Amphibian declines are occurring rapidly and are driven by multiple factors, including emerging infectious agents, such as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). While Bd is globally distributed, it is also known to affect amphibians in Pennsylvania. Here, we screened 198 individuals of 14 amphibian species (5 anurans and 9 caudates) using traditional PCR methods at Powdermill Nature Reserve in western Pennsylvania in the spring and early summer of 2020. Of 52 individual frogs sampled, only 5 were PCR positive for Bd, and all 5 were Rana (= Lithobates) clamitans melanota (Northern Green Frog). None of the 146 individual salamanders sampled tested PCR positive for the presence of Bd DNA. We note that the negative results may reflect an underestimation of the true prevalence of Bd at PNR because traditional PCR is not as sensitive as quantitative PCR. The generally low incidence of Bd at our site indicated that amphibians in an otherwise minimally impacted protected site are not completely immune from infection, and our results for the Northern Green Frog can serve as a baseline of general infection rates for this species in the region.

Little has been reported about the distribution and dispersion of age-0 Acipenser brevirostrum (Shortnose Sturgeon) in the Delaware River or elsewhere, with most of what is known about this life stage inferred from laboratory studies of hatchery-reared individuals. Here, we report on the collection of 156 age-0 Shortnose Sturgeon during relocation trawling performed in relation to rock blasting in the lower tidal Delaware River during the fall and/or winters of 2014 through 2020. Relative abundance, as represented by catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) and the proportion of positive incident trawls (Ep), of age-0 Shortnose Sturgeon varied significantly among years, although no significant upward or downward trends in annual average CPUE or Ep were detected. The observed variation in abundance may reflect differences in the proportion of age-0 juveniles that dispersed from the spawning grounds to the lower tidal river each year, and/or annual differences in spawning success and early life-stage survival, which would affect the number of age-0 individuals available to disperse. We suspect that anoxic/hypoxic conditions in the Philadelphia–Camden reach of the river may have historically precluded movement of age-0 Shortnose Sturgeon to the lower tidal Delaware River and that seasonal hypoxia may continue to affect the timing and success of dispersal today. Results of this study suggest that the lower tidal Delaware River may now serve as an important rearing area for early juvenile Shortnose Sturgeon. Our observations provide new insights into the occurrence and dispersal of age-0 Shortnose Sturgeon in the tidal Delaware River, although data interpretation is constrained by the temporal and geographic limitations of the relocation trawling from which the data was derived.

Offshore wind energy is being pursued in the Gulf of Maine (Gulf) to reduce dependence on fossil fuels; yet wind turbines pose a collision risk for bats. Previous efforts to monitor bat activity in the Gulf have involved acoustic surveys from stationary platforms, such as buoys and islands. However, acoustic monitoring from vessels opportunistically transiting through the Gulf offers a promising method to capture bat activity further offshore and across both spatial and temporal gradients. To explore the utility of this approach and expand on the growing research on bat presence in the Gulf, acoustic bat detectors were deployed on marine vessels in the Gulf and collected data during periods from April through May and August through October 2024. A total of 69 offshore bat passes were recorded, including calls from Lasiurus cinereus (Hoary Bat), Lasionycteris noctivagans (Silver-haired Bat), and Lasiurus borealis (Eastern Red Bat). Eastern Red Bat and Silver-haired Bat detections were the furthest from shore (136 km and 169 km, respectively), indicating the presence of bats near offshore wind-lease areas during both spring and fall.

Few studies have investigated multifaceted responses of individual bird species to forest pest infestations over the long term. Here we document effects of Tsuga canadensis (Eastern Hemlock) deterioration due to Adelges tsugae (Hemlock Woolly Adelgid) infestation on Empidonax virescens (Acadian Flycatcher) nesting behavior, habitat use, and productivity from 2001–2002 to 2013–2014 in northeastern Pennsylvania and northwestern New Jersey. Eastern Hemlock condition deteriorated over the 14-year period in terms of overall tree and branch condition (needle loss, branch die off) but not infestation level or presence of new tree growth. Understory plant density was not significantly different between available (random) and nest plots within either period but increased significantly between time periods. The slow pace of deterioration and varying degree of hemlock decline within study sites allowed observation of a variety of flycatcher behavioral and reproductive responses. Between time periods, mean nest height in hemlocks increased 1.1 m overall, with the most significant mean shift (2 m) occurring in a study site experiencing especially severe hemlock decline, and nesting shifted from hemlock to deciduous trees. Mean pair density, fledgling density, and nest survival declined significantly across study sites between periods, with near complete abandonment by flycatchers at 2 severely infested sites. Our results will guide future studies on invasive species-induced habitat changes and their effects on forest songbirds.

Many arboreal mammals use hind-foot reversal (HFR) during headfirst descent from trees. HFR occurs when the extended hind limb plantarflexes and supinates such that the plantar surface can contact the support while the digits point skyward. In this study, I quantified HFR in 5 sciurid species that varied in their level of arboreality: Sciurus carolinensis (Gray Squirrel), S. niger (Fox Squirrel), Tamias striatus (Eastern Chipmunk), Cynomys parvidens (Prairie Dog), and Marmota monax (Woodchuck). Arboreal specialists exhibited significantly more plantarflexion and supination relative to species that are more terrestrial. Semi-arboreal species exhibited intermediate values, suggesting that incomplete HFR may be beneficial for species that navigate both on the ground and in the trees.

The angiosperm Podostemum ceratophyllum (Hornleaf Riverweed) (Podostemaceae) is native to the montane and Piedmont regions of eastern North America where it grows submerged in swift-water riverine habitats. Ecologically, Hornleaf Riverweed provides habitat for aquatic invertebrates and fish, and is grazed on by a variety of consumers, including geese, turtles, and crayfish. Only 1 population has been documented in the state of Ohio, in the Grand River (Ashtabula County). Hornleaf Riverweed is listed as endangered in Ohio. The lone Ohio population was last surveyed 24 years ago (September 2000). Here, I document the status of this unusual aquatic species of conservation importance in Ohio.

Catostomus utawana (Summer Sucker) has been classified as a species since 2009 and is unique to the Adirondack Mountains of New York. However, recent ecological and genomic studies found it is best described as a life-history ecotype, a sub-population with genetically based adaptations to its local environment. Therefore, the Summer Sucker's taxonomic status was revised to be synonymous with the Catostomus commersonii (White Sucker) but called a distinct ecotype (SS ecotype), and it is classified as a species of greatest conservation need. This report describes the distinguishing characteristics of the ecotype used in this study and the locations and characteristics of the 23 waters with its recent documentation as well as provides details regarding the need for more study in the 22 other waters still needing verification.

Lycorma delicatula (Spotted Lanternfly) is a polyphagous, phloem-feeding insect that first appeared in North America in Pennsylvania in 2014. The insect's preferred host plant is Ailanthus altissima (Tree-of-heaven), a non-native weedy tree. In temperate North America, Tree-of-heaven is the sole effective host plant of larvae of Atteva aurea (Ailanthus Webworm Moth), a neotropical native that has naturalized on Tree-of-heaven. To assess how invasion by the Spotted Lanternfly impacted the Ailanthus Webworm Moth, I compiled from the community science platform iNaturalist.org. more than 400,000 observational records from 7 Mid-Atlantic states including 26 invaded counties (defined herein as ≥20 reported observations of Spotted Lanternfly in a year) and 250 uninvaded counties (<5 reported observations in a year). My analysis investigated the ratio of observations of the Ailanthus Webworm Moth in invaded counties compared to uninvaded counties. The results showed this ratio declined from 1.15 to 0.31 during the period before and after invasion by the Spotted Lanternfly. In addition, I investigated Ailanthus Webworm Moth observations as a proportion of observations of all Lepidoptera. In invaded counties during the same time frame, this proportion declined from 0.013 to 0.004; by contrast, the proportion did not decline in counties where the Spotted Lanternfly had not invaded. These findings demonstrate a decline in abundance of the Ailanthus Webworm Moth in counties where Spotted Lanternfly had invaded compared to those it had not invaded. The Spotted Lanternfly invasion or human intervention to control it, or both, likely reduced abundance of the Ailanthus Webworm Moth.

Plastic pollution and its impact on water-reliant avifauna is a global, pervasive issue. We evaluated necropsy data of Gavia immer (Common Loon) from freshwater and marine environments in the northeastern US from 2011 to 2022, and found 16.2% (106/654) had ingested plastic items (macroplastics). We examined Common Loons stranded from 2020 to 2022, quantified macroscopic plastic items in detail, and processed the ingesta for suspected microplastics. We found macroplastics in 20.7% (11/53) and suspected microplastic particles, predominately clear fibers, in 100% (37/37) of the Common Loons. While we found no evidence that sex, mass, or geography correlated with microplastic load, both macroplastics and suspected microplastics were widespread and prevalent in Common Loon ingesta in the northeastern US.

Physical disturbances caused by military land use can create and maintain early successional habitats beneficial to a wide range of taxa, including native bee communities. We conducted bee, plant, and soil surveys on Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia to determine how different combinations of disturbances (such as wildland fire, ordnance testing, and mechanical compaction) would affect bee biodiversity. Disturbances that affected soil through exposure or compaction had varying effects on the bee community depending on the individual species, with low to moderate disturbance promoting the highest bee species richness. Fire frequency was weakly correlated with bee diversity. Similar studies of additional military installations are warranted to better understand how disturbances that facilitate early successional habitat may impact bee communities.

Understanding the distribution, diversity, and abundance of wild bees is important to managers of natural areas. We conducted a 4-year survey of wild bees on 11 islands in the Gulf of Maine. We captured specimens with the use of cups filled with soapy water and by collecting bees visiting flowers. We pinned and identified 1011 bees representing 23 genera as 103 species or species groups. No state records were recorded. Bumble bees were found on every visit to the islands. Bombus vagans (Half-black Bumble Bee) was the most frequently recorded bee, while the increasingly rare B. terricola (Yellow-banded Bumble Bee) was found on 6 of the islands, as was the parasitic B. fernaldae (Fernald's Cuckoo Bumble Bee). No B. affinis (Rusty Patched Bumble Bee) were found on the islands. Of the solitary bees, 2 non-native species, Andrena wilkella (Wilke's Mining Bee) and the sweat bee Lasioglossum zonulum, were the most commonly found species of those genera. Bees were recorded visiting native and non-native flowers with roughly equal frequency. Nonnative bee species were frequently caught on non-native plants associated with disturbed habitats. Bee species richness did not differ significantly from mainland surveys, although the relative abundances of some species differed from the mainland. Multiple response permutation procedure (MRPP) and indicator species analysis (ISA) revealed that islands near each other harbor a more similar species assemblage than those farther apart. Driving this result was the sweat bee Augochlora pura, found only in 1 bay, and the absence of Andrena from another bay. The abundance of rare bumble bee species suggests the islands may serve as refugia from factors that contribute to bee decline.

We examined the genetic diversity of Bombus ternarius (Orange-belted Bumblebee) among offshore islands in the Gulf of Maine, Atlantic Ocean, and compared them with mainland populations from Maine. While slightly reduced genetic diversity was observed among island bees, statistical significance was not observed, and measures of genetic diversity measures were generally similar to the mainland populations. Estimates of genetic structure (F_ST) between offshore bees and coastal mainland bees were lower than that between the offshore bees and interior mainland bees, suggesting that the coastal mainland is the likely primary source population for the islands. Among offshore bees, increased genetic structure was observed at finer geographical scales, possibly due to chance dispersal and the effects of genetic drift on these small, isolated populations.

Carcinus maenas (European Green Crab) was first discovered on the mid-Atlantic US coast in 1817, and became the dominant crab in estuarine and rocky intertidal locations throughout New England and beyond. A second species, Hemigrapsus sanguineus (Asian Shore Crab), introduced to the New Jersey area of the Atlantic coast around 1988 and first seen in Massachusetts around 1999, has now largely displaced Green Crabs in rocky intertidal areas. This study assessed the population characteristics of the 2 species in 2 different rocky intertidal areas in northeastern Massachusetts via surveys between June 2019 and April 2021. Asian Shore Crabs were by far the more numerous species, representing over 90% of the crabs collected at both locations, where Green Crabs formerly were dominant and abundant.

Using aerial imagery collected in 1994, 2003, 2013, and 2022, we identified and marked the locations of dams built by Castor canadensis (North American Beaver, hereafter Beaver) on streams and ponds in Madison and Oneida counties in New York to examine dynamics in their abundance and spatial distribution over that time. We overlaid the dam data with watersheds, census data from 2020, and land-cover maps to explore the dams' spatiotemporal relationships with landscape characteristics and human population density. Our findings indicate that the largest changes in dam density happen in a select few watersheds and census blocks, affirming that despite their ability to survive near and among humans, Beavers in central New York thrive farther from dense human settlements, and that there are many possible environmental factors. Our results demonstrate that the abundance of dams in these 2 counties has grown, especially near existing dams and in woody and emergent wetlands. By inventorying these dams, we also provide a database for a region for which there is no current catalog of beaver dams, laying groundwork for more regional investigations but also aggregated larger-scale studies.

On 1 August 2024, an adult male Halichoerus grypus atlantica (Atlantic Gray Seal) was documented predating a Lamna nasus (Porbeagle Shark) off of Mount Desert Rock, ME. This observation represents the second published documented instance of predation on a Porbeagle Shark globally and the first suggesting a Gray Seal as the predator. This event provides novel insight into interspecific interactions and calls for further research into the behavioral ecology of Gray Seals and Porbeagles.

Cambarus chasmodactylus (New River Crayfish) is one of the largest crayfish species occurring in the Appalachian Mountains and occupies a niche similar to several highly imperiled crayfishes within the same region. While conducting a controlled mesocosm study assessing the impacts of contaminants on crayfish growth, development, and reproductive status, we recorded an observation where New River Crayfish neonates clustered around the head of an untreated, reference maternal crayfish after molting. This neonate head-clustering behavior did not appear to impact the female during the 3-week period the behavior was observed. Further observations are needed to determine if this behavior occurs across other crayfish species, and if it is displayed outside of captive conditions.

Observations of pack, communal, or social hunting in fishes are rare. While scuba diving in Star Lake, Vilas County, WI, we observed a school of Ambloplites rupestris (Rock Bass) exhibiting pack hunting of invasive Faxonious rusticus (Rusty Crayfish). Individual Rock Bass approached a Rusty Crayfish from the anterior to elicit a defensive posture while others attacked it from behind, or an individual attempted to remove chelae while another consumed the incapacitated Rusty Crayfish. To our knowledge, these behaviors are the first observations of pack hunting in a North American freshwater fish and may highlight the influence of aquatic invasive species on adaptations in foraging behaviors of native fish to capitalize on novel prey resources.

We report the novel and rare presence of 5 marine fish species in the Chesapeake Bay system: Ctenogobius shufeldti (American Freshwater Goby), Ancylopsetta quadrocellata (Ocellated Flounder), Pholis gunnellus (Rock Gunnel), Lactophrys trigonus (Buffalo Trunkfish), and Echeneis neucratoides (Whitefin Sharksucker). These individuals were captured by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Juvenile Finfish Trawl Survey between 2008 and 2024. Continued monitoring of Chesapeake Bay fish communities will aid in determining whether these species occur elsewhere in Virginia waters.

Drownings of animals in swimming pools is occasionally alluded to in the conservation literature as a source of wildlife mortality, yet the kinds and numbers of taxa involved and annual rates of mortality remain poorly documented. We investigated rates of mortality of small mammals in 2 in-ground swimming pools in Bucks County, PA, and Fauquier County, VA, for which we possess more than 2 decades of data. The 2 pools collected a total of 187 individuals of 10 species of mammals. For the Pennsylvania pool, the mean mortality rate was 6 individuals per year (min–max = 0–14). The most numerous species there was Blarina brevicauda (Northern Short-tailed Shrew), representing 40% of individuals. In the Virginia pool, mean mortality was 2 individuals per year (min–max = 0–9), and Cryptotis parvus (Least Shrew) was the most numerous species, accounting for 38% of drownings. Although mortality in individual pools appears to be low compared to other anthropogenic threats, systematic investigation of possible mitigation strategies, including reduction of poolside vegetation and providing floating platforms and means by which small mammals and other fauna can escape from pools, is warranted.