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Person

A. Keith Miles

Center Director
Email: keith_miles@usgs.gov
Office Phone: 530-848-3917
Fax: 916-278-9475
ORCID: 0000-0002-3108-808X
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These data are .csv files of tagged sea otter re-sighting locations (henceforth, resights) collected in the field using a combination of VHF radio telemetry and direct observation using high powered (80x) telescopes. Sea otters were tracked by shore or boat-based observers from the date of tagging until the time of radio battery failure, the animal’s death, or the end of the project, whichever comes first. The frequency of re-sighting was opportunistic, depending on logistical factors such as coastal access, but generally ranged from daily to weekly. Location coordinates are reported latitude and longitude as well as X and Y coordinates in the projection/datum California Teale-Albers NAD 1927. The file contains...
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Data for Southern Sea Otter Range Expansion and Habitat Use in the Santa Barbara Channel
The current study was designed to provide critical information for resource managers (specifically the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, henceforth BOEM, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, henceforth USFWS) about the spatial ecology, population status, and potential population threats to sea otters in Santa Barbara Channel, with particular reference to exposure to manmade structures and sources of oil and natural gas. Our four primary research objectives were: 1. Determine the extent of movements and spatial use patterns by sea otters along the southern California coast 2. Identify important sea otter resting and foraging areas adjacent to manmade structures 3. Assess sea otter distribution, behavior and...
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In response to the rapidly evolving conditions at the Salton Sea with the emergence of both newly formed wetland habitat and increasing hazards to wildlife, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Geological Survey have funded a re-evaluation of data gaps regarding selenium concentrations in biota the region. As part of this work, selenium concentrations in biological tissue samples were compiled from published reports, public databases, and unpublished archives into a tabulated spreadsheet. Since the California Department of Water Resources summarized selenium biological data in 2005, our compilation efforts focused on the 2005 through 2020 range. The resulting dataset encompasses all records available to us from...
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These data are .csv files of capture data from tagged sea otters in the Santa Barbara Channel Study. Sea otters were captured using highly specialized techniques employed by a team a rebreather divers and were processed by a shore team and veterinary crew at a mobile vet lab. Overall health assessments and morphometric data were collected, and the otters received colored flipper tags (for visual identification in the field) as well as VHF radio transmitter implants (for locating and "re-sighting" individuals) and time-depth recorder instruments (for archival logging of dive records and core body temperature for individual sea otters). Fields include an individual otter identification number, capture date, general...
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Marine mussels are a ubiquitous and crucial component of the nearshore environment, and new genomic technologies exist to quantify molecular responses of individual mussels to stimuli, including exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We used gene-based assays of exposure and physiological function to assess lingering oil damage from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill using the Pacific blue mussel, Mytilus trossulus. We developed a diagnostic gene transcription panel to investigate exposure to PAHs and other contaminants and their effects on mussel physiology and health. Mussels were collected annually from 2012 through 2015 at five field sites (mussel beds) in western Prince William Sound: Herring Bay,...
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