in appearance and has been reported previously in several Pacific island groups (King 1967; Pratt et al. 1987), but can be distinguished from L. atricilla by its slightly smaller size, smaller bill, and narrower, incomplete tail band (Sibley 2000).
Gaining decision-maker confidence through community consensus: Developing environmental DNA standards for data display on the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database
To advance national efforts for the detection and biosurveillance of aquatic invasive species (AIS), we employed a community consensus process to enable the incorporation of environmental DNA (eDNA) detection data into the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) database (https://nas.er.usgs.gov/eDNA/). Our goal was to identify minimum standards and best practices for the verification of eDNA data by working closely with AIS eDNA community practitioners and natural resource managers across government, private and academic sectors. To better inform management decisions, verified AIS eDNA data will be displayed on a separate mapping layer alongside visual sighting data with the inclusion of additional information on the eDNA methods employed to collect and produce the data. To allow for eDNA data display, we produced consensus derived online documents including a submission application and data submission template and are developing a guidance document for detailing the eDNA data submission process. We also developed a communication plan including a mechanism for reporting detections to appropriate managers for consideration prior to display. The products of these efforts are an application and data submission process that will be used in the new environmental DNA data layer on the Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) database. Herein, we detail how we engaged the eDNA community for consensus of our standards, share lessons learned from the process, and describe the benefits of such an approach at instilling confidence among the research and decision-maker community.
Conservation landmarks: bureau of biological survey and national biological service
A century separates the recent development of the National Biological Service (NBS) and an early predecessor, the Bureau of Biological Survey (BBS). Both organizations were established at critical crossroads for the conservation of the nation's living biological resources and are conservation landmarks of their times. The BBS of the 192()'s was described as 'a government Bureau of the first rank, handling affairs of great scientific, educational, social, and above all, economic importance throughout the United States and its outlying possessions'' (Cameron 1929:144-145). This stature was achieved at a time of great social, economic, and ecological change. BBS had the vision to pioneer new approaches that led to enhanced understanding of the relation between people, other living things, and the environment. The NBS faces similar challenges to address the issues of the 1990's and beyond.
Novel associations between contaminant body burdens and biomarkers of reproductive condition in male Common Carp along multiple gradients of contaminant exposure in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, USA
Adult male Common Carp were sampled in 2007/08 over a full reproductive cycle at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Sites sampled included a stream dominated by treated wastewater effluent, a lake basin receiving the streamflow, an upstream lake basin (reference), and a site below Hoover Dam. Individual body burdens for 252 contaminants were measured, and biological variables assessed included physiological [plasma vitellogenin (VTG), estradiol-17β (E2), 11-ketotestosterone (11KT)] and organ [gonadosomatic index (GSI)] endpoints. Patterns in contaminant composition and biological condition were determined by Principal Component Analysis, and their associations modeled by Principal Component Regression. Three spatially distinct but temporally stable gradients of contaminant distribution were recognized: a contaminant mixture typical of wastewaters (PBDEs, methyl triclosan, galaxolide), PCBs, and DDTs. Two spatiotemporally variable patterns of biological condition were recognized: a primary pattern consisting of reproductive condition variables (11KT, E2, GSI), and a secondary pattern including general condition traits (condition factor, hematocrit, fork length). VTG was low in all fish, indicating low estrogenic activity of water at all sites. Wastewater contaminants associated negatively with GSI, 11KT and E2; PCBs associated negatively with GSI and 11KT; and DDTs associated positively with GSI and 11KT. Regression of GSI on sex steroids revealed a novel, nonlinear association between these variables. Inclusion of sex steroids in the GSI regression on contaminants rendered wastewater contaminants nonsignificant in the model and reduced the influence of PCBs and DDTs. Thus, the influence of contaminants on GSI may have been partially driven by organismal modes-of-action that include changes in sex steroid production. The positive association of DDTs with 11KT and GSI suggests that lifetime, sub-lethal exposures to DDTs have effects on male carp opposite of those reported by studies where exposure concentrations were relatively high. Lastly, this study highlighted advantages of multivariate/multiple regression approaches for exploring associations between complex contaminant mixtures and gradients and reproductive condition in wild fishes.
Land-Cover Trends of the Central Basin and Range Ecoregion
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Land Cover Trends research project is focused on understanding the amounts, rates, trends, causes, and implications of contemporary land-use and land-cover (LU/LC) change in the United States. This project is supported by the USGS Geographic Analysis and Monitoring Program in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). LU/LC change is a pervasive process that modifies landscape characteristics and affects a broad range of socioeconomic, biologic, and hydrologic systems. Understanding the impacts and feedbacks of LU/LC change on environmental systems requires an understanding of the rates, patterns, and driving forces of past, present, and future LU/LC change. The objectives of the Land Cover Trends project are to (1) determine and describe the amount, rates, and trends of contemporary LU/LC change by ecoregion for the period 1973-2000 for the conterminous United States, (2) document the causes, driving forces, and implications of change, and (3) synthesize individual ecoregion results into a national assessment of LU/LC change. The Land Cover Trends research team includes staff from the USGS National Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS), Rocky Mountain Geographic Science Center, Eastern Geographic Science Center, Mid-Continent Geographic Science Center, and the Western Geographic Science Center. Other partners include researchers at South Dakota State University, University of Southern Mississippi, and State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. This report presents an assessment of LU/LC change in the Central Basin and Range ecoregion for the period 1973-2000. The Central Basin and Range ecoregion is one of 84 Level-III ecoregions as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency. Ecoregions have served as a spatial framework for environmental resource management and to denote areas that contain a geographically distinct assemblage of biotic and abiotic phenomena including geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The established Land Cover Trends methodology generates estimates of LU/LC change using a probability sampling approach and change-detection analysis of thematic land-cover images derived from Landsat satellite imagery.
Hypoxia tolerance of two centrarchid sunfishes and an introduced cichlid from karstic Everglades wetlands of southern Florida, U.S.A.
In this study, the hypoxia tolerance of three Everglades fishes, two native centrarchids (Lepomis gulosus and Lepomis marginatus) and a recently introduced cichlid (Hemichromis letourneuxi), were documented. Aquatic surface respiration (ASR) thresholds were lowest for H. letourneuxi, followed by L. gulosus, then L. marginatus. The ASR thresholds for L. marginatus were within ranges reported for small, freshwater tropical fishes, while those for L. gulosus were similar to swamp-adapted fishes. For H. letourneuxi, ASR thresholds were some of the lowest reported. All three species showed excellent tolerance of low dissolved oxygen levels when allowed access to the surface. When denied surface access, L. marginatus lost equilibrium at a higher oxygen tension than the other species. Overall, although all species easily tolerated hypoxia, H. letourneuxi appeared to be best equipped to deal with hypoxia, followed by L. gulosus, then L. marginatus. Hemichromis letourneuxi also exhibited more aggressive behaviours than the centrarchids. These results suggest that hypoxia is not likely to prevent H. letourneuxi from exploiting the seasonally inundated wetlands of south Florida while expanding its range there.
Does the "kamaroma"-plastron pattern morph occur in both Philippine subspecies of the turtle Cuora amboinensis?
Two subspecies of the turtle Cuora amboinensis have been reported from the Philippine Islands, C. a. amboinensis and C. a. kamaroma, distinguished primarily by their carapace morphology, and secondarily by their plastron patterns. We assessed the utility of using shell and postorbital-stripe morphology instead of plastron patterns to distinguish these putative taxa. Adult C. amboinensis from the Philippines were examined to determine the extent of occurrence of C. a. kamaroma on the islands. Several morphological carapace characters and one based on the postorbital stripe were found to differ significantly between the subspecies C. a. amboinensis and C. a. kamaroma , and were used to assign turtles to subspecies. Use of these characters often resulted in conflicting subspecific identifications for those previously assigned by their plastron patterns to C. a. kamaroma . This poses important questions. Using the carapace and postorbital-stripe characters, 95.2% of the turtles in the mainland chain of islands were identified as C. a. amboinensis , and only 4.8% as C. a. kamaroma . Surprisingly, most of those assigned to C. a. kamaroma were from the northern islands of Babuyan and Luzon, not from the southern main chain island populations closest to the likely geographic area of invasion by that subspecies. This may be due to the common practice of importation of C. a. kamaroma into these northern islands, especially Luzon, for food. Turtles with kamaroma -like or C. a. amboinensis × C. a. kamaroma plastron patterns have been reported from the Sulu Archipelago and Busuanga/Palawan chain, and those specimens we examined from those islands confirmed this. The questions of whether or not C. a. kamaroma actually occurs in the Philippines and, if so, what is its island distribution, cannot be answered at this time. All specimens previously identified as C. a. kamaroma by their plastron-patterns should be re-evaluated, using the significant carapace and postorbital-stripe characters identified by Rummler & Fritz (1991) and in this paper. Philippine Cuora amboinensis cannot be identified to subspecies by their plastron patterns alone.
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