Columbia Environmental Research Center
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CERC’s priority is to continue the important work of the Department of the Interior and the USGS, while also maintaining the health and safety of our employees and community. Based on guidance from the White House, the CDC, and state and local authorities, we are shifting our operations to a virtual mode and have minimal staffing within our offices.
Comprehensive Sturgeon Research Project (CSRP) Blog
Learn how CERC research is contributing to the recovery of the endangered pallid sturgeon in the Missouri River
Read the BlogPassive Sampling Using SPMDs and POCIS - Resources and Tools
CERC scientists are pioneers in the development of passive sampling techniques.
Resources & ToolsNews
CERC’s Research Supporting Conservation of Endangered Mussels Featured in the Columbia Missouri.
CERC scientist James Kunz is featured in the Columbia Missourian on USGS research related to endangered mussels.
Invasive Mussel Species Impacts the Food Web in Lake Mead
In an article for the journal Science of the Total Environment, USGS scientists and others discuss the impact of invasive quagga mussels on the ecosystem of Lake Mead located on the border of Arizona and Nevada.
Literature Review: Environmental Selenium-Mercury Interactions
Mercury is a pervasive environmental pollutant and contaminant of concern for both people and wildlife.
Publications
Movement of synthetic organic compounds in the food web after the introduction of invasive quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) in Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona, USA
Introductions of dreissenid mussels in North America have been a significant concern over the last few decades. This study assessed the distribution of synthetic organic compounds (SOCs) in the food web of Lake Mead, Nevada/Arizona, USA and how this distribution was influenced by the introduction of invasive quagga mussels. A clear spatial...
Goodbred, Steven L.; Rosen, Michael R.; Patino, Reynaldo; Alvarez, David; Echols, Kathy R.; King, Kerensa; Umek, John Metabarcoding assays for the detection of freshwater mussels (Unionida) with environmental DNA
Freshwater mussels of the order Unionida are a widely distributed taxon that are important in maintaining freshwater ecosystems and are also highly imperiled throughout the world. Monitoring of mussel populations with environmental DNA (eDNA) is an attractive alternative to traditional methods because it is noninvasive and requires less labor and...
Klymus, Katy E.; Richter, Catherine A.; Thompson, Nathan; Hinck, Jo Ellen; Jones, Jess W. Terrestrial ecological risk analysis via dietary exposure at uranium mine sites in the Grand Canyon watershed (Arizona, USA)
The U.S. Department of the Interior recently included uranium (U) on a list of mineral commodities that are considered critical to economic and national security. The uses of U for commercial and residential energy production, defense applications, medical device technologies, and energy generation for space vehicles and satellites are known, but...
Hinck, Jo Ellen; Cleveland, Danielle; Sample, Bradley E.