Allan O'Connell

Research Wildlife Biologist

Short Biography

Allan O'Connell is currently a research wildlife biologist with the US Geological Survey's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland.  He is originally from New York City where he grew up in the shadows of the American Museum of Natural History (his father worked in the Ornithology Department).  He has 30+ years of experience with the U.S. Department of Interior as a field biologist, natural resource and science program manager, administrator, and most recently as a research scientist at Patuxent, the world-renowned ecological research center known for it's work on ecotoxicology, endangered species conservation, and population ecology.  He has held a variety of positions during his government tenure including acting research manager (USGS Patuxent), Acting Chief of the National Bird Banding Laboratory (USGS, Patuxent), first director of the National Park Service's (NPS) Cooperative Research Unit at the Univeristy of Maine's flagship campus in Orono (NPS and USGS), Division Chief for Natural Resource Management and Science at Acadia National Park (ME) and Fire Island National Seashore (NY).  He has also worked as a biologist for the NPS at Gateway National Recreation Area (NY) and Fire Island, and began his federal career with the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service as a plant quarantine inspector at Kennedy Airport. He holds a B.S. in Biology (Wagner College, NY), M.S. in Zoology (New York University) and a Ph.D. in Wildlife Ecology (University of Massachusetts). He has over 30 technical publications and is the principal co-editor (and co-author of several chapters) of the new book (2011) recently published by Springer Verlag - Camera Traps in Animal Ecology: Methods and Analyses, a treatise on the use and application of camera trapping, the technique that is revolutionizing how wildlife populations are being sampled around the world.    

Sollmann, R., B. Gardner, R. Chandler, D. Shindle, D. Onorato, J. A. Royle, and A. F. O’Connell.  Spatially-explicit models yield first density estimate of the endangered Florida panther. Journal of Applied Ecology. In review.

Sollman, R. B. Gardner, B. Mclintock, T. Simons, A. Parsons, J. and A. F. O’Connell. Spatial mark-resight models estimating density with unidentified individuals. Ecology. In press.

Zipkin, E., F., J. B. Lerness, B. P. Kinlan, A. F. O’Connell, and E. D. Silverman. 2012. Fitting statistical distributions to sea duck count data: implications for survey design and abundance estimation. Statistical Methodology (Invited paper for special issue). In press.

Parsons, A. W., T. R. Simons, A. F. O’Connell, Jr., and M. K. Stoskpof. 2012. Demographics, Diet, Movements, and Survival of an Isolated, Unmanaged Raccoon Population on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Mammalia. In Press.

Oppel, S., A. Meirinho, I. Ramirez, B. Gardner, A. O’Connell, and M. Louzao.  2011.  Comparison of five modelling techniques to predict the spatial distribution and abundance of seabirds.  Biological Conservation. In press.  doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2011.11.013.

Noss, A. J., B. Gardner, L. Maffei, E. Cuéllar, R. Montaño, A. Romero-Muñoz, R. Sollman, and A. F. O’Connell Jr.  2012. Assessment of Density Estimation Methods for Animal Populations with Camera Traps in the Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco Landscape.  Animal Conservation 15:527-535. 

Friedland, K. J. P. Manning,  J. S. Link,, J. R. Gilbert, A. T. Gilbert, and A. F. O’Connell, Jr.  2012.  Variation in wind and piscivorous predator fields affecting the survival of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, in the Gulf of Maine.  Fisheries Ecology and Management 19:22-35.

O’Connell, A. F., J. D. Nichols, K. U. Karanth, editors. 2011. Camera Traps in Animal Ecology: Methods and Analyses, 1st Edition. Springer Publishing, Tokyo, Japan. 

O’Connell, A. F., J. D. Nichols, K. U. Karanth. 2011. Preface. Pages v-vii in A. F. O’Connell, J. D. Nichols, and K. U. Karanth, editors. Camera Traps in Animal Ecology: Methods and Analyses, 1st Edition. Springer Publishing, Tokyo, Japan. 

O’Connell, A. F., J. D. Nichols, K. U. Karanth. 2011. Introduction. Pages 1 - 8 in A. F. O’Connell, J. D. Nichols, and K. U. Karanth, editors. Camera Traps in Animal Ecology: Methods and Analyses, 1st Edition. Springer Publishing, Tokyo, Japan. 

Nichols, J. D., K. U. Karanth, and A.F. O’Connell. 2011. Science, Conservation, and Camera Traps. Pages 45 - 56 in A. F. O’Connell, J. D. Nichols, and K. U. Karanth, editors. Camera Traps in Animal Ecology: Methods and Analyses.  Springer Publishing, Tokyo, Japan.

O’Connell, A. F. and L. L. Bailey. 2011. Inference for Occupancy and Occupancy Dynamics. Pages 191 - 206 in A. F. O’Connell, J. D. Nichols, and K. U. Karanth, editors. Camera Traps in Animal Ecology: Methods and Analyses.  Springer Publishing, Tokyo, Japan. 

Nichols, J. D., A. F. O’Connell, K. U. Karanth. 2011.  Camera Traps in Animal Ecology and Conservation: What’s Next? Pages 253 - 264 in A. F. O’Connell,  J. D. Nichols, and K. U. Karanth, editors. Camera Traps in Animal Ecology: Methods and Analyses.  Springer Publishing, Tokyo, Japan. 

Stringer, E. M., M. K. Stoskopf, T. Simons, A. F. O’Connell, and A.Waldstein.  2010.  Ultrasonic Measurement of Body Fat as a Means of Assessing Body Condition in Free-Ranging Raccoons (Procyon lotor ). International Journal of Zoology, Article ID 972380, 6 pages. doi:10.1155/2010/972380.

Zipkin, E.F., B. Gardner, A. T. Gilbert, A. F. O'Connell, Jr., J. A. Royle, and E. D. Silverman. 2010. Distribution patterns of wintering sea ducks in relation to the North Atlantic Oscillation and local environmental characteristics. Oecologia 163:893-902.

Martin, J., A. F. O'Connell, Jr., W. L. Kendall, M. C. Runge, T. R. Simons, A. H. Waldstein, S. A. Schulte, S. J. Converse, G. W. Smith, T. Pinion, M. Rikard, and E. F. Zipkin. 2010. Optimal control of native predators. Biological Conservation 143:1751-1758.

Gilbert, A. T., A. F. O'Connell, Jr., E. M. Annand, N. W. Talancy, J. R. Sauer, and J. D. Nichols. 2008. An Inventory of Terrestrial Mammals at National Parks in the Northeast Temperate Network and Sagamore Hill National Historic Site. U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia. Scientific Investigations Report 2007-5245. 158 pp.

Nichols, J. D., L. L. Bailey, A. F. O'Connell, Jr., N. W. Talancy, E. H. C. Grant, A. T. Gilbert, E. M. Annand, T. P. Husband, and J. E. Hines. 2008. Multi-scale occupancy estimation and modelling using multiple detection methods. Journal of Applied Ecology 45:1321-1329.

Beyer, W. N., G. Gaston, R. Brazzle, A. F. O'Connell, Jr., and D. J. Audet. 2007. Deer exposed to exceptionally high concentrations of lead near the Continental Mine in Idaho. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 26:1040-1046.

O'Connell, A.F., Jr., N. Talancy, L.L. Bailey, J. Sauer, R. Cook, and A. T. Gilbert. 2006. Estimating site occupancy and detection probability parameters for mammals in a coastal ecosystem. Journal of Wildlife Management 70:1625-1633.

O'Connell, A. F., Jr., A. T. Gilbert, and J. S. Hatfield. 2004. Contribution of natural history collection data in the biodiversity assessment of national parks. Conservation Biology 18:1254-1261.

Gilbert, A. T. and A. F. O'Connell, Jr.  2004.  Retrieval, Compilation, and Organization of Vertebrate and Vascular Plant Voucher Specimens Originating from National Parks.  Pages 401-405 in Proceedings of the 12th George Wright Society Conference “Protecting Our Diverse Heritage: The Role of Parks, Protected Areas, and Cultural Sites”, San Diego, CA.

O'Connell, A. F., W. H. Walker, Jr., S. Chaney, D. Manski, and J. Jarvis.  2001.  The National Park Service Natural Resources Management Trainee Program: 20 years later - looking back to the future.  Pages 355-359 in Proceedings of the 11th George Wright Society Conference on Research and Resource Management on Public Lands.  Denver, CO.

O'Connell, A. F. Jr., F.A. Servello, W. A. Halteman, and J. Higgins.  2001.  Status and habitat relationships of northern flying squirrels on Mount Desert Island, Maine.  Northeastern Naturalist 8:127-136.

O'Connell, A. F., Jr. 2001. Book Review: Ecological Scale: Theory and Applications. Park Science 20:4-7.

Bank, M.S. and A. F. O’Connell, Jr.  2000.  Stalking salamanders in Acadia National Park, Maine. Natural New England 4:8-9.

O’Connell, A. F., Jr., L. Ilse, J. Zimmer. 1999.  Annotated bibliography of methodologies to census, estimate, and monitor the size of white-tailed deer populations.   Technical Report, NPS/NESO-RNR/NRTR/No. 00-2, Boston, MA.  59pp.

Long., R. A., A. F. O’Connell, Jr., and D. J. Harrison.  1998.  Mortality and survival of white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus fawns on a north Atlantic island.  Wildlife Biology 4:237-247.

Higgins, J., A. F. O’Connell, Jr., and F.A. Servello.  1998.  Survey of flying squirrels and their association with vegetation communities on Mount Desert Island (Acadia National Park) Maine.  Technical Report, NPS/NESO-RNR/NRTR-98-08.  18pp.

Chilelli, M., J. Gilbert, D. B. Griffith, A. F. O'Connell, Jr.  1998.  Analysis of factors affecting population viability and reintroduction of native mammals in Acadia National Park, Maine. Technical Report, NPS/NESO-RNR/NRTR-98-06. Boston, MA.  95pp.

Whitcomb, S. D., A. F. O'Connell, Jr., and F. A. Servello.  1996.  Productivity of the spruce grouse in fragmented habitat at the edge of its range.  Journal of Field Ornithology 67: 422-427.

Whitcomb, S. D., A. F. O’Connell, Jr.  1996.  Patch occupancy and dispersal of spruce grouse on the edge of its range in Maine.  Canadian Journal of Zoology 74: 1951-1955.

Garman, S., A. F. O'Connell, Jr., and J. Hazen Connery.  1994.  Habitat preferences of Peromyscus spp. in a mixed boreal ecosystem. Canadian Field Naturalist 108:67-71.

Calhoun, A. J., J. E. Cormier, R. B. Owen, Jr., A. F. O'Connell, Jr., C. T. Roman, and R. W. Tiner, Jr.  1994.   The wetlands of Acadia National Park and vicinity. Misc. Publication, No. 721, Maine Agriculture and Forest Experiment Station, Orono, Maine.  108pp.

Whitcomb, S. D., F. A. Servello, and A. F. O'Connell, Jr.  1993.  Population and habitat assessment for spruce grouse in Acadia National Park and on Mount Desert Island, Maine. Technical Report, NPS/NAROSS/NRTR-94/23.

Hazen, J., A. O'Connell, E. La Combe, P. Rand, and R. Smith. 1992.  Visitor risk assessment and Lyme disease ecology in Acadia National Park. Pages 523-526 in Developments in Landscape Management and Urban Planning, #7.  Elsevier Publ. Co., Amsterdam, Netherlands.  548 pp.

Ginsberg, H.S., C.P. Ewing, A. F. O'Connell, Jr., E.M. Bosler, and M.W. Sayre. 1991. Increased population densities of Amblyomma americanum (ACARI:Ixodidae) on Long Island, New York. Journal of  Parasitology 77:493-495.

O'Connell, A.F., Jr., M.W. Sayre, and E.M. Bosler.  1988.  Presence and effects of Lyme disease in a barrier island deer population. Annals NY Academy of Science 539:407-409.

My Science Topics

My USGS Science Strategy Areas

Allan O'Connell currently works on endangered species conservation, predator-prey interactions, and the development and use of estimation techniques to assess biodiversity and wildlife population dynamics.    

--Modeling of seabird distribution in the northwest Atlantic in anticipation of wind energy development; development of Atlantic seabird database

--Raccoon ecology and effects of predation on beach-nesting species on the Outer Banks of North Carolina 

--Use of structured decision-making for predator management and endangered species conservation 

--Analysis of camera trap survey data and design of long-term monitoring  program for the Florida Panther in southwest Florida

--Modeling of marsh bird distributions along the Atlantic coast in relation to sea level rise

-- Assessing effects of predation on the endangered Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit and Key Largo Woodrat in the Florida Keys