Bruce Taggart

PHYSICAL SCIENTIST

Short Biography

Dr. Taggart currently serves as the Assistant Director of the USGS Leetown Science Center in West Virginia, where he provides day-to-day coordination and program guidance to the Center and its 5 component facilities in conducting research to provide information needed to restore, enhance, maintain, and protect fish and other important aquatic and terrestrial organisms and their supporting ecosystems.  Additionally, he has been serving as the Acting Branch Chief of the Northern Appalachian Research Laboratory in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, a research component of the Leetown Science Center, since October 2011.  He also is responsible for maintaining communications between the Center and other research and operational offices of the USGS to assure a coordinated and integrated effort to identify and solve problems and to provide expert technical support to meet Department of the Interior bureau information needs and assist other natural resource partners.

Publications

Taggart, Bruce E.; Colman, John A.; Cooke, Matthew G., 2003. Tracking polychlorinated biphenyls in the Millers River basin, Massachusetts. Fact Sheet 093-03, 6 p. [Link]

Bratton, John; Guntenspergen, Glenn; Taggart, B. E.; Wheeler, Douglas; Bjorklund, Lynn; Bothner, Michael; Kotra, Rama; Lent, Robert; Mecray, E. L.; Neckles, Hilary; Poore, Barbara; Rideout, Stephen; Russell-Robinson, Susan; Weiskel, P. K., 2003. Coastal ecosystems and resources framework for science. Open-File Report 2003-405, 26 p. [Link]

edited by Veve, Thalia D.; Taggart, Bruce E., 1996. Atlas of ground-water resources in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Water-Resources Investigations Report 94-4198, viii, 151 p. : ill. (some col.), maps (some col.) ; 28 x 44 cm. [Link]

Taggart, B.E., 2004, The Cooperative Water Program:  U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2004-3068, 2 p.

Bratton, John, Guntenspergen, Glenn, Taggart, Bruce, Wheeler, Douglas, Bjorklund, Lynn, Bothner, Michael, Kotra, Rama, Lent, Robert, Mecray, Ellen, Neckles, Hilary, Poore, Barbara, Rideout,  Stephen, Russell-Robinson, Susan, and Weiskel, Peter, 2003, Coastal ecosystems and resources framework for science:  U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 03-404, 22 p. 

Taggart, B.E., Colman, J.A., and Cooke, M.G., 2003, Tracking Polychlorinated Biphenyls in the Millers River Basin, Massachusetts:  U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 093-03, 6 p.

Winter, A., Paul, A., Nyberg, J., Oba, T., Lundberg, J., Schrag, D., and Taggart, B., 2003, Orbital control of low-latitude seasonality during the Eemian, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30(4), 1163, doi:10.1029/2002GL016275.

U.S. Geological Survey, 2001, Science, society, solutions: An introduction to the USGS: [coauthored by Paul Young, Lee Case, and Bruce Taggart)  U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 010-01, 2 p.

González, L.A., Ruíz, H.M., Taggart, B.E., Budd, A.F., and Monell, V., 1997, Geology of Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico in Vacher, H. Leonard and Quinn, Terrence M. (eds.), Geology and hydrogeology of carbonate islands, Developments in Sedimentology, 54, p. 327-358.

Veve, T.D., and Taggart, B.E. (eds.), 1996, Atlas of ground-water resources in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands: U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Investigations Report 94-4198, 151 p.

Mylroie, J. E., Carew, J. L., Frank, E. F., Panuska, B. C., Taggart, B. E., Troester, J. W., and Carrasquillo, Ramon, 1995, Development of flank margin caves on San Salvador Island, Bahamas and Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico, in Boardman, M. R. (ed.), Proceedings of the Seventh Symposium on the Geology of the Bahamas, San Salvador Island, Bahamas, Bahamian Field Station, p. 49-81.

Lundberg, J. and Taggart, B.E., 1995, Solution pipes in northern Puerto Rico: An exhumed paleokarst: Carbonates and Evaporates, v. 10, n. 2, p. 171-183.

Taggart, B.E., 1993, Tectonic and eustatic correlations of radiometrically dated marine terraces in northwestern Puerto Rico and Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico: Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, University of Puerto Rico, unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, 252 p.

Taggart, B.E. and Joyce, J., 1991, Radiometrically dated marine terraces on northwestern Puerto Rico, in D.K. Larue and G. Draper (eds.), Transactions of the 12th Caribbean Geological Conference:  St. Croix, U.S.V.I., August 7-11, 1989:  Coral Gables, Miami Geological Society, p. 248-258.

Schwartz, M.L., and Taggart, B.E., 1991, Kitsap County, Washington, net shore-drift, in M.L. Schwartz (ed.), Net shore-drift in Washington State: Volume 3, Central Puget Sound region: Shorelands and Coastal Zone Management Program, Washington Department of Ecology, Olympia, p. 19-52.

Taggart, B.E., 1991, Further observations of raised reef tract exposures on Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico, in B.E. Taggart (ed.), Chief scientist report of research cruise to Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico, R/V Isla Magueyes, March 8-11, 1991: Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, p. 19-27.

Taggart, B.E., 1990, Pleistocene reefs of northwestern Puerto Rico, in E.G. Kauffman (ed.), Field guide to the Cretaceous- Cenozoic carbonate platforms and reefs of western Puerto Rico:  Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, A Joint Publication of the University of Puerto Rico and the University of Colorado, NSF-EPSCoR RII 85-13533, p. 7-15.

Taggart, B.E., 1989, Net shore-drift in Kitsap County, Washington, in Tanner, W.F. (ed.), Coastal Sediment Mobility, Proc., Eighth Symposium on Coastal Sedimentology: Geology Department, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla., p. 167-182.

Morelock, J. and Taggart, B.E., 1988, Puerto Rico in H.J. Walker (ed.), Artificial Structures and Coastlines:  Baton Rouge, Kluwer Academic Publishers, p. 649-658.

Taggart, B.E. and Schwartz, M.L., 1988, Methods of net shore-drift determination: A systematic approach:  Journal of Shoreline Management, v. 3, p. 285-309.

Schwartz, M.L. and Taggart, B.E., 1984, Kitsap County, WA, net shore-drift: Olympia, Washington State Department of Ecology, 43 p.

Taggart, B.E., 1984, Net shore-drift of Kitsap County, Washington:  Unpublished M.S. Thesis, Dept. of Geology, (Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington) 95 p.

Schwartz, M.L. and Taggart, B.E., 1982, Kitsap County, WA, net shore-drift:  Bellingham, Coastal Consultants, Inc., under contract to the Washington State Department of Ecology, 46 p., 20 maps.

Abstracts:

Prentice, C.S., McGeehin, J.P., Simmons, K.R., Muhs, D.R., Roig, C., and Taggart, B.E., 2004, Marine terraces in Puerto Rico: Evidence for tectonic uplift?:  GSA Annual Meeting, November 7-10, 2004, Denver, Colorado, Abstracts with Programs, v. 36, no. 5, p. 288.

Muhs, D.R., Simmons, K.R., Taggart, B.E., Prentice, C.S., Joyce, J., and Troester, J.W., 2004, Timing and duration of the last interglacial period from U-series ages of unaltered reef corals, northern and western Puerto Rico:  GSA Annual Meeting, November 7-10, 2004, Denver, Colorado, Abstracts with Programs, v. 36, no. 5, p. 288.

Nyberg, J., Malmgren, B., Winter, A., Weil, E., and Taggart, B., 1996, High resolution variability of Caribbean climate during the Last Interglacial Maximum deduced from stable isotopes in corals:  EOS Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 1996 Fall Meeting, November 12, 1996, v. 77, n. 46, p. F383.

Taggart, B.E., and González, L., 1994, Quaternary Geology of Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico:  Presented at the XX Simposio de los Recursos Naturales, November 22- 23, 1994, Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources Published Abstracts.

Taggart, B.E., Carew, J.L., and Lundberg, Joyce, 1994, Quaternary reef deposits on Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico: Presented at the Conference of Coastal Studies, San Juan, Puerto Rico, February 2-3, 1994.

Carew, J.L., Carrasquillo, Ramon, Taggart, B.E., Troester, J.W., Frank, E.F., and Mylroie, J.E., 1994, Flank margin cave development, Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico:  National Speleological Society Bulletin, v. 56, no. 2, p. 111.

Taggart, B.E. and Menoyo, L.E., 1994, Development of Digital Hydrogeologic Map Symbols for the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, in Balthrop, B.H. and Baker, E.G., eds., U.S. Geological Survey National Computer Technology Meeting--Program and Abstracts, New Orleans, Louisiana, April 10- 15, 1994:  U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 94-52, p. 52.

Taggart, B.E., 1994, Tectonic uplift of northwestern Puerto Rio constant throughout the Pleistocene and the latest Pliocene:  GSA Annual Meeting, October 24- 27, 1994, Seattle, Washington, Abstracts with Programs, v. 26. p. 269.

Panuska, B.C., Carew, J.L., Taggart, B.E., Mylroie, J.E., 1993, Anomalous paleomagnetic directions from paleosols on Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico:  GSA Annual Meeting, October 25-28, 1993, Boston, Massachusetts, Abstracts with Programs, v. 5, no. 6, p. A199.

Taggart, B.E., Lundberg, Joyce, Carew, J.L., and Mylroie, J.E., 1993, Holocene reef-rock boulders on Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico transported by a hurricane or seismic sea wave:  GSA Annual Meeting, October 25-28, 1993, Boston, Massachusetts, Abstracts with Programs, v. 25, no. 6, p. A61.

Mylroie, J.E., Frank, E.F., Carew, J.L., Carrasquillo, Ramón, Taggart, B.E., and Troester, J.W., 1992, Caves of Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico:  Presented at the National Speleological Society Annual Meeting by J.E. Mylroie, Salem, Indiana August 3-7, 1992. 

Taggart, B.E., 1991, Late Pleistocene uplift and 5c sea-level at Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico:  GSA Annual Meeting, October 21-24, 1991, San Diego, California, Abstracts with Programs, v. 23, no. 5, p. A459.

Taggart, B.E. and Joyce, J., 1989, Elevated marine terraces on northwestern Puerto Rico [abstract]:  Abstracts of the Twelfth Caribbean Geological Conference, St. Croix, U.S.V.I., August 7-11, 1989, p. 168.

Joyce, J., Taggart, B.E., and González, L., 1988, U/Th and C-14 dates of Quaternary marine terrace deposits on Puerto Rico [abstract]:  GSA Annual Meeting, October 31, 1988, Denver, Colorado, Abstracts with Programs, v. 20, no. 7, p. A346.

My Science Topics

My USGS Science Strategy Areas

The reef rock boulder pictured above is over 7 m in diameter.  The Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS) age of coral samples from the stratigraphic middle and top of this boulder are 5.376 ka and 4.176 ka respectively.  These two samples are separated by a distance of 1.7 m, suggesting a net rate of vertical reef growth of 1.4 m/ka during this period of time.  This compares favorably with rates of reef accretion determined for present day reefs.  The size of this reef rock boulder is such that it could only have been transported to its present location by a seismic sea wave or an extreme storm event such as a hurricane.  Its age indicates it was emplaced sometime after 4.176 ka.

During his tenure as Leetown Science Center Assistant Director Dr. Taggart has participated in a number of USGS panels, boards, teams and temporary assignments.  These have included serving on the: Facilitator/Coach, USGS Leadership Intensives (2002-2012); USGS Best Places to Work Council (2011-2012); Acting Deputy, Enterprise Publishing Network (March-September 2010); USGS Facilities Management Team (2008-2010); Acting Eastern Region Science Coordinator for Biology (January-October 2008); Eastern Region Investment Review Board (2006-2010); Partners Review Panel for the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center 5-year strategic review (July 2007); USGS Facilities Budget Allocation Team (March 2007-July 2008); USGS Human Capital Performance Analysis Team (February-August 2006); and, leading a RGEG Scientist Panel Evaluation (January 2006).