🔥 Hot off the press: ever wonder if you could get demographic info for natural pops with #eDNA #environmentalDNA? Well wonder no more! First proof of principle for sex-ratios coming to a computer screen near you: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Really enjoyed revisiting @universityofleeds.bsky.social where I did my first postdoc with @mariabeger.bsky.social a few years ago Great to catch up with old friends, meet new people, and share some of my current research @fchong.bsky.social

We’re getting lots of new Bluesky friends! Please share your favorite science and conservation starter packs as a reply here and I’ll share them. Let’s get our science and conservation friends lots of followers! 🧪🌎🦑

More on ARC job cuts & restructure: ARC’s spending $374k on consultants for organisational “review” & “planning & development”. They’re also spending $765k on “risk management”. That’s $1.1 million on consultants being spent over 1 year. Un. Believable. Slow clap, ARC.

New opinion piece outlines thoughts around a new path for #DNA approaches to #seafood trade #sustainability. Technically euphoria should be mitigated by commitment to #transdisciplinarity:

PISCeS III is back! 🧬 Join global researchers, regulators, industry, NGOs & Indigenous partners at the University of Guelph, June 15–17, 2026. Themes: regulatory standards, emerging tech, sampling design & eDNA across environments. tinyurl.com/4r6h2s4p

New post by me on #MITPressReader @mitpress.bsky.social On the 100th anniversary of the #ScopesMonkeyTrial the ways we depict #evolution can still give an erroneous progressive view (that evolution leads to humans or ‘increased complexity’). thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/is-our-pictu...

Honestly, when will unis and other research orgs collectively say enough is enough, and invoice them for all our unpaid labour that drives publishers MASSIVE profits? The Money in Scientific Publishing danielroelfs.com/posts/the-mo... @danielroelfs.com #KnowledgeSlavery

Happy to share our new publication exploring how eDNA fits into estuarine ecological indices.Our results show why it’s not a simple swap—and what needs to change. #eDNA #environmentalDNA @drangelborja.bsky.social @naiarare.bsky.social @azti.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

To add context, part of why there were so many more applicants is because they moved DECRA back six months, effectively skipping funding the scheme for a year. They had to extend eligibility as a result, so this was essentially two years in one. But with no adjustment to number of grants awarded.

🧵1/9 There are 35,000+ fish species, but we have formal social-behaviour classifications for a tiny fraction. Most knowledge lives in the experience of researchers, fishers, divers, aquarists, naturalists, and Indigenous communities, but almost none of it is centralised. So we built ShoalBase.org.

We have no answers from our institutions as to why Go8 universities endorsed BCA's regressive EPBC recommendations But 90 of us have signed an 'Independent statement on the Group of Eight’s position on EPBC Act reforms' 🙏 Prof Justine Bell-James for writing & coordinating the independent statement

Fab talk from @megcevans.bsky.social about government trying to use capitalism (for profit model) to attempt to solve problems created by capitalism (environmental damage and biodiversity loss). But $2bn to solve biodiversity crisis isn't much compared to many other publicly funded things. #esa2025

Former #ANU Vice-Chancellor, Genevieve Bell, will receive remuneration of more than half a million a year for the next five years - despite taking 12 months off. For context, that's more than ANU hoped to 'save' annually by disestablishing the School of Music. 🫠 @nteunion.bsky.social

Our new @azti.bsky.social paper on Advancing ecological #assessment: towards the integration of #eDNA #metabarcoding into an estuarine #fish index is out. #Research #MarineEcology #GES4SEAS Free download here: authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...

VLIZ is hiring: PhD researcher "Immune effects of sea air". Join the VLIZ research group Life's Roots & Rates and unravel the mechanistic links between marine microbial diversity, endotoxin composition & human immune responses. Apply no later than Tuesday, December 9th 🔗 www.vliz.be/en/jobs/vliz...

“CSIRO has announced it will slash up to 350 jobs as the national science agency grapples with long-term financial challenges … with current funding failing to keep pace with the rising costs of running a modern science agency.” Not “challenges”. They’re choices. 😡

Disgraceful & tragic what governments have done to this once science powerhouse! www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11... "Federal Science Minister...Tim Ayres said the cuts were aimed at refocusing the efforts of the CSIRO towards research priorities, such as critical minerals, iron & steel...in Australia."

I'm so, so tired of reading, reporting on and seeing these results. This was easily one of the prettiest places in the world, forever changed. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

If you haven't registered yet, be sure to put it in your calendar asap! Cool #eDNA webinar coming up this Friday! @sednasociety.bsky.social

🌿 Postdoc Alert! Aarhus University is hiring a 2-yr postdoc in eDNA analysis & ecosystem monitoring. Work on cutting-edge projects that analyse biodiversity and ecological function across various ecosystems. 🗓️ Deadline: 1 Dec 2025 🔗 More info: tinyurl.com/2dp55uut

Anyone else? 🤔

📑 #NewStudy by Perkins et al. reveals much about a toxic marine microorganism responsible for a serious seafood illness (mostly associated with fish) 🦠☠️🐟 👀 doi.org/10.1016/j.ha...

Another exciting job opportunity provided by CSIRO for an #eDNA Data Specialist! 🧬 Check out the details at the link below: tinyurl.com/bp6bc7pm Applications close on 30th November, so don't miss out on this great opportunity. Good luck to all the applicants 🤞

CSIRO in Hobart is hiring an #eDNA data specialist! Great team with wonderfully nice people (I can vouch for that), and what a location www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/43...

The next SeDNAs webinar will be all about Women in Ocean Science. We have 2 great speakers, Dr Miwa Takahashi (CSIRO / IMOS) & Dr Lara Denis Roy (UTAS). Miwa will talk about the newly launched IMOS eDNA facility, while Lara will be discussing her Australia-wide comparison with visual survey methods.

We're #hiring a new #PhD student - come join @lec-reefs.bsky.social to investigate coral reefs, MPAs, and climate impacts. 🌊 🧪🦑 Details + apply here - www.exageo.org/phd-student-... Deadline Jan 9th! International applicants encouraged 👍

We're hiring! 🥳 Come and join our team in Lancaster - we're looking for two senior postdocs to work on corporate sustainability and restoration ecology. 🌳 🪸 ♻️ (1 of 2) @lec-reefs.bsky.social @pentlandcentre.bsky.social @sci-tech-lancaster.bsky.social @lancasteruni.bsky.social

most depressing thing about working in biodiversity: it feels like all we do is finding better ways to measure an ongoing car crash. most of my research so far translates to 'the car continues to crash, but the video of the crash has more frames now'

Start of the 2025 NSW Coastal Conference, pretty sweet venue with great views over the Richmond River. Excited to learn more and share some of my own research!

2-years #postdoc #position: #eDNA 🧬🔬for integrated #ecosystem and #biodiversity assessment apply.refline.ch/673277/1297/... In the new Eawag/WSL Biodiversity Monitoring Initiative we will strengthen & advance effective and scalable #biodiversity #monitoring methods & implement into practice. 🌐🌳🐟📈

We have TWO post-doctoral fellowships in the Biodiversity Centre at UBC next year! Am happy to chat if you might want to be hosted in my lab. biodiversity.ubc.ca/training-and... Deadline January 15th!

Heartbreaking loss: juvenile humpback whale (~8m) entangled & drowned in shark net off NSW coast. Shark nets don’t necessarily do what we assume -- protect beach-goers -- and pose serious risks to sharks, whales, dolphins, turtles, and other non-target animals. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Save the date! Free webinar - 21st November: Women in Ocean Science x environmental DNA With superstars Dr Miwa Takahashi (@csiropublishing.bsky.social) and Dr Lara Denis Roy (@utas.edu.au) #eDNA #WomenInOceanScience

Sigh. We're gonna need a bigger story...

JOB ALERT in our office!

Australia's much loved wildlife and places sorely need greater care and legal protection. Our latest for @aunz.theconversation.com. theconversation.com/labor-is-clo... With good friends and colleagues, @drphilmccormack.bsky.social & @yungenchee.bsky.social.

Coral reef conservation is under pressure to act boldly in the face of climate-altered futures. But how do we choose sustainable, responsible options? Here, myself, @proftiffanym.bsky.social & David Bellwood introduce "MIMO". 👇 @cp-cellrepsustain.bsky.social www.cell.com/cell-reports...

Attempted eradication of smallmouth bass promotes rapid evolution. Here's the study that is the focus of the Scientific American article: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

It's mid-October & ARC haven't updated us since mid-July on the Brand New Grants System. When will we be told? What schemes will even run? ARC "paused" (cancelled?) the only Indigenous scheme, plus Laureates & all Industry Fellowships, and so far there's no replacements. ARC? Anyone?

PhD opportunity: improving #eDNA methods to better understand estuarine health. A collaborative university-government project to provide solutions and improve the management of estuaries in Australia. sednasociety.com/2025/10/10/p...

Calling all marine & freshwater sciences students 📣 @marinefreshwater.bsky.social has a new #StudentPrize! The first winner will be announced in 2027 to allow time for submissions and nominations. More details: www.publish.csiro.au/mf/forauthor... #MarineFreshwaterRes

Marine & Freshwater Research is officially on bluesky! We’ll share peer-reviewed articles about ecology and management of aquatic environments, marine and freshwater. Make sure to follow to stay up to date with latest articles! #MarineFreshwaterRes www.publish.csiro.au/mf

🌊 Whether you paint 🎨, dance 💃, doodle ✏️, weave 🧵, write ✍️, design jewellery 💎, compose music 🎶, build Legos 🧩, cut potato prints 🥔or create in ways we haven’t even imagined, this is your invitation to join a global arts movement Inspired by #IconicFishes 👉 www.iconicfishes.art/updates/intr...

Report on Australian Higher Education finds: 🔹️ Council members have no lived experience of universities 🔹️ Council members have COIs with consultancy firms 🔹️ Council meetings are closed affairs that lack transparency 🔹️ Leaders' exorbitant salaries could not be justified

Over the past 7 months, South Australia has experienced the largest recorded mass mortality of leafy seadragons and weedy seadragons. Thousands of these iconic fishes have died during an extended harmful algal bloom. Read more: www.iucn-seahorse.org/news/2025/9/...

Winter estuary #eDNA surveys DONE! The NSW south coast is a special place, even had a fur seal joining us in the Bega River on the last day. Finished the trip with a new tradition: a dip in the stunning (but cold) ocean pool in Bermaguie

Beautiful south coast of NSW

Cleaner Crabs 🦀 Climate-driven floods in northern NSW are washing chemicals into estuaries, threatening seafood safety. Researchers and crab fishers show that simple post-harvest steps - like cooking or depuration - can keep crabs safe. Adaptation works, from catchment to coast: tinyurl.com/2tf7e6rk

Fieldwork time! Currently conducting #eDNA surveys in southern NSW to study estuarine biodiversity. It's been great fun working with the Jerrinja (Shoalhaven River) and Walbunja (Clyde River) rangers this week!