Ending this almost a month-long research trip here in Katsuura, Chiba where I examined the black coral collections at Umihaku (Coastal Branch of Natural History Museum & Institute). Especially grateful to curator Dr. Kensuke Yanagi whose exceptional hospitality is second to none!

Visited yesterday the small yet important black coral collection of the late Prof. Kumao Kinoshita (1881-1947), a prominent Japanese coral taxonomist. Some of his specimens are currently missing but several are deposited at The University of Tokyo where he used to work.

I am usually powered by caffeine everyday but spent the whole day earlier drowned by fumes of either ethanol or formalin. Such a privilege to examine the black coral collection of the late Emperor Showa at the Museum of Nature and Science (NSMT). One important collection down, onward to the next!

Wrapped up my training on NGS workflows at AIST. Working on black coral systematics. Grateful to @hkise.bsky.social for the invite, access to facilities and resources, as well as hands-on instruction. Travel support was made possible by @icrs.bsky.social graduate fellowship.

We are proud to celebrate the recipients of this year’s ICRS awards 🪸🏆 Each recognition reflects not only scientific excellence, but also dedication, collaboration, and meaningful contributions to to coral reef science and conservation. Congratulations to all awardees!

Hello Hello! I'd like to share our recent letter on coral reef-related policy published in Science! 🪸🪸🪸 Endangered Species Act changes threaten reefs www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... 🪸🪸🪸 More below ⬇️

Google Scholar seems a bit unresponsive to Boolean search operators lately or it is just on my end?

Counting down my days as a fellow at SI NMNH. Nothing but pure bliss to be here.

Workspace at NMNH MSC. #taxonomy #blackcorals

First day of fellowship begins today.

Back on land after a month of being at sea sampling in Earth's most remote ecosystem - the deep sea. Always just grateful for the experience and the kind people I have met during that time. @dsbsoc.bsky.social

Another exciting 2025 #DSBSoc support awardee! Meet Kurt Bacharo (@kurtbb.bsky.social), a grad student in the @miselab.bsky.social at U. of the Ryukyus working with #BlackCorals and currently aboard the #JAMSTEC R/V Kaimei exploring the biodiversity off the Daito Islands. Read more in alt-text!

The D-ARK (Deep-Sea Archaic Refugia in Karst) voyage continues! Was able to join as an @oceancensus.bsky.social participant last year. And now, on its second year, I am lucky to be part of it again with the generous cruise support provided by @dsbsoc.bsky.social.

🎨🔬 CALLING ALL ARTISTS & DEEP-SEA SCIENTISTS! 💡 Open to ALL artists & scientists 
🗓 Deadline: August 31 
📍 Apply via the short form in our bio / link below! 🔗 forms.gle/SftLbez3ML2j...

In case you missed it: SSB is hosting a breakout meeting Jan 9-11. Thinking about hosting a workshop or tutorial? Email @jembrown.bsky.social for more information - or find him at the in-person #evol2025 in two weeks! ssb2026.github.io

Excited to share our study on sailing siphonophores, AKA bluebottles or man-o'-war! 🌊 we received hundreds of samples from scientists around the world, part of a huge effort to sequence genomes and test for multiple species 🧬 out today in @currentbiology.bsky.social doi.org/10.1016/j.cu... 🦑🧪📌

A new species of black coral, represented by two specimens collected 738 m and 1604 m deep off Puerto Rico and Hawaii, respectively, is recognized in the family Schizopathidae. See its description here: doi.org/10.3897/zook...

Many may not remember the DENDROGRAMMA mystery! This weird mushroom-shaped thing was described in 2014 as a "new metazoan" of unknown affinities! They were hinting that it might be a new phylum-but THEN 2 years later @drtimohara.bsky.social sequenced it and BOING! BENTHIC #SIPHONOPHORE!

Looking to join a marine expedition — but need funding support? 🚢 The Ocean Census Expedition Awards are now OPEN for applications. Find out more and apply 👇 oceancensus.org/publications...

Interesting video showing off the Antarctic brittle star Ophionotus cleaning itself off! #echinoday youtube.com/shorts/9cBOk...

New paper by MISE octocoral crazy collectors and friends!! @lauramacrina.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A feather star, sitting on this weird sponge/black coral cluster, 1445 m but with interestingly weird arm movements! Kure Atoll #okeanos #saveNOAA #echinoday

A curiousity! Glass sponge with a black coral inundated within it! 981 m #okeanos #saveNOAA #spongethursday

Visual depiction of the evolutionary trend of black coral skeletal networks and ridges. www.nature.com/articles/s42...

🚨 Fossilized Black Corals 🚨 Includes two transitional species too! Come learn about the evolutionary trend toward regularity in the axial skeleton from the Ordovician to modern day antipatharians (includes reduced ridges and a longitudinal fusion of networks). www.nature.com/articles/s42...

Calling all marine scientists involved in marine species discovery 📣 The Ocean Census Species Discovery Awards are now open for applications. These are financial awards, generously provided by The Nippon Foundation, to help fund the discovery of new species. Info here: oceancensus.org/awards/

Was at #AWESOMECON here in DC and wow. Handmade PLUSHIE NUDIBRANCHS! Sometimes I think education about invertebrates is working! #molluscmonday

The Ocean Census Species Discovery Awards support outstanding taxonomists, biodiversity and community scientists involved in marine species discovery. Financial awards available to apply for now oceancensus.org/awards/

Benthic siphonophores! aka Sea Dandelions! GORGEOUS, weird & deadly! All those thin threads? stinging cells! but also holding the animal in place. It has created a curtain of death around it as food gets stung and eaten! #okeanos Lumpy Seamount North Atlantic #saveNOAA

IRIDIGORGIA! the fireworks coral-for #octocoralFriday #Okeanos #saveNOAA south of Hawaiian Islands, about 700m I think? from dive 4 of the shakedown cruise!

NEW PAPER ON CORAL RESTORATION PUBLISHED IN ONE EARTH! 🌏🌊🏝 Within we find a lack of knowledge on basic coral biology limits innovation. 🪸🪸🪸 Please enjoy! doi.org/10.1016/j.on... Request on ResearchGate if you need access: www.researchgate.net/publication/...

#wormwednesday! A #newspecies of an unusual polychaete genus Ctenophoricola (#Phyllodocida, Phyllodocidae, Alciopini) from the Indian Ocean how interesting! www.mapress.com/zt/article/v...

We are super happy and proud to celebrate our MISE graduates! Congratulations to Dr. Iori @mizukaming.bsky.social, Dr. Ifenna, Dr. Jue for their PhD, Ayaka and Kairi for their MSc, and Yuka, Nanami and Shion for their bachelor degree!🎉🎉🎉

Grabbing one of the "Kinoshita" coral treasures here at the University Museum, University of Tokyo. Collected back in 1894, described in 1910, and opening it for re-examination after decades.

Todai

Time to get applications in for ICRS awards! Exciting awards for all career stages incl. early and mid-career awards, Eminence in Research, and Honorary lifetime memberships. Deadline March 15th. More details on these and more exciting awards at: coralreefs.org/awards-and-h...

Do you work on coral reef conservation and protection? Come check out our World Reef and Coral Reef Conservation Awards – Deadline March 15th. For more details on these and more exciting awards go to: coralreefs.org/awards-and-h...

[New Paper] is on the COVER of @science.org !! FIRST genome-phylogeny of MOLLUSCS (snails, clams, octopus, etc.) complete with ALL classes —incl. the mythical "living fossil" Monoplacophora— reveals how they evolved the most diverse body forms of all animals! OPEN ACCESS: doi.org/10.1126/scie...

Pensoft Publishers issued a new journal to showcase the significance of taxonomy and natural history collections. 🦋 cetaf.org/elementor-10...

I was quite confident on my knowledge of marine biodiversity in my area (I have a PhD in marine biology after all). But today I learn about Paromola cuvieri, one of the largest crab species of the Northeast Atlantic, that uses its last pair of legs to carry live specimens of sponges and corals 🦑 🌊

Bloodybelly comb jellies don’t glow—they put on a shifting rainbow light show with reflective glass plates as they drift through the abyss. But that deep red color? It’s the ultimate invisibility cloak, making sure nothing sees what they’ve had for lunch. 🌊🪼 #DeepSea #Marinelife

List of Invertebrate Zoology # #molluscmonday or #molluskmonday #tunicatetuesday #trilobitetuesday #wormwednesday #spongethursday #octocoralfriday #polylchaeteday on July 1 aka #internationalpolycaeteday #seaslugday on October 29th #echinoday for anything echino related and for cephalopods? ha ha

A nice lavender squat lobster from Pioneer Seamount in the North Pacific #Okeanos 2015

In the next round of thesis season, super MISE master students were defending today! Ayaka Umeda on acidified bay community in Palau and Kairi Takahashi on the diet of zoantharians with different symbiotic regimes! Both of them rocked!!! #thisishowMISErolls

Today on International Day of Women and Girls in Science we are highlighting some of the incredible women in the Ocean Census Science Network! Hear from some of the scientists involved in different stages of species discovery 👇 oceancensus.org/women-in-sci... #WomenInScienceDay

It’s International day of Women in Science! Showcasing the incredible lineup of women in MISE, all doing as much incrediblly cool research!

Rockstars soft coral ecology expert Jue, microplastics super surveyor Ifenna and Peronia slugs specialist Iori defended their PhD theses today! 👏👏👏

Senior scientists who will be reviewing tenure & promotion files in the future - please remember that the effects of many of these executive orders will disproportionately affect researchers from marginalized groups - often the same folks penalized by COVID-related delays, childcare issues, etc. 🧪

Bryozoan, anthomastus, & shrimps. @schmidtocean.bsky.social dive 786 #AntarcticClimateConnections #MarineLife