Graeme S. Cumming | Lightnews

Nick Dulvy @nickdulvy.bsky.social · 2d

New paper out today in @natrevbiodiv.nature.com by the #GlobalSharkTrends team: Bending back the curve of shark & ray biodiversity loss;
Read the paper here: rdcu.be/eZ9n9
@sfu.ca
@sfubiosciences.bsky.social
@earth2ocean.bsky.social

Bending back the biodiversity loss curve of sharks and rays. The loss of sharks and rays to date has involved serial depletion of the largest, most evolutionary and functionally distinct species, and the increasing prevalence of smaller-bodied species that have benefited from release from predation.

joeymaier 🌊 @joeymaier.bsky.social · 3d

#dugong #Thailand

"In 2022, at least 273 dugongs lived in Thai waters..."

They're now losing about 42/year

😨

Looking for Miracle: why have so many dugongs gone missing from Thailand’s shores? | Global development | The Guardian share.google/qIUzUfAX3faR...

Looking for Miracle: why have so many dugongs gone missing from Thailand’s shores?

The Andaman coast was one of very few places in the world with a viable population but then dead dugongs began washing up. Now half have gone

share.google

Graeme Cumming @gscumming.bsky.social · 3d

I would disagree, I think, on the grounds that we still have much to learn. One of the biggest issues is that we have been slow to understand the full scope of the sustainability problem and its complexity; object of study has been too narrowly defined. ‘Implementation’ is endogenous, not external.

David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 3d

Antarctic warming from fossil fuel burning is driving the fastest breeding shift ever seen in penguins. Gentoo, Adelie, and Chinstrap penguins are nesting up to 24 days earlier. This increases competition for food and space, helping Gentoos expand but threatening Chinstrap and Adelie.

Penguins bring forward breeding season as Antarctica warms: study

Penguins are bringing forward their breeding season at record rates as Antarctica rapidly warms due to climate change, according to research published by a global team of scientists on Tuesday.

www.rfi.fr

Graeme Cumming @gscumming.bsky.social · 5d

One of the strangest maps you'll ever see...

Jeff Berardelli @weatherprof.bsky.social · 5d

Free falling Iguana 🦎 Alert Activated for Monday AM so look out below!
But seriously, the map is colored by where we expect cold stunned iguanas and where they’ll be marked safe.
Keep in mind, they are rare north of the Treasure Coast and Sunshine Skyway.

Jeff Berardelli @weatherprof.bsky.social · 5d

Free falling Iguana 🦎 Alert Activated for Monday AM so look out below!
But seriously, the map is colored by where we expect cold stunned iguanas and where they’ll be marked safe.
Keep in mind, they are rare north of the Treasure Coast and Sunshine Skyway.

Graeme Cumming @gscumming.bsky.social · 8d

I still need to read this, but looks interesting! 🧪🌍🪸🌐

Felipe Martello @felipemartello.bsky.social · 9d

Very happy to share this new paper is out! 🚀

Using multitaxa trait-based data, we introduce new indicators that capture ecosystem resilience and the critical role of functionally unique species for sustaining ecosystem functioning.

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Multitaxa functional diversity increases the resilience of biological natural capital in the Amazon

This study presents a trait-based framework integrating functional diversity into biological natural capital accounting, capturing both ecosystem resilience and species uniqueness across multiple tax...

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Cameron Thrash @jcamthrash.bsky.social · 8d

Accounting for ocean impacts nearly doubles the social cost of carbon www.nature.com/articles/s41... #jcampubs 🌊

Accounting for ocean impacts nearly doubles the social cost of carbon - Nature Climate Change

Oceans provide essential ecosystem services to human society, yet the climate impacts on blue capital have long been ignored. Incorporating the latest works on ocean science and economics, researchers...

www.nature.com

Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) @cms.int · 9d

The @iucnshark.bsky.social presents first global overview of Important Shark & Ray Areas for CMS and Sharks MoU species, helping show where they reproduce, feed, gather and migrate. 🦈

>1/3 of sharks and rays risk extinction due to overfishing, habitat degradation and climate change.

Links below!

Felipe Martello @felipemartello.bsky.social · 9d

Very happy to share this new paper is out! 🚀

Using multitaxa trait-based data, we introduce new indicators that capture ecosystem resilience and the critical role of functionally unique species for sustaining ecosystem functioning.

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Multitaxa functional diversity increases the resilience of biological natural capital in the Amazon

This study presents a trait-based framework integrating functional diversity into biological natural capital accounting, capturing both ecosystem resilience and species uniqueness across multiple tax...

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Pablo Garcia-Diaz @pablo-ecology.bsky.social · 11d

Crime and punishment in the outback: A review of extractive and destructive green crime cases in Australia's criminal justice system 🌎🌐🧪 conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Crime and punishment in the outback: A review of extractive and destructive green crime cases in Australia's criminal justice system

Wildlife and environmental crime is a global issue, but regional assessments of these crimes and their impacts are lacking. We reviewed publicly available case files from Australia's intermediate and...

conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

UWA Oceans Institute @uwaoceans.bsky.social · 12d

New OI research from shows 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀 deliver benefits well beyond their boundaries — for ecosystems, communities and economies. A timely framework as Australia works towards 30×30 and a nature-positive future.

🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.on...

@gscumming.bsky.social

Image created by Teigan Collins and Georgina Harmer.

Jack Cousteau ⚓️ @angrywaterman.bsky.social · 14d

oceanographicmagazine.com/news/marine-... marine protection as a means of supporting ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change

Marine protection boosts heatwave recovery for kelp forests - Oceanographic

Scientists find that Californian kelp forests receive a recovery-boost through marine protection following a marine heatwave.

oceanographicmagazine.com

Seth Finnegan @sethf.bsky.social · 15d

Still working my way through pics and videos from sabbatical in Panama: this is Arawacus lincoides, a stripestreak butterfly displaying a predator-distracting "false head", complete with false antennae that wave when it rubs its wings together.

Mindy Weisberger @laminda.bsky.social · 15d

Here's a moment of wonder for you: spiders that craft spider decoys! Two species of orb-weavers in Peru and the Philippines cobble together web structures out of plant bits and prey corpses that look like bigger spiders, possibly to distract spider-eating predators 🧪

Cyclosa Menge, 1866 (Araneidae) Orb‐Weavers Build Stabilimenta That Resemble Larger Spiders

The orb-weaving spider Cyclosa longicauda from Peru constructs unique stabilimenta from detritus and silk that visually resemble a larger spider. This previously undescribed behavior likely functions...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Erik Hoffner @erikhoffner.bsky.social · 17d

Jellyfish & sea anemones lack brains & yet seem to sleep in ways similar to humans

New findings bolster a theory that sleep evolved before centralized nervous systems to repair DNA damage that builds up in individual nerve cells while animals are awake.

“Neurons are very precious”

Jellyfish sleep like humans — even though they don’t have brains

Studying ancient sea creatures’ snoozing habits could shed light on the origins of sleep.

www.nature.com

Linsey Marr @linseymarr.bsky.social · 17d

Here's a story about detection of cetacean morbillivirus, in the same genus as measles virus, in whales' blowhole breath. I'm contemplating what we can learn by exploring transmission between animals. HT Julian Tang

bbc.com/news/article...

Drones detect deadly virus in Arctic whales' breath

Whale breath collected by drones is giving clues to the health of wild humpbacks and other whales.

bbc.com

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 18d

So everyone knows that northern cod collapsed completely in the 1980s and never recovered. Well... it's actually kind of recovering now. Spawning biomass is at pretty good levels, while catches remain at a tiny fraction of the heyday levels.
publications.gc.ca/collections/...

Helmut Hillebrand @hillebr1.bsky.social · 20d

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

@ckunze.bsky.social tested whether the concept of response diversity holds for pulse disturbances & realized response diversity. Turns out interaction strength is key. Great collaboration w @owpet.bsky.social & Shyamolina Gosh @icbm-uol.bsky.social @hifmb.de

Species Interactions Determine the Importance of Response Diversity for Community Stability to Pulse Disturbances

Caculations of response diversity can be based on species fundamental responses in isolation or their realised responses in the community using metrics of response dissimilarity and response divergen...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

IPBES @ipbes.net · 21d

90% of all marine life lives in the photic zone of the ocean, but research reveals that between 2003 & 2022, ocean darkening reduced the photic zone depth by over 50m in 9% of the ocean, with likely severe consequences.

🆕 study by Thomas W. Davies & Tim Smyth: https://ow.ly/gza550XAw6p

Trends in Ecology & Evolution @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social · 21d

Online now: Advancing species-based predictions of Nature’s contributions to people

Advancing species-based predictions of Nature’s contributions to people

Nature’s contributions to people (NCP) are essential for human wellbeing, yet most assessments still rely on land-cover indicators that overlook how biodiversity supports these contributions. We propose that species-level data, widely used in biodiversity mapping, can better inform direct NCP prediction through the development of species’ contributions to people (SCP). Linking species to NCP through relational SCP databases and combining these with species distribution models and global change scenarios can yield spatial NCP predictions that can be better rooted in species’ ecological characteristics. This approach fosters integrated biodiversity–NCP planning and supports conservation goals. We outline key methodological steps, identify research needs, and encourage collective progress to advance SCP knowledge for a transformative shift in how we assess and manage NCP.

dlvr.it

Graeme Cumming @gscumming.bsky.social · 26d

Very sad news, and a big loss to our community.

Bianca Nogrady @biancanogrady.bsky.social · 26d

Devastating news that marine biologist, science communicator, and UniMelb VC Professor Emma Johnston has died after a short illness.
She really was an extraordinary and visionary leader, and I have no doubt she would have made a fine Chief Scientist one day.
theconversation.com/emma-johnsto...

Emma Johnston was a visionary scientist, environmentalist and leader, with an abiding hope for humanity

The University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor, who has died aged 52, was driven by a deep love of science and a desire to safeguard the planet’s future.

theconversation.com

Bianca Nogrady @biancanogrady.bsky.social · 26d

Devastating news that marine biologist, science communicator, and UniMelb VC Professor Emma Johnston has died after a short illness.
She really was an extraordinary and visionary leader, and I have no doubt she would have made a fine Chief Scientist one day.
theconversation.com/emma-johnsto...

Emma Johnston was a visionary scientist, environmentalist and leader, with an abiding hope for humanity

The University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor, who has died aged 52, was driven by a deep love of science and a desire to safeguard the planet’s future.

theconversation.com

Robert Finger @robertfinger.bsky.social · 26d

Percentage of self-sufficiency for specific food groups*

From Stehl et al. Nature Food 2025 www.nature.com/articles/s43...

*National food availability from domestic production as proportion from recommended intake by the Livewell diet. 100% means that all recommendations of a food group are met.

c0nc0rdance @c0nc0rdance.bsky.social · Dec 20

So reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) can't fly, but they are VERY MAGICAL.

For example, their EYES CHANGE COLOR during the year & they're one of the few large mammals that can see UV. Golden brown in summer, deep blue in winter.

Let's talk about the unique visual adaptations of Rudolph and company.

Paddy Kalish OD shared this photo of reindeer eyes, showing a dramatic difference in eye color, probably dramatized, because the real effect is a eye-shine color, which is hard to represent.

Graeme Cumming @gscumming.bsky.social · Dec 20

Our new review lays out a framework for understanding the social-ecological benefits of protected areas to their surroundings - just published in One Earth:
www.cell.com/one-earth/ab...
doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101462

Figure 2. Picture showing a geographic visualization of the seven categories of spillover from protected areas
They include (1) physical spillovers, (2) ecological spillovers, (3) societal and sociocultural spillovers, (4) economic spillovers, (5) political and/or legislative spillovers, (6) management spillovers, and (7) spillovers to physical infrastructure. These categories are explained in more detail in the text.

DAPPER DON DHARSHI @dapperdondharshi.bsky.social · Dec 19

Tiger Shark * Boop *

◉●○•° @ontopunk.bsky.social · Dec 18

“Solar-powered slug.” Photo by Giancarlo Mazarese

The sheep nudibranch Costasiella kuroshimae can feed on algae and sequester the chloroplasts into its own cells, where they capture sunlight and produce energy through photosynthesis.

Graeme Cumming @gscumming.bsky.social · Dec 18

Seems like unlucky timing for Rudolph…

Science Magazine @science.org · Dec 18

It's the first video evidence of polar bears hunting and eating reindeer—something that had long been assumed, but never clearly seen.

Learn more: https://scim.ag/4s0hU6P #ScienceMagArchives

Science Magazine @science.org · Dec 18

It's the first video evidence of polar bears hunting and eating reindeer—something that had long been assumed, but never clearly seen.

Learn more: https://scim.ag/4s0hU6P #ScienceMagArchives

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