Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
@lalvarezfilip.bsky.social
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Coral reef ecologist barcolab.org
pinned post!
The 2023 marine heatwave was devastating for Caribbean reefs; in this study, we report full mortality of over 5,000 Acropora palmata colonies across a reef scale. What is worrisome is that nearly 70% of reef crests across the Caribbean faced equal or higher levels of stress
doi.org/10.1016/j.is...
about 1 month ago
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Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
Trends in Ecology & Evolution
about 1 month ago
Online now: Keystone coral species population collapse after unprecedented heat stress
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Keystone coral species population collapse after unprecedented heat stress
Climate change threatens coral reefs globally. Birkart and Alvarez-Filip document local extirpation of a keystone coral species in Mexico following unprecedented heat stress, suggesting similar outcomes for ∼70% of the Greater Caribbean’s shallow-water reefs. This highlights the need to upscale surveys using emerging technologies to locate, protect, and propagate surviving corals.
http://dlvr.it/TP5d6L
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The 2023 marine heatwave was devastating for Caribbean reefs; in this study, we report full mortality of over 5,000 Acropora palmata colonies across a reef scale. What is worrisome is that nearly 70% of reef crests across the Caribbean faced equal or higher levels of stress
doi.org/10.1016/j.is...
about 1 month ago
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A beautifully written story about parrotfishes and coral reefs by
@lisasgardiner.bsky.social
add a skeleton here at some point
about 2 months ago
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Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
Nature
3 months ago
Nature research paper: Reduced Atlantic reef growth past 2 °C warming amplifies sea-level impacts
go.nature.com/3VjkuWL
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Reduced Atlantic reef growth past 2 °C warming amplifies sea-level impacts - Nature
An analysis of coral reefs in the tropical western Atlantic suggests that nearly all will be eroding by 2100 if global warming exceeds 2 °C, which will worsen the effects of sea-level rise.
https://go.nature.com/3VjkuWL
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Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
The Conversation UK
3 months ago
Coral reefs will stop growing and many will start to erode if global warming hits 2°C, according to a new study of 400 sites.
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Caribbean coral reefs are running out of time to keep up with rising seas – new study
Coral reefs will stop growing and many will start to erode if global warming hits 2°C, according to a new study of 400 sites.
https://tcnv.link/DOMO8C2
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Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
Nature Portfolio
3 months ago
Over 70% of coral reefs in the tropical western Atlantic Ocean are projected to be in a state of erosion by 2040, increasing to nearly all reefs in 2100 if warming exceeds 2 °C above preindustrial levels, a study in Nature suggests.
go.nature.com/48m9Y8F
🌊 🧪
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Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
Global Change Biology
4 months ago
Dispersal Ability Reduces Thermal Specialization and Prevents Climate‐Driven Extinctions in a Neotropical Rainforest
buff.ly/nNuQFG7
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Terry Hughes
4 months ago
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Published today in Science: “The pace of new interventions is outstripping the capacity to prevent unintended consequences - because governance systems are not yet in place.” Stop the cowboys before they do even more damage!
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Governing novel climate interventions in rapidly changing oceans
Marine systems are rapidly changing in response to global heating. The scale and intensity of change are triggering a host of novel interventions to sustain oceans and ocean-dependent societies. Howev...
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adq0174
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Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
Science Magazine
5 months ago
The global marine heatwaves of 2023 were unprecedented in their intensity, persistence, and scale, according to a new Science study. The findings provide insights into the region-specific drivers of these events, linking them to broader changes in the planet’s climate system.
scim.ag/4lOzfwm
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6 months ago
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Simon J. Brandl
6 months ago
Heard of "Darwin's paradox"? It refers to Charles Darwin's observation that coral reefs are wildly productive despite occurring in nutrient-poor tropical oceans. Reefs are, so the story goes, oases in marine deserts 🏝️... Turns out that 2/3 of these assertions are very wrong... 🌐 🦑🧪 🧵⬇️
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Texas Science
6 months ago
New research challenges the long-held belief that coral reefs are “oases” in marine deserts. While among the world’s most productive ecosystems, their existence in nutrient-deprived oceans is the exception rather than the rule.
@gobyone.bsky.social
@utmsi.bsky.social
cns.utexas.edu/news/researc...
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Idea of Coral Reefs as Oases in Marine Deserts May Be Mistaken
New research from Simon Brandl at The University of Texas at Austin challenges a long-held belief about coral reefs.
https://cns.utexas.edu/news/research/idea-coral-reefs-oases-marine-deserts-may-be-mistaken
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Coral restoration is a rapidly growing field; however, the scalability of interventions is often a limitation to reverse coral losses at meaningful scales. We address this issue by proposing a spatially explicit approximation to optimize the outplanting design at the reefscape scale
bit.ly/4kiVxoH
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Enhancing structural connectivity through coral restoration by adopting a landscape ecology perspective - Landscape Ecology
Context Restoration is an effective measure to counteract declines of reef-building coral populations. Despite decades of coral restoration research and practice, very little emphasis has been placed ...
https://bit.ly/4kiVxoH
7 months ago
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David Roberts
7 months ago
BBC News - Attenborough at 99 delivers 'greatest message he's ever told'
www.bbc.com/news/article...
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Sir David Attenborough Ocean film 'greatest message he's told'
Sir David says his new film Ocean is one of the most important of his career.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0wjxg0ex1o
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Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
ICRS International Coral Reef Society
7 months ago
1/6 Call for session proposals 16th International Coral Reef Symposium, 19–24th July 2026, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. Session proposal deadline: Sunday 15th June 2025. Details and submission link at
www.icrs2026.nz/call-for-ses...
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Call for Session Proposals
https://www.icrs2026.nz/call-for-session-proposals
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Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
IPBES
7 months ago
According to data from Coral Reef Watch, the worst global bleaching event on record has now hit more than 80% of the planet’s reefs, prompting scientists to warn that we are in “uncharted territory.” Read more from
@readfearn.bsky.social
in
@theguardian.com
:
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
🌍🧪
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Tracing the worst coral bleaching event in recorded history – video
Two years into the worst coral bleaching event on record, more than 80% of the planet's reefs have been affected
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/video/2025/apr/23/tracing-the-worst-coral-bleaching-event-in-recorded-history-video
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Ken Caldeira
7 months ago
Science Feedback provides valuable context behind the headline.
science.feedback.org/review/84-of...
We need more contextualizing of clickbait stories. Often, as in this case, there is an important, albeit nuanced, story not easily summarized in a catchy headline.
@sciencefeedback.bsky.social
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84% of the world’s reefs recently experienced bleaching-level heat stress, but not all were ‘completely bleached' - Science Feedback
84% of Earth's reefs experienced bleaching-level heat stress, but not all were completely bleached. Mass bleaching was reported in 82 different countries and territories, but it will be years until sc...
https://science.feedback.org/review/84-of-the-worlds-reefs-recently-experienced-bleaching-level-heat-stress-but-not-all-were-completely-bleached/
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Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
Climate Tracker
8 months ago
More than 80% of the world’s reefs hit by bleaching after worst global event on record
#Climate
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More than 80% of the world’s reefs hit by bleaching after worst global event on record
An ashen pallor and an eerie stillness all that remains where there should fluttering fish and vibrant colours in the reefscape, one conservationist says
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/23/coral-reef-bleaching-worst-global-event-on-record
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Terry Hughes
8 months ago
“Major barriers include the small scale of restoration programs, high costs per hectare, and the …. vulnerability (of corals) to future heat stresses.
phys.org/news/2025-04...
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Coral restoration projects failing: One-third ineffective and unlikely to scale, study finds
As coral bleaching and deaths become more widespread globally, experts are re-evaluating the benefits of restoration missions to reverse damage and protect some of the world's most species-rich ecosys...
https://phys.org/news/2025-04-coral-ineffective-scale.html
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David Ho
8 months ago
If we continue burning fossil fuels and warming the ocean, coral reefs will become a thing of the past.
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More than 80% of the world’s reefs hit by bleaching after worst global event on record
An ashen pallor and an eerie stillness all that remains where there should fluttering fish and vibrant colours in the reefscape, one conservationist says
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/23/coral-reef-bleaching-worst-global-event-on-record
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Lewis Pugh Foundation
8 months ago
"The fact that so many reef areas have been impacted ... suggests that ocean warming has reached a level where there is no longer any safe harbour." 🪸💔
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
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More than 80% of the world’s reefs hit by bleaching after worst global event on record
An ashen pallor and an eerie stillness all that remains where there should be fluttering fish and vibrant colours in the reefscape, one conservationist says
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/23/coral-reef-bleaching-worst-global-event-on-record
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Terry Hughes
8 months ago
Update on Trump’s savage anti-science agenda: “The White House is ready to ask Congress to eliminate NOAA’s climate research centers and cut hundreds of federal and academic climate scientists who track and study human-driven global warming.”
www.science.org/content/arti...
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🌊🌊🪸🪸 Ever wonder how a hurricane modifies the landscape structure of a coral reef? In this newly published study, we use high-resolution drone imagery to explore how the impact of disturbances modulates the spatial arrangement and distribution of Acropora palmate patches.
doi.org/10.1007/s003...
8 months ago
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Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
The Coral Reef Research Hub
8 months ago
SOBERING NEWS!!! Coral restoration projects failing: One-third ineffective and unlikely to scale, study finds
phys.org/news/2025-04...
#coralreefs
#coralreefresearch
#coralrestoration
#reefrestoration
#coral
#conservation
#coralgardening
#habitatrestoration
#climatechange
#marinebiology
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Coral restoration projects failing: One-third ineffective and unlikely to scale, study finds
As coral bleaching and deaths become more widespread globally, experts are re-evaluating the benefits of restoration missions to reverse damage and protect some of the world's most species-rich…
https://phys.org/news/2025-04-coral-ineffective-scale.html
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Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
Corey Bradshaw
8 months ago
Reality check: coral restoration won’t save the world’s reefs A coral ‘rope’ nursery in the Maldives. Luca Saponari/University of Milan, CC BY-ND Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Flinders University; Clelia Mulà, The University of Western Australia, and Giovanni Strona, University of Helsinki Coral reefs are…
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Reality check: coral restoration won’t save the world’s reefs
A coral ‘rope’ nursery in the Maldives. Luca Saponari/University of Milan, CC BY-ND Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Flinders University; Clelia Mulà, The University of Western Australia, and Giovanni Strona, University of Helsinki Coral reefs are much more than just a pretty place to visit. They are among the world’s richest ecosystems, hosting about a third of all marine species…
http://conservationbytes.com/2025/04/08/reality-check-coral-restoration-wont-save-the-worlds-reefs/
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Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
The New York Times
8 months ago
Some 1,900 leading researchers accused the Trump administration in an open letter on Monday of conducting a “wholesale assault on U.S. science” that could set back research by decades and that threatens the health and safety of Americans.
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Trump Administration Has Begun a War on Science, Researchers Say
Nearly 2,000 scientists urged that Congress restore funding to federal agencies decimated by recent cuts.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/31/science/trump-science-nas-letter.html?smtyp=cur&smid=bsky-nytimes
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Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
The Conversation U.S.
9 months ago
“If those who speak Spanish as their second language are included, then the U.S. is the second-largest Spanish-speaking country in the world after Mexico.” By ending Spanish-language communications, the White House ignores U.S. demographics:
buff.ly/pTDH2iR
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In this news story, we discuss the need to rethink the role parrotfish play as a tool for reef conservation and management ......🐟 🪸 🪸 🐟
add a skeleton here at some point
10 months ago
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Jérémy Carlot
10 months ago
Our last article on Vulnerability of benthic trait diversity across the Mediterranean Sea following mass mortality events is out in @NatureComms ! 🪸🌱🐚🌡️🌊 A thread 👇🧵
nature.com/articles/s41...
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Ana S. L. Rodrigues
11 months ago
So grateful that we share the Planet with other species 🌍
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One of the few remaining elkhorn corals in the Caribbean is standing the wave energy... 🌊🪸
11 months ago
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Javier González
11 months ago
Great Barrier Reef fish reveal that large-scale macroecological patterns have changed significantly 🐟🐠 We found that changes in latitudinal diversity gradient & rising species turnover were strongly correlated with shifts in coral composition Out now in Nature Comms
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
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Emergent patterns of reef fish diversity correlate with coral assemblage shifts along the Great Barrier Reef - Nature Communications
Coral reefs have been severely affected by anthropogenic stress. Using long term data from the Great Barrier Reef, this study found temporal changes in the latitudinal diversity gradient, and stronger...
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-55128-7
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Sal Keith (she/her)
11 months ago
Congrats
@reefjav.bsky.social
on a beast of a paper showing that coral composition, not cover, drives reef fish assemblage change over space & time. 28yrs of
#AIMS
data over entire
#GBR
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Not bad for 1st paper of PhD 🤯
@lec-reefs.bsky.social
@nickajgraham.bsky.social
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Emergent patterns of reef fish diversity correlate with coral assemblage shifts along the Great Barrier Reef - Nature Communications
Coral reefs have been severely affected by anthropogenic stress. Using long term data from the Great Barrier Reef, this study found temporal changes in the latitudinal diversity gradient, and stronger...
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-55128-7
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William (Bill) Sutherland
11 months ago
Video on why measures of effectiveness are often exaggerated and what can be done about it. Speed cameras are my example but discuss conservation. Applies to any policy or practice.
eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com?url=https%3A...
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Regression to the mean
Many measures of effectiveness are mismeasured as illustrated by speed cameras.
https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D5CpF_L8Hqw4&data=05%7C02%7Cwjs32%40cam.ac.uk%7Cedc261aedb6f48da329808dd2d73b634%7C49a50445bdfa4b79ade3547b4f3986e9%7C1%7C0%7C638716697172984011%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=tRw1wrxs4bnOOKADhAORAKRjsRdgreBZxCdNa80SR1Q%3D&reserved=0
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Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
Science Magazine
11 months ago
A new study finds ants best humans at tests of collective intelligence. Learn more:
scim.ag/4h2K0ID
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melomys
12 months ago
Not that Google was ever good, but this cartoon is a good summary of now.
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David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈
12 months ago
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
🧪🦑🌎🐠
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Artificial Light Increases Nighttime Prevalence of Predatory Fishes, Altering Community Composition on Coral Reefs
Artificial light is a manmade pollutant that is spreading into marine environments, and coral reefs are particularly susceptible to biological impacts due to the inshore, shallow, and clear-water loc....
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.70002
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Phil Levin
12 months ago
🌿 How does competition for funding shape research? An interesting new paper reveals the economic, ethical, and epistemic costs of competitive research funding. Addressing this has important implications for our ability to fund bold innovative conservation science. 🔗
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
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The costs of competition in distributing scarce research funds | PNAS
Research funding systems fundamentally influence how science operates. This paper aims to analyze the allocation of competitive research funding fr...
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2407644121
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Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
Peter Mumby
12 months ago
Allee effects require corals to lie within a few metres of their neighbours to achieve successful fertilisation.
doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2…
open acce
s @gerardricardo.bsky.soci
al
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Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
Simon J. Brandl
12 months ago
🚨New postdoc positions available: we are looking for 2 postdoctoral researchers to join a large, collaborative effort to document, describe, and investigate the biodiversity of tiny, cryptobenthic fishes in the Indo-Pacific 🤏🐠🧪. More details:
fishandfunctions.com/join%F0%9F%9...
Please repost 🦑🧪
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David Ho
12 months ago
This episode was so good that I listened to it thrice.
add a skeleton here at some point
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Newly published parrotfish research in
@plos.bsky.social
. We used the most extensive reef system in the Gulf of Mexico – Alacranes Reef- as a study model to show that parrotfish functions are strongly linked to habitat structure and composition. Link:
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
12 months ago
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Nick Dulvy
about 1 year ago
New
#GlobalSharkTrends
study published in
@science.org
reveals
#overfishing
has more than halved shark & ray populations over the past 50-years causing widespread erosion of ecological function and exceptionally high extinction risk 👉Full article
bit.ly/GlobalSharkTrends
🧵1/20
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Mark Eakin
about 1 year ago
Scientists thought global warming would slow this year. It didn’t. Just in time to make it hard for climate change deniers.
wapo.st/4eZ5PY0
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Scientists thought global warming would slow this year. It didn’t.
Instead, global temperatures remain at near-record levels.
https://wapo.st/4eZ5PY0
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Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
Altmetric
about 1 year ago
BLUESKY MEGA-THREAD Altmetric is thrilled and also LITERALLY RELIEVED to officially announce: We are now tracking research attention as it happens on Bluesky! We have been picking up posts on the site since late Oct. Our team is on Bluesky all day answering questions. Let's get into it!
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Bluesky
about 1 year ago
Scientists, academics, researchers: We’re excited to share that
@altmetric.com
is now tracking mentions of your research on Bluesky! 🧪
add a skeleton here at some point
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Joachim Claudet
about 1 year ago
Scientists as political advocates "[...] as more and more scientists come under political attack, they are realizing that we cannot rely on nonscientists to be the primary advocates for the necessity, value, and power of scientific knowledge and methods."
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
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Scientists as political advocates
Science, both teaching and doing, is under attack. The recent US presidential election of a person and platform with anti-science bias exemplifies this. The study of climate processes and patterns and...
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adt7194
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Liam Lachs
about 1 year ago
📢New Paper Alert📢 on corals and climate change in Science Adaptation via natural selection could determine whether Acropora corals persist under expected levels of global warming Hyperlinks & explainer thread below ⬇️ (1/12)
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Zack Labe
about 1 year ago
Time for the
@bsky.app
community to see one of my favorite visualizations of climate change... "Shifting Distribution of Land Temperature Anomalies" by
svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5211/
⚒️🧪
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Mónica Medina
about 1 year ago
Here is a coral reef science starter pack!
go.bsky.app/Qo5Gh2H
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