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USGS2020

A fishery after the decline: The Susquehanna River Smallmouth Bass story

The Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu fishery in the Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania, is one of the most socioeconomically important fisheries in the region and has recently undergone considerable changes. These changes started in 2005, when disease was documented in young-of-the-year (age-0) Smallmouth Bass. Shortly thereafter, declines in abundance of both juveniles and adults were observed. These declines in abundance coincided with disease infections in age-0, intersex in adults, and concerns regarding contaminant exposure. Natural mortality rates, particularly for age-0, increased during this period (2005–2011), and there were concerns for the overall health of this world-class fishery. However, in recent years (2012–2017), there have been decreases in both mortality rates and external observations of disease and increases in abundance across multiple size-classes. Recent changes are encouraging for the future of the Smallmouth Bass fishery in the Susquehanna River. Yet, in light of the ever changing environmental, social, and anthropogenic influences on aquatic ecosystems, there remain concerns for Smallmouth Bass health and management. Because of this, ongoing research efforts are needed to monitor population and health changes and to conduct integrative research that considers complex relationships between organisms and their environments.

Pennsylvania↗

USGS2024

Perspectives on the future of host-microbe biology from the Council on Microbial Sciences of the American Society for Microbiology

Host-microbe biology (HMB) stands on the cusp of redefinition, challenging conventional paradigms to instead embrace a more holistic understanding of the microbial sciences. The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Council on Microbial Sciences hosted a virtual retreat in 2023 to identify the future of the HMB field and innovations needed to advance the microbial sciences. The retreat presentations and discussions collectively emphasized the interconnectedness of microbes and their profound influence on humans, animals, and environmental health, as well as the need to broaden perspectives to fully embrace the complexity of these interactions. To advance HMB research, microbial scientists would benefit from enhancing interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research to utilize expertise in diverse fields, integrate different disciplines, and promote equity and accessibility within HMB. Data integration will be pivotal in shaping the future of HMB research by bringing together varied scientific perspectives, new and innovative techniques, and ’omics approaches. ASM can empower under-resourced groups with the goal of ensuring that the benefits of cutting-edge research reach every corner of the scientific community. Thus, ASM will be poised to steer HMB toward a future that champions inclusivity, innovation, and accessible scientific progress.

mSphere↗

USGS2014

Wildlife health in a rapidly changing North: focus on avian disease

Climate-related environmental changes have increasingly been linked to emerging infectious diseases in wildlife. The Arctic is facing a major ecological transition that is expected to substantially affect animal and human health. Changes in phenology or environmental conditions that result from climate warming may promote novel species assemblages as host and pathogen ranges expand to previously unoccupied areas. Recent evidence from the Arctic and subarctic suggests an increase in the spread and prevalence of some wildlife diseases, but baseline data necessary to detect and verify such changes are still lacking. Wild birds are undergoing rapid shifts in distribution and have been implicated in the spread of wildlife and zoonotic diseases. Here, we review evidence of current and projected changes in the abundance and distribution of avian diseases and outline strategies for future research. We discuss relevant climatic and environmental factors, emerging host–pathogen contact zones, the relationship between host condition and immune function, and potential wildlife and human health outcomes in northern regions.

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment↗

USGS2026

Global change and threats to waterbirds in the Asian flyways

Avian migration represents one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena, providing critical ecological services and acting as an indicator of environmental change. Flyways are geographical ranges through which migrating bird species move, and the flyway concept has been used to identify countries that share species to highlight their collective responsibility for conservation. Of the nine recognized global waterbird flyways, the Central Asian Flyway (CAF) and the East Asian–Australasian Flyway (EAAF) are among the most important areas in Eurasia, supporting millions of waterbirds across a vast network of habitats. We proposed this special issue in Avian Research entitled “Global Change and Threats to Waterbirds in the Asian Flyways” to synthesize recent findings from 12 papers covering a wide range of topics. The CAF stretches from the Siberian tundra through Central Asia including Mongolia, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Trans-Caucasus, and the Himalayas, extending south to the Indian subcontinent and parts of the Middle East. The EAAF spans eastern Siberia and Alaska to Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, including China, Japan, the Korean Peninsula, and the Russian Far East. These two flyways include 47 countries comprising critical wetlands, river basins, and coastal areas, which are vital breeding, stopover, and wintering grounds for waterbirds. Seasonal migration in these flyways is fundamentally influenced by climate and weather conditions, land cover dynamics, and anthropogenic activities, and contributes significantly to ecological processes such as pest control, nutrient cycling, and organism dispersal. However, migratory waterbirds and their habitats are undergoing enormous challenges. Changes in climate, habitat availability and connectivity, and human activities are altering the phenology, distribution, population dynamics, and health of the migratory bird populations. As migratory waterbirds travel across international boundaries, understanding their movements and responses to environmental change requires collaborative, cross-border research efforts that promote knowledge sharing and interdisciplinary approaches.

Avian Research↗

USGS2024

A multidisciplinary approach that considers occurrence, geochemistry, bioavailability, and toxicity to prioritize critical minerals for environmental research

Critical minerals (or critical elements) are minerals or elements that are essential to global security and development and have supply chains vulnerable to disruption. In general, knowledge of the environmental behavior and health effects of critical elements is needed to support the development of safe and environmentally responsible supplies. This knowledge includes identifying potential consequences of increased critical element production and use, alternative critical element sources such as mine wastes, and adverse effects of critical elements on ecosystem condition and organismal health. Here we identify significant data gaps in the understanding of critical elements in surficial and aquatic environments, and the need, given the large number of commodities (50) identified on the 2022 critical minerals list for the United States, for an approach to prioritize them for study of their environmental fate and effects. We propose a multidisciplinary approach for this prioritization, considering measures of occurrence, geochemistry, bioavailability, and toxicity. We describe relatively easy-to-obtain metrics for each of these topic areas and demonstrate the utility of this integrated prioritization approach using indium and zinc as examples. This approach facilitates prioritizing research with a focus on those critical elements that are most mobile in the environment, bioavailable, toxic, or simply lacking data in these categories.

Environmental Science & Technology↗

USGS2018

Prioritization framework for ranking riverine ecosystem stressors using example sites from the Tualatin River Basin, Oregon

As human populations increase, so does their influence over the environment. Altered terrain, degraded water quality, and threatened or endangered species are all-too-common consequences of a growing anthropogenic influence on the landscape. To help manage these effects, researchers have developed new ways to characterize current environmental conditions and help resource managers seek solutions to bring affected areas back to their best attainable health. Before an ecosystem can be improved, however, its current level of ecological stress must be determined. Characterizing environmental conditions at many sites across a landscape helps managers understand the range of current conditions and prioritize where they might focus restoration and protection efforts. This report details the development of a prioritization framework to score riverine ecosystem stressors in a watershed based on example sites from the Tualatin River Basin in northwestern Oregon. The framework incorporated the most influential site-specific stressors throughout the basin built on a long history of data collection. These stressors were characterized with 13 metrics that were organized into 4 groups: hydrologic, water quality, physical habitat, and biological. Each stressor metric used readily accessible data and was translated to a score between 0 and 10. The higher the score, the healthier the site. This initial application of the framework used field observations and measurements to rank site conditions at two Tualatin River sites and four Tualatin River tributary sites. Given the versatility of this framework, it easily could be expanded to include more sites or new metrics, if necessary. Because stressors varied by season, all metrics for the tributary sites were scored separately during the wet season (November through April) and dry season (May through October). Water-quality data were available over a prolonged period; therefore, water-quality metrics were assessed by season and by decade (1990–99 compared to 2000–12) to evaluate long-term stressor trends. Results for the Tualatin River Basin prioritization framework indicated that the urban tributaries demonstrated the greatest stress throughout the year, especially during the dry summer months. Spatially, the upper Tualatin River was healthier than the lower reaches of the river. Water-quality has improved in the last 10 years, mostly due to improvements in the dry period contaminant scores, but challenges remain with high water temperatures and low dissolved-oxygen conditions. The biggest challenge with this type of research derived from inconsistencies within the available data. Both spatial and temporal data gaps must be addressed to improve the prioritization. Incorporating both discrete and continuous datasets into the prioritization framework remains a challenge because the datasets have slightly different information and criteria and are not always comparable. Regardless, this report provides guidelines for developing a prioritization framework that ranks the ecological health of sites in a watershed and provides guidance on management actions for improving conditions by targeting factors that greatly affect the health of river ecosystems.

Oregon↗

USGS2006

The toxicological geochemistry of Earth materials: An overview of processes and the interdisciplinary methods used to understand them

A broad spectrum of earth materials have been linked to, blamed for, and/or debated as sources for disease. In some cases, the links are clear. For example, excessive exposures to mineral dusts have long been recognized for their role in diseases such as: asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancers (asbestos); silicosis and lung cancer (silica dusts); and coal-workers pneumoconiosis (coal dust). Lead poisoning, particularly in toddlers and young children, has been conclusively linked to involuntary ingestion of soils or other materials contaminated with lead-rich paint particles, leaded gasoline combustion byproducts, and some types of lead-rich mine wastes or smelter particulates. Waters with naturally elevated arsenic contents are common in many regions of the globe, and consumption of these waters has been documented as the source of arsenic-related diseases affecting thousands of people in south Asia and other regions. Exposure to dusts or soils containing pathogens has been documented as the cause of regionally common diseases such as valley fever (coccidioidomycosis) and much rarer diseases such as anthrax. Links between many other earth materials and specific diseases, although suspected, are less clear or are debated. For example, it has been suggested that geographic clusters of diseases such as leukemia are related to exposures to waters or atmospheric particulates containing organic or metal contaminants; however, for many clusters the exact causal relationships between disease and environmental exposure are difficult to prove conclusively. Even for many diseases in which the causal relationship is clear, such as in asbestosis and mesothelioma triggered by asbestos exposure, the minimum exposures needed to trigger disease, the influence of genetic factors, and the exact mechanisms of toxicity are still incompletely understood and are the focus of considerable debate within the public health community. Hence, understanding the health effects resulting from occupational and environmental exposures to a wide variety of earth materials remains a very active and fruitful area of research.

Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry↗

USGS1999

The ecological condition of estuaries in the Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is a vast natural resource encompassing the coastal areas of western Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, as well as a portion of Mexico. Many estuaries flow into the Gulf of Mexico and serve as nursery grounds for fish, habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, shipping routes, and a source of recreation. Estuarine-dependent species constitute more than 95 percent of the commercial fishery harvests from the Gulf of Mexico, and many important recreational fishery species depend on estuaries during some part of their life cycle. Gulf estuaries are diverse and productive ecosystems that provide a variety of valuable resources, including fish and shellfish, recreation, transportation, and water supply. Assessing the overall condition of Gulf of Mexico estuaries required incorporating data from other federal, state, and local monitoring programs to augment the information on ecological indicators collected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP). The resulting document would provide a synthesis of the available knowledge about the condition of Gulf of Mexico estuaries. This document is intended for use by scientists and other citizens concerned with the ecological condition of estuaries, as well as by managers and lawmakers interested in the sustained use of estuaries for commercial and recreational purposes. It also addresses public concerns about the aesthetic quality of coastal areas vital to tourism and recreation. By producing this report on the ecological condition of estuaries in the Gulf of Mexico, we have taken one step in assessing the health of this environmental resource. We have produced an environmental “report card” to be used as a guide in the evaluation of management decisions and research directions. This report is organized in three parts: (1) an introduction that gives background information on the Gulf of Mexico, estuarine ecology, and the factors that impact estuaries in the gulf, (2) the main section on priority ecological indicators used to measure the condition of estuaries in the gulf and (3) an ecological report card that summarizes the data on ecological indicators and provides a rating of the condition of estuaries in each gulf state and for gulf estuaries overall. Many of the ratings were based on the percent area of estuaries in each state exhibiting degraded or adverse levels of an indicator. Eutrophication, a condition of high nutrients often resulting in low oxygen levels and other adverse effects, is an important water quality concern for estuaries along the gulf coast. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has compared the Gulf of Mexico to other coastal regions like the middle Atlantic and has ranked the Gulf of Mexico as having the highest number of point sources of nutrients and the highest percentage of land use devoted to agriculture. We evaluated monitoring data for nitrogen, chlorophyll, and dissolved oxygen as indicators of eutrophication. Although most of the estuaries exhibited high nitrogen or chlorophyll or low dissolved oxygen concentrations at least once during a survey, many times these conditions were observed in small rivers or bayous rather than in the entire estuary. Often, the percent area affected was low. The gulf estuaries had moderate conditions overall for nutrients and dissolved oxygen. Definite nutrient problems were observed in >25% of the estuarine area in Louisiana and Texas and definite dissolved oxygen problems were observed in Alabama. Contaminants in estuarine sediments provide evidence of the accumulation of chemicals from anthropogenic sources. We compared the concentrations of sediment contaminants to established guideline values to determine the proportion of estuarine area that could have potential adverse effects on living organisms. Although detectable levels of contaminants were measured in almost every estuary in the Gulf of Mexico, <25% of the estuarine area in all states had contaminant concentrations that exceeded these guidelines. Wetlands are integral parts of estuarine systems. Declining acreage means habitat loss that may be the result of commercial and residential development, hydrologic alterations, or dredge and fill operations. The Gulf of Mexico region contains more than 50% of the coastal wetland acreage in the U.S. and yet it also has the highest rate of coastal wetland loss. Nine of the top ten estuarine drainage areas ranked by total wetland area are in the Gulf of Mexico region. The most current estimates of total wetland loss over the past 200 years range from 41% to 54% for the gulf states. Although coastal wetlands continue to be altered or destroyed, some estimates indicate that the rate of loss has slowed. All gulf states were rated as having severe problems with wetland loss. The condition of benthic (bottom-dwelling) invertebrates, fish and shellfish, birds, and threatened and endangered species was used to evaluate the health of estuarine fauna. Degraded benthic communities inhabited <25% of the estuarine area in all gulf states except for Texas. Commercial fish and shellfish landings may be used as an indicator of population stability while fish biomarkers are used to measure the health of individuals in the population. Commercial landings of the top four fisheries (shrimp, menhaden, blue crab, and oyster) are stable in the gulf states while fish biomarkers indicate fair to poor fish health in Alabama and Texas and good fish health elsewhere. Coastal and marine bird populations appear to be in good condition throughout the gulf. Four threatened or endangered species inhabit coastal areas in the Gulf of Mexico: brown pelican, Gulf sturgeon, manatee, and Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. In general, populations of these species are in good to fair condition in the gulf states. Public health indicators include shellfish bed closures and chemicals found in edible fish tissue. Harvest of shellfish (primarily oyster in the Gulf of Mexico) is restricted or prohibited when concentrations of bacteria or other pathogens reach levels that could impair human health. The gulf states contain the most acreage of shellfish-growing waters in the U.S. but also have the most acreage restricted for harvest. All gulf states except Mississippi have >25% of their shellfish-growing waters restricted for harvest, mostly due to pollution from wastewater treatment plants or other upstream sources. Advisories may be issued that limit consumption when the concentrations of chemicals in fish tissue exceed levels known to be harmful to humans. Although seafood consumption advisories have been issued in all gulf states, the percent of the fish population with high concentrations of contaminants is relatively low in the gulf overall.

Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas↗

USGS2019

Review of and recommendations for monitoring contaminants and their effects in the San Francisco Bay−Delta

Legacy and current-use contaminants enter into and accumulate throughout the San Francisco Bay−Delta (Bay−Delta), and are present at concentrations with known effects on species important to this diverse watershed. There remains major uncertainty and a lack of focused research able to address and provide understanding of effects across multiple biological scales, despite previous and ongoing emphasis on the need for it. These needs are challenging specifically because of the established regulatory programs that often monitor on a chemical- by-chemical basis, or in which decisions are grounded in lethality-based endpoints. To best address issues of contaminants in the Bay−Delta, monitoring efforts should consider effects of environmentally relevant mixtures and sub- lethal impacts that can affect ecosystem health. These efforts need to consider the complex environment in the Bay−Delta including variable abiotic (e.g., temperature, salinity) and biotic (e.g., pathogens) factors. This calls for controlled and focused research, and the development of a multi-disciplinary contaminant monitoring and assessment program that provides information across biological scales. Information gained in this manner will contribute toward evaluating parameters that could alleviate ecologically detrimental outcomes. This review is a result of a Special Symposium convened at the University of California−Davis (UCD) on January 31, 2017 to address critical information needed on how contaminants affect the Bay−Delta. The UCD Symposium focused on new tools and approaches for assessing multiple stressor effects to freshwater and estuarine systems. Our approach is similar to the recently proposed framework laid out by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) that uses weight of evidence to scale toxicological responses to chemical contaminants in a laboratory, and to guide the conservation of priority species and habitats. As such, we also aimed to recommend multiple endpoints that could be used to promote a multi-disciplinary understanding of contaminant risks in Bay−Delta while supporting management needs.

California↗

USGS2026

PFAS contamination in Florida estuarine fishes: Levels, patterns, and estimated human and ecological health risks

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pose a significant health threat due to their environmental persistence and toxicity. While PFAS contamination is widespread in Florida, the state currently lacks fish consumption advisories (FCAs) for these compounds, despite existing FCAs for legacy pollutants. This study quantified 40 PFAS in edible muscle tissue from 264 fish (16 species) across four estuaries along Florida's Atlantic coast to assess ecological and human health risks. The highest concentrations of total PFAS were found in Red Drum ( Sciaenops ocellatus ; 0.209 – 51.6 ng/g wet weight) and Spotted Seatrout ( Cynoscion nebulosus; 2.01 – 24.3 ng/g ww) in the Indian River Lagoon, where up to 68% of Red Drum and 75% of Spotted Seatrout exceeded ecological quality standards, indicating potential impacts on predators. PFOS was the predominant PFAS, driving ecological and human health risks. Estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of PFOS exceeded the EPA reference dose (RfD) by up to 3 orders of magnitude, with the highest exposures concentrated in Red Drum and Spotted Seatrout from the Indian River Lagoon. These findings highlight that PFAS monitoring of tissue concentrations in fish across Florida's freshwater and marine systems would be needed for accurately quantifying exposure risks. Such efforts are fundamental to informing regulatory frameworks regarding FCAs and ensuring the long-term protection of aquatic ecosystems and human health.

Florida↗

USGS2001

USGS Mineral Resources Program; national maps and datasets for research and land planning

The U.S. Geological Survey, the Nation’s leader in producing and maintaining earth science data, serves as an advisor to Congress, the Department of the Interior, and many other Federal and State agencies. Nationwide datasets that are easily available and of high quality are critical for addressing a wide range of land-planning, resource, and environmental issues. Four types of digital databases (geological, geophysical, geochemical, and mineral occurrence) are being compiled and upgraded by the Mineral Resources Program on regional and national scales to meet these needs. Where existing data are incomplete, new data are being collected to ensure national coverage. Maps and analyses produced from these databases provide basic information essential for mineral resource assessments and environmental studies, as well as fundamental information for regional and national land-use studies. Maps and analyses produced from the databases are instrumental to ongoing basic research, such as the identification of mineral deposit origins, determination of regional background values of chemical elements with known environmental impact, and study of the relationships between toxic elements or mining practices to human health. As datasets are completed or revised, the information is made available through a variety of media, including the Internet. Much of the available information is the result of cooperative activities with State and other Federal agencies. The upgraded Mineral Resources Program datasets make geologic, geophysical, geochemical, and mineral occurrence information at the state, regional, and national scales available to members of Congress, State and Federal government agencies, researchers in academia, and the general public. The status of the Mineral Resources Program datasets is outlined below.

Fact Sheet↗

USGS1969

Geochemical survey of Missouri, plans and progress for seventh six-month period (June-December 1972)

This is the seventh and last in a series of progress reports describing the current results of our reconnaissance geochemical survey of the State of Missouri. The survey was initiated on July 1, 1969, and consists of comprehensive field studies in four research areas-rocks, waters, soils and plants. It was undertaken to provide both a geochemical setting for epidemiological studies by personnel of the Environmental Health Surveillance Center and also a test of the feasibility of broad-scale geochemical surveys in large, geologically diverse regions.

Missouri↗

USGS2023

Biocrusts indicators of livestock grazing effects on soil stability in sagebrush steppe: A case study from a long-term experiment in the northern Great Basin

Biocrusts are sensitive to changes in livestock grazing intensity in arid rangelands and may be useful indicators of ecosystem functions, particularly soil properties like soil stability, which may suggest the potential for soil erosion. We compared biocrust community composition and surface soil stability in a big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) steppe rangeland in the northwestern Great Basin in several paired sites, with or without long-term cattle grazing exclusion, and similar soils (mostly sandy loams), climate, and vegetation composition. We found that livestock grazing was associated with both lower surface soil stability and cover of several biocrust morphogroups, especially lichens, compared with sites with long-term livestock exclusion. Surface soil stability did not modify the effects of grazing on most biocrust components via interactive effects. Livestock grazing effects on total biocrust cover were partially mediated by changes in surface soil stability. Though lichens were more sensitive to grazing disturbance, our results suggest that moss (mostly Tortula ruralis in this site) might be a more readily observable indicator of grazing-related soil stability change in this area due to their relatively higher abundance compared with lichens (moss: mean, 8.5% cover, maximum, 96.1%, lichens: mean, 1.0% cover, maximum, 14.1%). These results highlight the potential for biocrust components as sensitive indicators of change in soil-related ecosystem functions in sagebrush steppe rangelands. However, further research is needed to identify relevant indicator groups across the wide range of biocrust community composition associated with site environmental characteristics, variable grazing systems, other rangeland health metrics, and other disturbance types such as wildfire.

Northern Great Basin↗

USGS2010

Endocrine active chemicals and endocrine disruption in Minnesota streams and lakes: Implications for aquatic resources, 1994-2008

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with St. Cloud State University, Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, and the University of Minnesota, has conducted field monitoring studies and laboratory research to determine the presence of endocrine active chemicals and the incidence of endocrine disruption in Minnesota streams and lakes during 1994–2008. Endocrine active chemicals are chemicals that interfere with the natural regulation of endocrine systems, and may mimic or block the function of natural hormones in fish or other organisms. This interference commonly is referred to as endocrine disruption. Indicators of endocrine disruption in fish include vitellogenin (female egg yolk protein normally expressed in female fish) in male fish, oocytes present in male fish testes, reduced reproductive success, and changes in reproductive behavior. The results from a series of studies during 1994–2008 demonstrate that endocrine active chemicals are present in Minnesota surface waters, indicating that aquatic organism exposure is likely. Endocrine active chemicals have been identified in wastewater-treatment plant effluent and surface waters downstream from discharge of wastewater-treatment plant effluent throughout Minnesota at low concentrations. Biological indicators of endocrine disruption have been detected in wild fish throughout Minnesota at sites directly downstream from wastewater-treatment plant effluent, indicating that endocrine active chemicals in effluent contribute to endocrine disruption in fish. This finding was confirmed in a controlled study exposing fathead minnows to wastewater-treatment plant effluent at an onsite fish exposure laboratory. During this controlled study, changes in biological responses coincided with changes in wastewater-treatment plant effluent composition demonstrating that effluent effects on fish endocrine systems are temporally variable. Although chemicals contributing to endocrine disruption in fish are complex, several laboratory studies have further confirmed that certain classes of chemicals, such as hormones and alkylphenols, which are components of wastewater-treatment plant effluent, affect the endocrine systems of fish through biochemical, structural, and behavioral disruption. Although these studies indicate that wastewater-treatment plant effluent is a conduit for endocrine active chemicals to surface waters, endocrine active chemicals also were present in surface waters with no obvious wastewater-treatment plant effluent sources. Endocrine active chemicals were detected and indicators of endocrine disruption in fish were measured at numerous sites upstream from discharge of wastewater-treatment plant effluent. These observations indicate that other unidentified sources of endocrine active chemicals exist, such as runoff from land surfaces, atmospheric deposition, inputs from onsite septic systems, or other groundwater sources. Alternatively, some endocrine active chemicals may not yet have been identified or measured. The presence of biological indicators of endocrine disruption in male fish indicates that the fish are exposed to endocrine active chemicals. However indicators of endocrine disruption in male fish does not indicate an effect on fish reproduction or changes in fish populations.

Minnesota↗

USGS2015

Invasive Species Science Branch: research and management tools for controlling invasive species

Invasive, nonnative species of plants, animals, and disease organisms adversely affect the ecosystems they enter. Like “biological wildfires,” they can quickly spread and affect nearly all terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Invasive species have become one of the greatest environmental challenges of the 21st century in economic, environmental, and human health costs, with an estimated effect in the United States of more than $120 billion per year. Managers of the Department of the Interior and other public and private lands often rank invasive species as their top resource management problem. The Invasive Species Science Branch of the Fort Collins Science Center provides research and technical assistance relating to management concerns for invasive species, including understanding how these species are introduced, identifying areas vulnerable to invasion, forecasting invasions, and developing control methods. To disseminate this information, branch scientists are developing platforms to share invasive species information with DOI cooperators, other agency partners, and the public. From these and other data, branch scientists are constructing models to understand and predict invasive species distributions for more effective management. The branch also has extensive herpetological and population biology expertise that is applied to harmful reptile invaders such as the Brown Treesnake on Guam and Burmese Python in Florida.

Fact Sheet↗

USGS2009

Climate change adaptation for the US National Wildlife Refuge System

Since its establishment in 1903, the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) has grown to 635 units and 37 Wetland Management Districts in the United States and its territories. These units provide the seasonal habitats necessary for migratory waterfowl and other species to complete their annual life cycles. Habitat conversion and fragmentation, invasive species, pollution, and competition for water have stressed refuges for decades, but the interaction of climate change with these stressors presents the most recent, pervasive, and complex conservation challenge to the NWRS. Geographic isolation and small unit size compound the challenges of climate change, but a combined emphasis on species that refuges were established to conserve and on maintaining biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health provides the NWRS with substantial latitude to respond. Individual symptoms of climate change can be addressed at the refuge level, but the strategic response requires system-wide planning. A dynamic vision of the NWRS in a changing climate, an explicit national strategic plan to implement that vision, and an assessment of representation, redundancy, size, and total number of units in relation to conservation targets are the first steps toward adaptation. This adaptation must begin immediately and be built on more closely integrated research and management. Rigorous projections of possible futures are required to facilitate adaptation to change. Furthermore, the effective conservation footprint of the NWRS must be increased through land acquisition, creative partnerships, and educational programs in order for the NWRS to meet its legal mandate to maintain the biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health of the system and the species and ecosystems that it supports.

Environmental Management↗

USGS2010

Meeting report: knowledge and gaps in developing microbial criteria for inland recreational waters

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has committed to issuing in 2012 new or revised criteria designed to protect the health of those who use surface waters for recreation. For this purpose, the U.S. EPA has been conducting epidemiologic studies to establish relationships between microbial measures of water quality and adverse health outcomes among swimmers. New methods for testing water quality that would provide same-day results will likely be elements of the new criteria. Although the epidemiologic studies upon which the criteria will be based were conducted at Great Lakes and marine beaches, the new water quality criteria may be extended to inland waters (IWs). Similarities and important differences between coastal waters (CWs) and IWs that should be considered when developing criteria for IWs were the focus of an expert workshop. Here, we summarize the state of knowledge and research needed to base IWs microbial criteria on sound science. Two key differences between CWs and IWs are the sources of indicator bacteria, which may modify the relationship between indicator microbes and health risk, and the relationship between indicators and pathogens, which also may vary within IWs. Monitoring using rapid molecular methods will require the standardization and simplification of analytical methods, as well as greater clarity about their interpretation. Research needs for the short term and longer term are described.

Environmental Health Perspectives↗

USGS1983

Evaluating environmental and economic consequences of alternative pest management strategies: results of modeling workshops

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) needs a comprehensive method to evaluate the human health and environmental effects of alternative agricultural pest management strategies. This project explored the utility of Adaptive Environmental Assessment (AEA) techniques for meeting this need. The project objectives were to produce models for environmental impact analysis, improve communications, identify research needs and data requirements, and demonstrate a process for resolving conflicts. The project was structured around the construction (in an initial 2 1/2-day workshop) and examination (in a second 2 1/2-day workshop) of a simulation model of a corn agroecosystem. The model conceptualized at the first workshop simulates the effect of corn agrecosystem decisions on crop production, economic returns, and environmental indicators. The model is composed of five interacting submodels: 1) a Production Strategies submodel which makes decisions concerning tillage, planting, fertilizer and pesticide applications, and harvest; 2) a Hydrology/Chemical Transport submodel which represents soil hydrology, erosion, and concentrations of fertilizers and pesticides in the soil, runoff, surface waters, and percolation; 3) a Vegetation submodel which simulates growth of agricultural crops (corns and soybeans) and weeds; 4) a Pests submodel which calculates pest population levels and resulting crop damage; and 5) an Environmental Effects submodel which calculates indicators of potential fish kills, human health effects, and wildlife habitat. The most persistent data gaps encountered in quantifying the model were coefficients to relate environmental consequences to alternative pest management strategies. While the model developed in the project is not yet accurate enough to be used for real-world decisions about the use of pesticides on corn, it does contain the basic structure upon which such a model could be built. More importantly at this stage of development, the project has shown that very complex systems can be modeled in short periods of time and that the process of building such models increases understanding among disciplinary specialists and between diverse institutional interests. This process can be useful to EPA as the agency cooperates with other institutions to meet its responsibilities in less costly ways. Activities at the second 2 1/2-day workshop included a review of the model, incorporation of necessary corrections, simulation of policy scenarios, and examination of techniques to address remaining institutional conflicts. Participants were divided into three groups representing environmental, production or industry, and regulatory interests. Each group developed scenarios that would be most appealing to their particular interest and the scenarios were simulated by the agroecosystem computer model. Negotiators from each of the interest groups decided whether a hypothetical herbicide should be relabeled and if certain restrictions should be imposed on its use. Other participants functioned as experts and consultants on caucus teams. A solution to the hypothetical problem was successfully negotiated. Workshop participants and project staff agreed that the model and processes developed during the project should be used in training students, extension specialists, farmers, researchers, and chemical producers in collaborative problem solving methods. More productive research can be planned, and more realistic models of complex systems can be built in this way. More importantly, greater trust of decisionmakers in computer models, better understanding by technical experts about disciplines other than their own, and improved cooperation between institutional interests can be achieved. This trust, understanding, and cooperation are critical ingredients in solving problems that are too complex to be resolved by independent disciplinary activity and unilateral decision authority.

Report↗