USGS Newsroom

Local Scientist Receives Two Lifetime Honors for Wildlife Research

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:10:18 EDT

Dr. Pamela Pietz, a research wildlife biologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, was recently granted the U.S. Department of the Interior's Meritorious Service Award—the second highest award for a DOI career employee—and elected Fellow of the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU), one of the oldest and largest organizations in the world devoted to the scientific study of birds.

During her 26-year career with the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC) in Jamestown, N.D., Pietz's diverse research has included songbird nest predation, the nocturnal behavior of Sandhill Cranes, and the population ecology of American White Pelicans. Pietz received the prestigious Meritorious Service Award in recognition of her insightful and ground-breaking research on the behavior, ecology, and management of seabirds, waterfowl, grassland songbirds, colonially nesting waterbirds, and nest predators. She was chosen as an AOU Fellow by her peers based on her exceptional and sustained contributions to ornithology through research, conservation, and education.

"These honors are noteworthy and well-deserved recognitions for Pam," said Dr. Robert Gleason, NPWRC Director. "Her valuable contributions have enhanced our scientific knowledge and serve as a source of inspiration for students and colleagues."

Early in her career, Pietz demonstrated the negative effects of radio transmitters on waterfowl behavior and nesting success. Her findings led to numerous studies of transmitter effects on the reproductive effort and survival of North American ducks, and to the design and evaluation of several alternative methods for transmitter attachment. She also was one of the first researchers to influence the design and use of miniature video-camera technology at grassland songbird nests, and to demonstrate their value in recording behavioral and ecological data.

Pietz and her collaborators have conducted extensive studies of American White Pelicans, leading to the discovery of West Nile virus as a major mortality factor of pelican chicks at nesting colonies in the northern Great Plains.

Pietz has authored over 50 scientific and technical reports from her research, nearly all focused on birds. She recently co-edited the book, Video Surveillance of Nesting Birds, and was recognized in a paper in Wildlife Biology in Practice as one of the most productive female scientists in the field of wildlife biology and management.

The USGS NPWRC provides scientific information for conservation and management of the Nation’s wildlife. Please visit the NPWRC website for more information.

Local Scientist Honored for Wetland Research

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:07:54 EDT

Dr. Ned H. Euliss, Jr., research wildlife biologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, was recently granted the U.S. Department of the Interior's Meritorious Service Award—the second highest award for a DOI career employee—for his contributions to ecological science.

This award recognizes Euliss' exceptional wetland research at the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC) in Jamestown, N.D., which has enhanced public knowledge of the Nation’s wetlands and been used by the Department to help manage these ecosystems.

"During Dr. Euliss' notable career, he has conducted wetland ecology research that typifies the highest level of excellence within the USGS," said Robert Gleason, director of the NPWRC.

Euliss' early work explored the dietary value of aquatic invertebrates to waterfowl and other migratory birds. He was elected Fellow of the Society of Wetland Scientists in 2010 for developing the Wetland Continuum, a conceptual framework for interpreting biological studies in wetlands. He has since studied the global value of carbon cycling and provided innovative data on carbon storage and sequestration in prairie wetlands. The results from this work were used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to document and include restored prairie wetlands as carbon sinks in annual inventories of greenhouse gas emissions and sinks.

Euliss has also researched ecosystem services such as erosion and sediment reduction, floodwater retention, and wildlife habitat provisioning. Such studies have led to the development of the USGS Integrated Landscape Monitoring Program, and a series of pilot projects to evaluate the effectiveness of quantifying multiple ecosystem services simultaneously across broad geographic regions—critical tools used by the Department and other ecosystem managers.

Currently, Euliss is researching the effects of land-cover and climate change on pollinator health and services, and was recently selected to co-chair the USGS Science Strategy Team for Core Science Systems.

The USGS NPWRC provides scientific information for conservation and management of the Nation’s wildlife. Please visit the NPWRC website for more information.

Remembering Asbury "Abby" Sallenger

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Fri, 8 Feb 2013 15:58:45 EDT

The Architect of the USGS Coastal Program

Dr. Asbury "Abby" Sallenger.
(High resolution image)

USGS scientist and renowned coastal hazards expert Dr. Asbury "Abby" Sallenger, 63, died at home on the evening of February 5. He was a distinguished research scientist, a skilled communicator, and a mentor throughout his career. Seen as a leader in scientific response to coastal storms, Sallenger served as the voice of the USGS on hurricanes and coastal change since the USGS stood up its first scientific storm response team in the mid-1990s.

"The untimely loss of any truly inspirational scientist is always a cause for mourning, but it is particularly difficult to lose this giant in coastal science just as he was advising on how to protect coastal communities in the post-Superstorm Sandy era," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "I can think of no better way to honor his legacy than to use science to build more resilient coastal communities in the face of changing climate."

Sallenger was a pioneer in recognizing the growing need for science to protect coastal communities from the hazards of coastal change. He envisioned a national coastal research program that supported scientific excellence in response to societal needs.

"Abby's contributions to the USGS, to the Coastal and Marine Program, and to many of us personally cannot be briefly captured. He was the architect of our Coastal Program," said USGS scientist John Haines. "At the heart of our response to hurricanes, you'll find Abby's vision, Abby's science, and Abby's leadership. He insisted that science comes first," said Haines.

Sallenger built the USGS coastal program around these values, through a tireless dedication to research, and a talent for explaining complex science and why it mattered. He garnered support among fellow scientists and leaders in the USGS, partners in research, administration officials, on Capitol Hill, and with the public. His work with extreme storm impacts on coasts and his skill in explaining them made him a sought-after expert by many. He was regularly interviewed and quoted by national news media outlets such as the New York Times, CNN, and The Weather Channel.

He was one of the first to recognize the value of Lidar to quickly map coastlines. Baseline surveys of much of the U.S. coast were completed in large measure from Sallenger's efforts and his ability to establish effective partnerships to share resources with other science agencies. He developed an experimental product to forecast coastal change prior to hurricane landfall, to inform the evacuation of barrier islands, emergency response, recovery, and future land management.

Sallenger led the USGS National Assessment of Coastal Change Hazards, which investigates how coasts change over the long term and during extreme storms. His recent research focused on Louisiana's barrier islands where rapid land subsidence simulates the long term sea-level rise that could impact the world's coasts in the next century. Last summer, Sallenger published research that the rate of sea-level rise has increased three or four times faster along much of the U.S. East Coast than globally. He was recently named as a lead author on the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change, publication expected in 2014.

Having written scientific papers for many years, Sallenger tried his hand at creative writing. His book, Island in a Storm, published in 2009, recounts the effect of a severe hurricane that destroyed one of Louisiana’s barrier islands in the mid-1800s and tells the story of a young survivor.

Sallenger received many professional awards throughout his federal career for his excellence in science, his communication skills, and his leadership.

USGS-University of Alaska Landscape Ecologist Named 2012 AAAS Fellow

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 18:04:57 EDT

Dave McGuire (right) and volunteer Tom Sinclair (left) collect moose browse data in a burned black spruce forest as part of graduate student Erin Julianus' project on interactions between moose browsing and fire on Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge. Photo courtesy of Erin Julianus. ((High resolution image)

FAIRBANKS, Alaska— A. David McGuire of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the U.S. Geological Survey has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world's largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science.

McGuire was recognized for distinguished contributions to the field of terrestrial ecology, particularly for the role of arctic and boreal terrestrial ecosystems in the climate system. He is a professor of ecology at UAF's Institute of Arctic Biology and Department of Biology and Wildlife and assistant leader of ecology in the USGS Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit.

"Dave is internationally recognized for the importance of his research on the role of the carbon cycle in arctic and subarctic environments and for his work modeling its effects on the global climate system," said Brian Barnes, IAB director and AAAS Fellow.

McGuire's research since 1990 has focused on developing a terrestrial ecosystem model that describes how carbon and nitrogen flow in terrestrial ecosystems can forecast how Alaska's landscapes might change in response to climate warming.

"We're looking at the transition of grassy tundra to shrub tundra and shrub tundra to forest tundra," said McGuire of the research done in collaboration with colleagues, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. "The key issue is how quickly these transitions will occur and how much of a change in atmospheric heating you get going from one type of tundra to another. We’ve conducted retrospective studies to look at these effects and they have been relatively minor. It’s in the future that they have the potential to become stronger."

Climate change throughout the circumpolar arctic has the potential to affect ecosystems and the services they provide -- including food, fiber and recreation -- to the people of Alaska and the nation.

"Dave's work on plant community dynamics is important to our efforts to project changes in future wildlife habitats and the implications of these habitat changes for wildlife populations," said Brad Griffith, leader of the USGS AKCFWRU.

"The work we’ve done requires using measurements of soil, water, plants and permafrost that many other people have made and incorporating those data into models and making projections," McGuire said. "Our research is built on the work of colleagues, especially Terry Chapin, professor emeritus at UAF, who so clearly articulated the possibility of changes in tundra vegetation, and the students and post-docs in my lab who have done the heavy lifting. It’s the synergy among all these people that has allowed me to be accomplished enough to be elected as a Fellow."

McGuire is among 702 new Fellows chosen nationwide for 2012 for their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. He will be presented with an official certificate and a gold and blue rosette pin - representing science and engineering – Saturday Feb.16 at the AAAS annual meeting in Boston, Mass., and joins more than a dozen Alaskans chosen as Fellows over the years.

The Institute of Arctic Biology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks is Alaska's principle research and educational unit for investigating high-latitude biological systems and providing the public and state of Alaska policy makers the necessary knowledge to interpret, predict and manage biological systems in the face of uncertainty.

The Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit is part of a nationwide cooperative program, initiated in 1935, to promote research and graduate student training in the ecology and management of fish, wildlife and their habitats. The Alaska Unit, formed in 1991 by a merger of the Alaska Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit and Alaska Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, exists by cooperative agreement among the U.S. Geological Survey, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the Wildlife Management Institute.

Come Test the Waters at the USGS

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 3 Dec 2012 10:12:17 EDT

I'm Anthony Lopez, a hydrologist with the USGS New Jersey Water Science Center located in West Trenton, N.J. This past spring, I finished my five-year undergraduate career at Rutgers University with two B.S. degrees in BioEnvironmental Engineering. I grew up in southern New Jersey outside of Philadelphia and consider myself an avid Phillies and Eagles fan. During my spare time I enjoy spending quality time with my niece and attending boxing events with my brother.

Finding my path to USGS

During my junior year of college I was encouraged by one of my professors to apply for a position with the USGS. I was fortunate enough to be offered an internship as a Student Career Experience Program employee with the NJ Water Science Center and happily accepted the opportunity. After working at the center for three years as an intern, I was offered a full-time position as a hydrologist.

What is a typical day like for you?

At the USGS, there has been no "typical" day as of yet, which is one my favorite aspects of working here. As an intern, I spent many days out in the field sampling wells and streams throughout the state. On the days when I was not in the field I would be compiling databases, working with groundwater flow models, or designing maps using GIS software. As a hydrologist, my day is usually comprised of working on one of the two projects that I am currently involved with. The first project is a rapid assessment of landfills in the Pinelands National Reserve. More specifically, the study focuses on "uncapped landfills" which are landfills that lack a proper containment layer of material above the disposed waste layer. The majority of my time spent on this project involves retrieving laboratory and well records from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The second project that I am working on involves the characterization of contaminants and toxicity of bed sediment in Barnegat Bay and its tributaries. I have been heavily involved in the sample collection process, in addition to designing maps for use in the final report.

What is your most memorable experience with the USGS so far?

One of the most fun days that I've had while with the survey would have to be the experience of electrofishing. Electrofishing uses electricity to temporarily stun fish within a certain radius of the device, where they can then be scooped up in a net and collected. We used the process of electrofishing to collect biological samples to determine the species diversity of the stream. This was something that I had never seen before or been a part of and was truly a unique experience.

What do you see as the most valuable part of your work?

I believe that the most valuable part of the work I do is to expand what we know about the crucial water resources in New Jersey. Better information will lead to the protection and conservation of our water resources for all of those who use them now and in the future. The Pinelands Landfill Assessment is valuable in that we are determining the "threat" level each landfill poses to nearby receptors, which could be a nearby water supply well or sensitive ecological habitat. Similarly, the Barnegat Bay Sediment Toxicity Project will help assess the health of the bay and its tributaries.

What are your future plans?

I am planning on taking my Fundamentals of Engineering Exam as preparation to earning my Professional Engineer license. I hope to continue my career using my engineering skill set to design contaminant treatment systems.

Why is the USGS a good place for students to work?

The USGS is a great place for young people to work mainly because of the atmosphere created by those who currently work there. Everyone I have met at the NJ Water Science Center has been eager and willing to pass their knowledge on to the younger adults in the office. Those with more experience in sampling, modeling, database work, and GIS, have all been willing to take time out of their busy schedules in order to teach me what they know. The USGS has some of the most experienced "teachers" that I have ever been around and if you are a young person who wants to continue to learn new things then the USGS can be a great place to do it.

What would you like people to know about the USGS?

The USGS is a great agency for networking with other environmental organizations. I have had the opportunity to meet and develop relationships with other professionals from the EPA, Army Corps of Engineers, Pinelands Commission, and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, along with working with fellow USGS employees from across the country.

Students at USGS: Ashley Liddiard Helps Support Science and Policy for the Public

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 1 Nov 2012 8:43:53 EDT

Hello, my name is Ashley Liddiard and I currently work at the USGS as an administrative operations assistant. I recently graduated from Regis University with a B.A. in Politics and a B.A. in Music. I am working full-time at the USGS while also working towards a bookkeeping clerk certificate at Red Rocks Community College.

I am enjoying the transition from full-time student to full-time employee. Even though I am not taking many classes right now, that does not mean that I have stopped learning. I am constantly researching USGS policy. I am really enjoying the opportunity to learn hands-on as an employee.

Introduction to the USGS

I started working for the Crustal Imaging and Characterization Team in February 2011. At that time, one of my former classmates at Regis had been converted from the Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) to the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP), and the team was looking to fill the vacancy with another STEP employee. I was very excited to apply, and even more excited when I received my STEP position. Since then, I have been converted to a SCEP employee, and am hoping to work for the team for at least several more years.

Every Day is Different

As I am sure many other students can testify, my days rarely are the same. I am constantly being provided with special projects to help me learn, fulfill a need, and expand my skill set. However, I will try my best to describe what I do on most days.

The first task I complete in the morning is reviewing our credit card account. I check to see how much is currently in the account, and then I pull a report to see the charges that are currently waiting to be reallocated. Then I reallocate those expenses to the correct account. Generally, I process travel authorizations and vouchers next. Since these tasks almost always take up my morning, I work on special assignments, filing, reconciling credit card statements, and entering purchase requisitions in the afternoon.

USGS Administrative Operations Assistant, Ashley Spinelli at her desk on a typical Monday morning. (High resolution image)

My Work is Rewarding

My most memorable experience thus far was the time I was able to tour our labs with the administrative team. One of our lead scientists had asked us if we would like to see what the scientists in our center do, and we of course said we would. I was relatively new to the team at this time, so I was thrilled to take a tour. Touring the labs not only helped me understand the type of science our center does, but our guide helped us understand the ways in which the administrative team supports what the scientists do. I was able to witness the real-world application for my job, and I found that to be extremely rewarding.

I believe that the most valuable part of my work is providing support. In administration, it is important that we support our scientists as well as the mission of the USGS. The projects that our team takes on directly impact lives around the world. I know that they may not receive much recognition among the general public, but their science does benefit the public good. This is why I find it so important to help them through what I do.

Future Plans

I would like to remain at the USGS for several more years as I save up to become a teacher. While I am enjoying administration, I would like to take my desire to support others to the next level. Until then, I would like to remain at the USGS and strengthen my capabilities in helping others professionally.

Learn, Discover and Grow

The USGS is a good place for students to work because you encounter so many types of people who do different things. I cannot think of many places where you can ask questions about science and learn about public policy all while expanding your skills. I feel that the intersection between government, science, and the general populace makes this an extremely interesting place to work. In this environment, you can constantly learn, discover and grow

More than Just Maps

Ashley Spinelli and her husband Bryan hike the continental divide. (High resolution image)

When people ask me where I work, the response is almost always, “Oh, so you must help make the maps.” I respond, yes, the USGS does make maps, but that is not all we do. The USGS is involved in so much more than just publishing maps. For example, we provide research for issues of public safety, study natural hazards, and assist other government agencies. All of these areas of research directly impact how the United States Government interacts with its citizens on a daily basis, and I feel that the more people know about what we do, the more excited they will be science issues.

For more information about student employment, or to learn more about jobs at the USGS, visit our Jobs at the USGS website.

USGS Inducted into the 2012 URISA GIS Hall of Fame

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 1 Oct 2012 13:18:57 EDT

Owing to 50 years of cutting-edge developments and significant contributions in advancing the field of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and geospatial sciences, the U.S. Geological Survey has been selected to enter the Urban and Regional Information System Association GIS Hall of Fame.

The USGS is a major contributor and driver to GIS progress across the government and the private sector. USGS geospatial technologies, long term datasets, research, innovations, information, and publications, all made available at no cost to the public through the USGS Store, have enabled advancements of science techniques and methods.

These innovations have been and still are invaluable to the science community, and provide data for decision makers and the public around the world. The agency's early involvement in GIS development revolutionized the natural science research by facilitating multi-discipline data sharing and analysis especially in the areas of natural hazards (fire, earthquakes, floods, landslides, and droughts), water quality and quantity, and ecosystem development.

"The USGS is honored to join the ranks of other notable organizations who have previously been inducted into the URISA GIS Hall of Fame and who share our philosophy that supporting GIS is important because it is for the public good," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "In a world where increasingly complex problems require increasingly sophisticated solutions for organizing multi-disciplinary spatial information, advancing the frontiers of GIS facilitates advancing the frontiers of science."

The formal induction will occur October 3, 2012, during the URISA GIS-Pro Conference in Portland, Ore. URISA established the GIS Hall of Fame in 2005 to recognize and honor the most esteemed leaders in the geospatial community and this year's Conference is highlighting its 50^th annual meeting. Mark DeMulder, Director of the USGS National Geospatial Program will speak at the ceremony and receive the award on behalf of the bureau.

"The USGS is thrilled to be receiving this award from URISA", said DeMulder, "and is immensely proud of the many employees who have pioneered the applications of GIS in the programs we carry out on behalf of the U.S. Department of the Interior and the citizens of our Nation."

Other awardees inducted into the 2012 URISA GIS Hall of Fame include: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Natural Resources Canada; Statistics Canada; and the U.S. Census Bureau.

The formal nomination statement and other award details are available on the URISA Award website.

Students at USGS: As A USGS Geographer Kitty Kolb Helps Protect People�s Lives and Property

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 1 Oct 2012 7:00:00 EDT

I’m Kitty Kolb, a Geographer with the U.S. Geological Survey North Carolina Water Science Center. I recently graduated from Central Piedmont Community College with my Associate of Applied Sciences degree in Geospatial Technology. Now I work full-time for the USGS as a Term employee, which means my appointment is eligible for renewal each year for up to four years.

I work with data and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology in an effort to make sense of real world issues and problems. GIS is the "tool of choice" of modern geographers to map natural and man-made features on the earth’s surface. In general, GIS enables geographers to analyze terrain, infrastructure, and population data to produce maps useful to land-use planners and scientists. GIS isn’t just for geographers, though. GIS is a powerful tool for anyone who needs spatial information to make decisions or explore patterns.

What is a day in your life like?

I could start my day by making a contour map of rainfall amounts from yesterday’s storm, then write a Python computer program to summarize the kinds of land use in basins for a water quality project, and finish with creating a map in Google Earth showing the location of drinking water wells for a groundwater study. GIS allows us to accomplish science more efficiently. Without GIS, gathering data would take much more time and our data would be less accurate. For example, in the past, scientists in the USGS used a special tracing wheel to measure distances and draw the boundaries of a watershed on a topographic map. Now I can do the same basin outline much more accurately and precisely with the click of a button on my computer. If I am not spending my day in the office, I often go in the field to help with streamflow measurements.

Surveying the elevation change of the stream at Cataloochee Creek near Cataloochee, NC, in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Photo credit: Michelle Moorman. Taken July 2011.

What is your most memorable experience with the USGS so far?

So far, my favorite experience with USGS has been my involvement with the North Carolina Stream Stats program. StreamStats is a USGS web-based program that uses GIS data to provide users with streamflow statistics like the typical daily average, maximum, and minimum streamflows at one of our stream gages. It can also estimate the amount of streamflow that would cause a 1-percent-chance flood at a location, formerly called the 100-year average flood. Along with streamflow, it can calculate basin characteristics like percentage of forest, wetlands, and developed areas for different watersheds. Such information allows users to better understand the effects landscape has on water as it moves through the watershed. Just two examples of StreamStats’ many uses are: engineers estimating peak flows to help design bridges and culverts, or ecologists estimating the average yearly rainfall across a watershed. This spring, the StreamStats program was made publically available for the state of North Carolina. My job for the last two years was to assemble and prepare the GIS layers that are the basis for the program. I calculated elevation data, defined river paths, and land-use characteristics for developed areas, forests, and wetlands throughout the State. These data make it much easier to show where water wants to travel and find the boundaries between watersheds.

I was so proud to see all our hard work become a live tool, which is so valuable for the public and water-resource managers! You can access StreamStats at http://streamstats.usgs.gov.

What do you see as the most valuable part of your work?

The most valuable part of my work is that I help protect people’s lives and property. After Hurricane Irene in 2011, I made a Google Earth map of the high water marks that resulted from Irene’s storm surge, which were collected by USGS staff. This was exciting for me. The USGS uses the storm surge data to understand the effects of past hurricanes, which eventually allows for the development of tools and methods to help predict the effects of future hurricanes. These data also allow scientists to better understand local effects of the storm on the environment like flood extent, erosion, or vegetation changes. During this process, USGS field teams were measuring the high water marks and sending me information in almost real-time, and I was able to update the maps as their data came in. Afterwards I was shocked and honored to find that my maps were used by agencies such as at FEMA and Homeland Security! They were using our storm surge information as well, for damage assessments and impact assessments. Without GIS, all the agencies involved wouldn’t have been able to respond as quickly to help residents and businesses rebuild.

Measuring streamflow at Irwin Creek near Charlotte, NC. Photo credit: Keith Ryan. Taken May 2012.

How did you start working for the USGS?

My background and my Master’s degree are in archaeology; I learned how to use GIS as an archaeologist, and decided to go through formal training in GIS at our local community college. One of my professors posted a notice for a Volunteer In Science opportunity at the Charlotte Field Office of the USGS North Carolina Water Science Center, and I got the placement. After a few months as a Volunteer In Science, I was fortunate to do my required cooperative work experience for my degree at the USGS. I was initially hired as a Student Temporary Employment Program worker and later converted to a Student Career Employment Program worker before I graduated. Currently, I’m working towards earning my GIS Professional designation, which is the GIS profession’s equivalent of a Professional Engineer license or CPA designation. Even though archaeology and hydrology seem far apart, they translate pretty well. They both go back to the Scientific Method and identifying a question and gathering data.

Get a job like Kitty’s

Jill Rolland is Western Fisheries Research Center�s New Leader

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 13:30:04 EDT

SEATTLE — The U.S. Geological Survey has named fish pathologist Dr. Jill Rolland the director of its ‪Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC), headquartered in Seattle.

Since 2010, Rolland has been the director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Center for Animal Health Programs. From 2007 to 2010, she was the center’s assistant director for aquaculture, swine, equine and poultry health programs. She joined the USDA in 2002 as a fish biologist in the aquatic animal health program of the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and became the program manager in 2005. Rolland began her new job at the WFRC on Sept. 10.

Jill Roland, Director, Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC)

Rolland previously worked part-time at the WFRC and also taught part-time at Shoreline Community College, north of Seattle.

She earned her M.S. and Sc.D. in fish health from the University of Bergen in Norway and her B.S. in Fisheries/Aquaculture from the University of Washington.

“The appointment of Dr. Rolland to head our Western Fisheries Research Center is certain to continue the excellent tradition of cooperation between the USGS and USDA in fisheries health,” said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. “We are so pleased to welcome her back to the USGS in this leadership role to help us find solutions for healthy and abundant fish, healthy ecosystems, and healthy aquatic environments.”

The WFRC is one of 18 USGS science centers engaged in biological research on critical natural resource issues facing the nation. Research in WFRC’s six laboratories -- in Seattle; on Marrowstone Island and in the Columbia River Gorge, Wash., in Klamath Falls and Newport, Ore., and Reno, Nev. -- focuses on the environmental factors responsible for the creation, maintenance, and regulation of fish populations and their interactions in aquatic communities and ecosystems.

Natural resources of particular interest to the center include Pacific salmon; western trout, char, and resident riverine fishes; desert and inland fishes; and aquatic ecosystems including Puget Sound and the Columbia and Klamath River basins. Current research includes studying fish populations and ecosystems and salmon-wildlife interactions within the Elwha River Restoration Project, the largest dam removal project in U.S. history.

USGS Scientist Elected First U.S. Chair of International Uranium Group in Thirty Years

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 11:00:00 EDT

USGS scientist Susan Hall, seen here at the McClean Lake Mine in Saskatchewan, Canada, was just elected chair of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development – Nuclear Energy Agency/International Atomic Energy Agency’s Uranium Group. (Multimedia Gallery)

USGS Scientist Susan Hall was elected chair of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development – Nuclear Energy Agency/International Atomic Energy Agency’s Uranium Group during their 48^th meeting in Kirovograd, Ukraine, which was held August 21-24, 2012. Hall is the first US representative elected to chair the Uranium Group in more than 30 years, and the first woman to serve in this position.

“It is a tremendous honor to be chosen to help lead this very distinguished group of uranium experts from around the world, and testament to the high regard members have for the USGS uranium resource program,” said Hall.

"Susan's election to the chairmanship of the Uranium Group is simply one more measure of the high regard with which the science of Energy and Minerals at the USGS is regarded internationally. And of course, it also demonstrates that the women of the USGS totally rock!" said USGS Director Marcia McNutt.

As chair, Hall will preside over the Uranium Groups regular meetings, as well as the drafting of their bi-annual report, entitled Uranium 20XX: Resources, Production and Demand, also known as the “Red Book,” so-called due to its distinctive red cover.

The Red Book contains a comprehensive summary of global uranium supply and demand derived from information provided by Uranium Group delegates from over 40 member countries. Each edition of the Red Book forecasts whether or not adequate uranium supply is identified worldwide to fuel the current and projected future nuclear fleet.

“The most recent version of the Red Book identifies uranium resources that are more than adequate to meet projected demand requirements to 2035,” Hall said. “The United States, with the largest number of operating nuclear power plants worldwide and 10 operating uranium mines that contribute substantially to world uranium supply, significantly influences the world uranium supply/demand balance.”

The Uranium Group is a multi-national organization that was formed by the OECD/NEA in the early 1960’s in response to concerns about securing adequate uranium supplies for the growing number of nuclear power plants. Membership was expanded in 1991 to include Eastern European countries, and in 1996, the International Atomic Energy Agency member states joined.

The United States is represented on the group by one member from the Energy Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy and one from the USGS. Hall is a lead scientist in the USGS Central Energy Resources Science Center, located in Denver, where her group is working on the identification and genesis of uranium deposits; estimation of uranium resources in the United States; and issues related to extraction, utilization, and ecosystem health related to uranium mining.

To learn more about this or other geologic assessments, please visit the USGS Energy Resources Program website. Stay up to date with USGS energy science by subscribing to our newsletter or by following us on Twitter.

Youth at USGS: Aaron Cupp Helps Ensure Safe Drugs for Aquatic Species

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Fri, 7 Sep 2012 8:01:44 EDT

My name is Aaron Cupp, and I am a student employee at the USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) in La Crosse, WI. Currently, I am in my second year of graduate school at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point in the College of Natural Resources with the aim of completing a Master of Science degree in Fisheries. In 2011, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse with a bachelor's degree in biology and a minor in chemistry.

My master's thesis research focuses on the effects of using sedatives to aid in the transport of live finfish. Sedatives can be beneficial when live fish are transported for supplemental stocking into public waterways and when they are supplied to live markets for human consumption.

How did you start working for the USGS?

In 2009 while attending UW-La Crosse as an undergraduate student, I applied to UMESC for a Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) position within the Aquatic Ecosystem Health branch. While many summer jobs can be a dime a dozen for college students, I knew that this position would allow me to gain valuable experience in assisting and conducting biological research. Eventually, it presented me with the opportunity to continue my employment at UMESC as a graduate student working on a specific UMESC research project.

USGS student employee Aaron Cupp helps position cameras by boat for monitoring fish behavior in 0.5 acre outdoor earthen ponds. Ponds are used for both research and fish production at the UMESC facility in La Crosse, WI. (Full size image)

Yellow perch fingerlings are grown in warmer temperatures to achieve desired weights and length for studies. USGS student employee Aaron Cupp conducts daily activities of monitoring, feeding and cleaning of all test fish. Healthy fish are the basis for quality research at UMESC. (Full size image)

What is a day in your life like?

Research at the USGS Aquatic Ecosystem Health branch mainly involves generating data for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM). Specifically, USGS investigations help determine the safety and effectiveness of aquaculture drugs as well as develop new methods to control invasive species such as zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha), sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), and Asian carps.

USGS student employee Aaron Cupp driving a tractor. All studies require construction of aquaculture systems tailored to the goal of each study. Aquaculture systems range from small aquaria to complex recirculating aquaculture systems. (Full size image)

UMESC conducts research on various anesthetics and sedatives used for fisheries management and various fish hatchery techniques. Above photo shows USGS student employee Aaron Cupp with a lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) under a handleable level of sedation for conducting sample counts to obtain proper feed rate calculations. UMESC supports research to gain approval of these sedatives through FDA.(Full size image)

Since this research revolves around the use of living organisms, it is my first and foremost responsibility to provide and maintain a quality life-supporting aquaculture environment for the production of healthy organisms.

Daily activities range from constructing experimental test systems to the feeding and cleaning of fish and their tanks. It is also my responsibility to assist and conduct research within the branch. Basic tasks for this research include calibration of instruments, handling test chemicals, generating data, and collaborating with CVM.

What is your most memorable experience with the USGS so far?

My most memorable experience with the USGS has been the opportunity to present my thesis research at the UMESC-hosted Aquaculture Drug Approval Coordination Meeting in La Crosse, WI. The meeting brought together various professionals from CVM, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and multiple state agencies, as well as private industry members of the fisheries community. It was a great opportunity to meet those who may benefit from this research in the future and to have an opportunity to interact with professionals at all levels.

What do you see as the most valuable part of your work?

As my work and research at UMESC progresses, it is important that all of these data are applied to understand new aquaculture drugs. We hope to provide CVM with answers to a great many of the questions surrounding specific drugs in aquaculture. My thesis is just a small piece of the puzzle in supporting the Aquatic Ecosystem Health’s mission within the USGS.

What are your future plans?

Looking ahead to graduation in 2013, I fully intend to pursue a career as a professional in fisheries and aquaculture. Career paths may range from fish hatcheries and fisheries resource offices to working in diagnostic fish health laboratories. Regardless, I plan to use the knowledge and experience gained through my student employment with USGS, along with my educational background, as a foundation to be successful.

Stephen Jackson to Lead Southwest Climate Science Center

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 11:00:00 EDT

TUCSON, Ariz. — Dr. Stephen Jackson has been selected as the center director for the U.S. Department of the Interior Southwest Climate Science Center, headquartered at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

The center is one of eight regional Climate Science Centers established and managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, to provide federal, state and local land managers access to the best science available on climate change and other landscape-scale stressors of the nation's natural and cultural resources. In addition to the University of Arizona, partners of the Southwest Climate Science Center include the University of California, Davis and UCLA; the University of Colorado; the Desert Research Institute (Nevada) and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego.

Jackson comes to the center from the University of Wyoming, where he is a professor of botany and founding director of the doctoral program in ecology. He will assume his new post September 10.

"Our natural environment is responding to changing climate in a myriad of ways as reflected in water availability, fire frequency, rising seas, altered plant and animal communities, and storm intensity," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "Under the leadership of Stephen Jackson, the USGS has every expectation that the Southwest Climate Science Center will achieve its goal of providing science information and tools to allow resource managers and citizens alike to anticipate, measure, and appropriately adapt to these changing conditions on the local and regional scale, where decisions matter most to communities at risk," McNutt said.

Before joining the University of Wyoming in 1995, Jackson held faculty positions at Indiana University, Idaho State University, and Northern Arizona University. He is past president (2010-2012) of the American Quaternary Association and is on the governing board of the Ecological Society of America and the editorial boards for Ecosystems, Frontiers in Ecology & Environment, and Trends in Ecology and Evolution. His own research employs tree-rings, fossil rodent-middens, and sediments from lakes and bogs to investigate how past climatic changes and human activities have affected species distributions, biodiversity, and ecosystem properties.

"Steve is an exceptional scholar in the area of understanding how climate variability and change affects vegetation and other resources," said Jonathan Overpeck, co-director of the University of Arizona's Institute of the Environment, professor of geosciences and atmospheric sciences, and lead investigator for the new center. "Steve will bring top-notch science capability to the Southwest and also a keen desire to ensure that resource managers have the science they need to do their jobs."

Jackson received his Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from Indiana University and his B.A. and M.S. in botany and geology at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

New South Central Climate Science Center Director Announced

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 13:00:00 EDT

NORMAN, OK -- Kimberly Winton, Ph.D., has been selected as the director of the Department of the Interior's South Central Climate Science Center (SC CSC), headquartered at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. This is the sixth federally funded center on the OU Research Campus.

Winton will be the first permanent director of the new center, which is one of eight regional Climate Science Centers managed by the U.S. Geological Survey. The SC CSC is a collaboration among the Department and the University of Oklahoma, Texas Tech University, Oklahoma State University, Louisiana State University, the Chickasaw Nation, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory.

"The natural environment is changing, and the drought, high temperatures, and wildfires experienced in the south-central region are a case in point. Good science can help shape smart strategies to cope with these and other changes," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "Under the leadership of Dr. Kim Winton, the USGS has every expectation that the South Central Climate Science Center will achieve its goal of providing science information and tools to allow resource managers and citizens alike to anticipate, measure, and appropriately adapt to these changing conditions on the local and regional scale, where decisions matter most to communities at risk."

Winton's expertise with water and agricultural issues, and her long experience in working with diverse stakeholders, give her a strong background in climate change questions of interest to the region.

The national network of regional Climate Science Centers will provide land managers in federal, state and local agencies access to the best science available regarding climate change and other landscape-scale stressors impacting the nation's natural and cultural resources. The new centers will be managed by the National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center at the USGS headquarters in Reston, Va.

"Dr. Winton's experience and research work make her an outstanding choice as the South Central Climate Science Center's new director," said University of Oklahoma President David L. Boren. "As a native Oklahoman, she understands the importance of research in advancing our state, and I am glad she will be continuing to serve our communities."

For the past 10 years, Winton has been the Director of the USGS Oklahoma Water Science Center (OKWSC), in Oklahoma City, where she directed a staff of approximately 45 employees with an annual budget of $5 to 6 million. The OKWSC works with about 40 different cooperators, including state and federal agencies, tribes, and cities, to supply surface water and groundwater monitoring data, flood inundation studies and a variety of other water information to decision makers. Dr. Winton also assumed the duties of the USGS Tribal Liaison for the USGS South Central region, and served as a DOI Diversity Change agent.

Winton spent most of her professional career in the agrichemical industry, where she gained experience in biological research, agricultural practices and the environmental fate and effects of pesticides. She conducted field biological research for five years in Greenville, Miss., and managed the contracting of environmental field, lab and analytical chemistry research for 10 years in Greensboro, N.C. Winton has also worked for an environmental consulting company and for the EPA National Groundwater Risk Management Lab in Ada, Okla.

Winton was born in Oklahoma, and has a bachelor's degree in zoology and a master's in agronomy from Oklahoma State University. She received her doctorate in agronomy from the University of Arkansas.

The south-central United States encompasses 20 ecoregions, from coastal areas to deserts, as well as a diversity of cultures. The region's highly-variable climate, including recent and severe droughts, provides a challenging environment for decision makers who manage land, water and other resources in the region. The Center will provide science-based products and information that are tailored to the south-central United States and the needs of its managers and decision makers.

USGS Seismologist David Shelly To Receive AGU's Macelwane Medal

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 10:00:00 EDT

David Shelly of the USGS Volcano Science Center is honored for his research in tectonic tremor and its role in the buildup to earthquakes

MENLO PARK, Calif. -- USGS research seismologist David Shelly will receive the 2012 Macelwane Medal from the American Geophysical Union for his revolutionary advances in understanding the nature of tectonic tremor and its role in the earthquake preparation process.

Shelly, stationed in Menlo Park, Calif., is an internationally recognized leader in the study of tectonic (non-volcanic) tremor associated with major plate-boundary faults, and the implications of tremor for the state and physical processes governing the recurrence of major earthquakes produced by these faults. His innovations in the study of this subtle "noise" from deep within the earth have opened a new window into the processes governing the earthquake cycle on major plate-boundary faults and the magmatic systems beneath active volcanoes.

"We try to use recordings of ground vibration from very small earthquakes to learn about the conditions and active processes in places we can’t directly access, deep in the earth," Shelly explained.

Shelly's research is vital in identifying and determining the risk of earthquake and volcano hazards and in finding ways to build more resilient communities. He is now applying his seismology expertise to studying the deep-rooted volcanic system of Long Valley Caldera near Mammoth, Calif., which may lead to insights into the future hazards posed by this system and help to identify magma movements in the build-up to an eruption.

Established in 1961, the Macelwane Medal is awarded annually for significant contributions to the geophysical sciences by an outstanding early-career scientist. Shelly will be honored at the AGU's fall meeting Dec. 3-7 in San Francisco.

Shelly joined USGS in 2008 as a Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow with the Earthquake Hazards Team and is currently with the USGS Volcano Science Center in Menlo Park. In 2011, he was named one of President Obama's recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers. He received his Ph.D. in geophysics in 2007 from Stanford University.