Not all heroes wear capes, some are simply mollusks. 🦪 Dive below the surface of oyster restoration with Brianna and Kelsey from @nature.org on this month’s #TimeAndTide podcast episode! 🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts! 📷: Nate Gruen from PREP, highlighting a healthy NH oyster reefs.

Surprised to learn scientists can't agree on a definition of sex? Don't be! To be honest, we can't even agree on a definition of species. Many so-called natural categories are hard to define once we look at the evidence. Biology is too complex for simple definitions, which is a feature, not a bug.

Just a reminder - if you are looking to advertise opportunities in marine science in the New England area, or look for marine science opportunities in the marine science area, the New England Marine Science opportunities listserv is your place to be! groups.google.com/g/ne_marine_... 🧪🌊🌍

Excited to see this out after years of work from many folks in the field and lab. @ben-glass.bsky.social did such a lovely job of doing this work justice! 2023 heatwave was no joke in Bocas..... Global Change Biology | onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

What is the relationship between science and society? How does culture impact the production and dissemination of knowledge? In this new paper, Eppley et al interrogate how systems of oppression bias our research, and how Queer perspectives can address these. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

📣 A perspective with @allydefduf.bsky.social @madeline-eppley.bsky.social and others out in @ecol-evol.bsky.social 📣 Drawing from queer lived experiences, we offer new perspectives to confront existing biases in #ecology and #evolution. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...

On this Trans Day of Visibility, please enjoy & learn something from this fascinating & clarifying read from @madeline-eppley.bsky.social, @andylee.bsky.social, Robert Dellinger & @allydefduf.bsky.social Read👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... (🙏 for this excellent work & actionable recs!)

Seasonal job available in Burlington, VT in invasive pest ecologcal genomics! The successful candidate will work with myself and @jcbnunez.bsky.social on seasonal adaptation in Drosophila susukii. #popGen #evolution #genomics 🧪🧬🖥️ Apply by April 7: northeastern.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/careers/job/...

Excited to share our new paper, “Microbial ecology for all: A vision of accessibility, unity, and responsibility.” Thankful to the people I worked with on this and to be growing as an early-career researcher in the field!! 🍄 esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

NSF Update through March 13, 2026 1/2

Looks interesting after a short scan. I also note that a gamete based definition won’t work for the majority of extinct animals, beyond the extremely rare cases where a pregnant individual or gamete is preserved (as has happened with a handful of extinct fishes). Important to think about!

Fantastic paper! I was coincidentally thinking earlier today about how we sex baby juncos (genetic) and juveniles (wing size) and what the error rates are. I thought "at least we can tell for reproductive adults", but this paper reminded me that it's possible we're getting some of those wrong too.

I’m really excited to have recently published my first chapter of my dissertation, which is also my first ever first author paper! 🌟 We identified a basin-wide pathogen candidate for white band disease in the Caribbean! 🪸🧪 doi.org/10.1093/isme...

ICYMI: in our new paper, we contend there is "no current consensus on a definition of sex that is free of assumptions and limitations... and most importantly,...no biological definition of sex should be used to dictate human rights" #evolsky #LGBTQSTEM #ecology #evolution #biologicalsex

I am still actively looking for postdoc positions — please lmk if you (or your friends and colleagues) need a hardworking postdoc with field, lab, and bioinformatic skills! I am broadly interested in evolution in the ocean, conservation and population genetics, and rapid evolution.

Eppley et al (2026) "We believe that acknowledging limitations and assumptions of current definitions of sex will lead to more accurate science." 🧪

Basically what we've been saying about using gender in human research, too!

Very proud of this perspective that came out of some really interesting and difficult conversations with friends and colleagues! TLDR: how do scientists define sex? why does it matter?? #EcoEvo #Ecology #Evolution 🧪

V. important perspective piece by @madeline-eppley.bsky.social & @andylee.bsky.social on biological sex and why a lack of scientific consensus should not be used to dictate human rights doi.org/10.1111/ele.... 🧪

New paper out in ecology letters! with @andylee.bsky.social @allydefduf.bsky.social We synthesized the active debate on how scientists define sex, including limitations and assumptions. We believe this discussion will lead to more accurate science. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

omg another paper with @madeline-eppley.bsky.social and @allydefduf.bsky.social accepted!!! Extra proud of this one (and also really nervous for it to come out). We thought a lot about how biologists define sex in our research. Out soon in Ecology Letters!

Paper accepted!!! Beyond honored to have worked with fellow queer ECRs (@madeline-eppley.bsky.social, @allydefduf.bsky.social and others not on bsky) to critically examine our field's relationship with the queer community, and how we can leverage Queer perspectives to conduct more accurate science!!

Please apply to join the Diversity Committee of the American Society of Naturalists! www.amnat.org/announcement...

Today 14 scientific societies in #ecology #evolution and #marineScience are publishing the results of a survey that finds negative impacts of federal policies on food security, flood mitigation, infectious disease preparedness, and wildlife conservation: 🧪👩‍🔬 www.firsthandaccounts.org/impacts/2025...

Researchers found that 10.5% of shark and swordfish products from species listed as Near Threatened, Vulnerable, or Endangered (IUCN) in New England seafood markets were mislabeled. #DNABarcoding #Biodiversity #Conservation #Seafood

New paper with @birdpicsandscience.bsky.social out TODAY!! We found that choosing "highly informative loci" (aka high fst loci) may bias results in common population genetic analyses onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... Explainer thread to come! #PopGen #PopulationGenomics #Evolution

Come learn about some cool new coral disease research from my friend and (honorary) new lab mate Emily! #Evol2025 🪸 Will be a great talk.

I’ll be chatting about oysters today at #Evol2025! 🦪 Drop by the Ecological Genetics III session in Olympia 2 at 3:00 pm to hear about some unexpected and exciting genetic results.

If you are a person who cares about the future of science in the US, please take actions this week to #SaveNSF. @asn-amnat.bsky.social @sse-evolution.bsky.social @systbiol.bsky.social are leading a week of action - here is a Media Support Tool from the societies docs.google.com/document/d/1... 🧪🧑‍🔬🧬🖥️🦑

Yesterday I met with PA Senator Dave McCormick and the offices of Rep. Scott Perry and @fetterman.senate.gov to discuss the importance of federal funding for biological research with at least $9.9 billion for @NSF in FY2026. @aibsbiology.bsky.social #AIBSCVD2025

This week AIBS helped organize meetings between scientists and congressional offices in Washington, DC. Congrats to all the participants in the 2025 Congressional Visits Day. #AIBSCVD2025

Ask your Representative to sign the bipartisan Neguse-Fitzpatrick Dear Colleague Letter in support of $10.2 billion in funding for the National Science Foundation in 2026. #aibs #policynews #scipol takeaction.io/aibs/action-...

Small Populations, Large Conservation Challenges: Turgeon et al. evaluate the relative influence of density-dependence, environmental conditions, and sporadic events on annual ungulate population growth. Summary & Analysis by Madeline Eppley! www.amnat.org/an/newpapers...

Happy to see our tools being used in a wide variety of conservation applications.

Starting the week off with some (much needed!) good news - my FIRST first-author manuscript has been published in #conservationgenetics 🌎✨🧪 Using DNA barcoding, I found that ~10% of swordfish sold in New England (USA) fish markets was actually shark, including the endangered shortfin mako 🦈

Curious about grad school in #ecology 🧪 or #marinescience 🦑? Apply for BEACHES! I’ve been a mentor in this program for 3 years, and I’ve personally seen it positively impact academic trajectories. All expenses covered, hosted at the @northeasternmes.bsky.social Marine Science Center. Share widely! 🌊

a little louder for the people in the back … and at the front. we seem to be forgetting this.

Great point for how to discuss cuts with students, public, congressional reps/staff, etc. I attended ESA's Communication with Congress webinar today and they recommended using NSF 'In Your State' fact sheets to quantify impact of NSF investment in your state economy 🧬🧪 new.nsf.gov/about/fact-s...

It's a really great time to say I'm proud to be joining the ASN Graduate Council as a representative from 2025 - 2027. Thank you to the Executive Council for being clear and unwavering about the values we uphold in our scientific work and society.

"Since 1980, Congress has mandated that the [NSF] seek to broaden participation of underrepresented groups, including women and other minorities, within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)." www.nature.com/articles/d41... 🧪👨‍🔬 executive orders are at odds with this mandate

If you're an educator now would be a good time to suddenly be incapable of remembering if your students previously used another name or pronouns. What are you talking about, that kid's always been Wren? I don't recall them ever going by a different name, but I mean, I'm just not great at names.

i think today broke my single day record for most phone calls received from colleagues. the scientists — especially those with minoritized identities — are not ok

I recently presented on the range-wide #popgen structure of the eastern oyster at the @noaa.gov Milford Aquaculture Seminar. It was my first time attending, and it was great to see the interest in applying genetics to improve aquaculture outcomes! 🦪🧬

Reframing Formalin: A Molecular Opportunity Enabling Historical Epigenomics and Retrospective Gene Expression Studies 🧬 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

I had a fantastic time presenting on a forthcoming manuscript at Boston University with co-author @allydefduf.bsky.social last week! Thank you to BU and @daviesswphd.bsky.social for the invite. Stay tuned for our ✨pre-print✨, which will be available soon!! #QueerInSTEM

congrats Dr. Cheng on a fantastic defense & welcome to bluesky!! 🦞 @northeasternmes.bsky.social

New eastern oyster #popgen paper! Structure found between native, cultivated, and restored subpops in Great Bay, NH 🦪🧬 #conservationgenomics

Disease ecologist starter pack -- reply with people/organizations to be added or to share similar lists / feeds #diseaseecology 🦠🐀🦠🦇🦠🦭🦠🦆🦠 go.bsky.app/RwAuiNT

me and @myadarsan.bsky.social and @ellie-handler.bsky.social watching assassin beetle and spider predator-prey dynamics play out live at our work desks like