Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Erin Spencer, PhD @etspencer.bsky.social · 17d

Great drama happening on the Hudson Canyon livestream right now! Check it out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=n289... 🧪🦑🌊🌍

Erin Spencer, PhD @etspencer.bsky.social · 19d

Excited to see @gardenandgun.com highlight the work of conservationists across the Southern U.S. + Bahamas in their Champions of Conservation feature. It showcases how conservation and recreation can work hand-in-hand for stronger, more lasting outcomes. 🐟🌍

gardenandgun.com/feature/cham...

Champions of Conservation 2025

Safeguarding Helene-threatened salamanders, cultivating gulf oysters, boosting mallard habitat, and spreading native grasslands—the work of this year’s under-the-radar Southern eco-heroes is more impo...

gardenandgun.com

2

Erin Spencer, PhD @etspencer.bsky.social · 27d

What a cool graduate opportunity!! Dietary benefits of sexual cannibalism in spiders at Oklahoma State University. 🧪👩‍🔬🌍

sevenseasmedia.org/job/ms-or-ph...

MS or PhD Opportunity: Nutritional Ecology of Sexual Cannibalism in Spiders

2. Land, Freshwater & Biodiversity Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States Posted 1 hour ago Oklahoma State University Position Overview Application Deadline: October 15, 2025Hours per Week: at least 20Sa...

sevenseasmedia.org

2 1

Erin Spencer, PhD @etspencer.bsky.social · Sep 11

A curious little guy! Spotted on @schmidtocean.bsky.social livestream from 9/8: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivht... 🐟🦑🌊🌍

1

Erin Spencer, PhD @etspencer.bsky.social · Sep 9

Catching up on my shows today @schmidtocean.bsky.social 🌊🦑🧪🐟🌍

3

Erin Spencer, PhD @etspencer.bsky.social · Sep 9

Starting TODAY: Join scientists at sea to learn more about deep sea restoration in real time. Our fall livestream series features many opportunities to hear about ROVs, deep corals, and more. 🌊🦑🧪🐟

Learn more: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/news/mdbc-li...

Watch live: NOAA and Partners Lead Expedition to Advance Deep-Sea Habitat Restoration in the Gulf - NOAA Ocean Exploration

The upcoming expedition is part of a multi-year collaborative effort to restore deep-sea habitats in the Gulf of Mexico that were injured by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the largest offshore ...

oceanexplorer.noaa.gov

1 3

Reposted by Erin Spencer, PhD

Alexa Robles-Gil @alexaroblesgil.bsky.social · Sep 8

The bumpy snailfish, discovered 10,000 feet down off the coast of California, shows that not all denizens of the abyss are frightening. (I watched the video more than 10 times.)

My latest for @nytimes.com (gift link!)

#marinelife

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/08/s...

A New, ‘Adorable’ Deep-Sea Fish Swims Into View

www.nytimes.com

1 11 46

Erin Spencer, PhD @etspencer.bsky.social · Sep 4

This deep-sea worm creates a toxic yellow pigment found in Rembrandt and Cézanne paintings!

Paralvinella hessleri is the first known animal to create orpiment, which was used by artists for centuries. 🦑🧪🌊

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

2 5

Erin Spencer, PhD @etspencer.bsky.social · Aug 15

Good news out of the Gulf -- A new project found that modified turtle excluder devices (TEDs) successfully excluded small turtles while maintaining shrimp catch. 🌊🦑🧪🌍

gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/2025/07/smal...

Small Bar TEDs Successfully Exclude Small Turtles | Gulf Spill Restoration

The Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group recently completed a project addressing juvenile sea turtle bycatch in the Gulf of America otter trawl shrimp fishery. In partnership with the fishery, the ...

gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov

1 1

Reposted by Erin Spencer, PhD

Dr. Kakani Katija @kakanikatija.bsky.social · Aug 7

It all started with a grand challenge: How can we unlock the potential for ocean life to inspire future technologies? @mbarinews.bsky.social's Bioinspiration Lab has spent years trying to tackle this problem, and we recently developed 4000 m-rated EyeRIS, an in situ lightfield imaging system. 2/n

Developed by researchers in MBARI’s Bioinspiration Lab, the EyeRIS camera system (right) enables near real-time three-dimensional imaging and visualization in a compact payload that can be deployed to depths of 4,000 meters (13,100 feet). Image credit: Joost Daniels, MBARI

1 1 10

Reposted by Erin Spencer, PhD

Dr. Kakani Katija @kakanikatija.bsky.social · Aug 7

What EyeRIS revealed was incredible, fine-scale detail of the 3D movements of octopus arms as they crawled over the seafloor completely unconstrained. We learned that octopus crawl by creating a modified foot that persists throughout the behavior, a simplification that could aid roboticists. 8/n

1 5 35

Erin Spencer, PhD @etspencer.bsky.social · Aug 11

Deep-sea livestreams can inspire wonder and drive action. @schmidtocean.bsky.social's current expedition in Mar del Plata canyon, off the Argentine coast, has become an internet sensation -- just as Argentina’s president threatens to cut and privatize science. 🦑🌊🧪

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/08/w...

1

Erin Spencer, PhD @etspencer.bsky.social · Aug 11

Thanks SyFy for sharing our recent great hammerhead energetics paper! And for pairing it with a Sharknado promo, which feels like the bigget win of all. 🌊🐟🧪🦑

www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/ho...

How Great Hammerheads Survive on a Diet of Other Sharks

Great hammerhead sharks eat other large sharks. They can survive on a single blacktip shark every few weeks. Here's what you need to know!

www.syfy.com

2 5

Reposted by Erin Spencer, PhD

MBARI @mbarinews.bsky.social · Aug 6

The EyeRIS camera, developed by @kakanikatija.bsky.social and MBARI’s Bioinspiration Lab, is a game changer for studying the biomechanics of marine life, revealing new insights about octopus locomotion that open the door for future bioinspired technologies.

Learn more: www.mbari.org/news/mbari-r...

MBARI researchers deploy new imaging system to study the movement of deep-sea octopus • MBARI

3D visual data collected by MBARI’s groundbreaking EyeRIS camera system could contribute to the design of bioinspired robots in the future.

www.mbari.org

3 21 65

Erin Spencer, PhD @etspencer.bsky.social · Aug 6

New from the Mesophotic & Deep Benthic Communities restoration team: We deployed dome-shaped concrete structures to support mesophotic coral growth and provide habitat for other small marine animals. 🌊🦑🧪🌍

Read more in my new piece for NOAA NCCOS: coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/restora...

Restoration Milestone: Scientists Deploy Coral Domes in the Gulf - NCCOS - National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

On a recent expedition, restoration experts deployed artificial substrates deeper than 200 ft to help restore mesophotic corals in the Gulf as part of a long-term effort to restore deep-sea habitats i...

coastalscience.noaa.gov

1 3

Erin Spencer, PhD @etspencer.bsky.social · Aug 4

Thank you @popsci.com for covering our recent paper on great hammerhead energetics! 🐟🧪🌊🌍 Read the piece here:

www.popsci.com/environment/...

Hammerhead sharks eat other sharks—and it’s worth the risk

Apparently, sharks are food, not friends.

www.popsci.com

1 10 36

Reposted by Erin Spencer, PhD

Lisa @tuexplorer1.bsky.social · Aug 4

Anemone, umbellula, sea pen, scotoplanes? @schmidtocean.bsky.social dive 820 #MarDelPlataCanyon #MarineLife

1 2 17

Reposted by Erin Spencer, PhD

Lisa @tuexplorer1.bsky.social · Aug 1

Cusk eel from @schmidtocean.bsky.social dive 818 #MarDelPlataCanyon #MarineLife

1 1 7

Reposted by Erin Spencer, PhD

Nature @nature.com · Jul 31

This surprisingly relaxing footage is from SIX MILES under the ocean – and it’s the deepest ecosystem yet discovered

440 3.5K 14K

Erin Spencer, PhD @etspencer.bsky.social · Jul 31

Unreal images from the hadal zone, the deepest part of our ocean, in this new paper in @nature.com. Scientists used the manned submersible Fendouzhe in the Kuril–Kamchatka Trench and the western Aleutian Trench at depths from 5,800 m to 9,533 m 🦑🌊🧪🐟🌍

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

5

Erin Spencer, PhD @etspencer.bsky.social · Jul 31

Look at the detail on this STUNNER from yesterdays @schmidtocean.bsky.social dive in Mar del Plata Submarine Canyon in Argentina 🦑🌊🧪🐟

2

Reposted by Erin Spencer, PhD

Lisa @tuexplorer1.bsky.social · Jul 30

🤣 that squid is straight up saying🖕🖕 @schmidtocean.bsky.social dive 817 #MarDelPlataCanyon #MarineLife

1 4 15

Reposted by Erin Spencer, PhD

Lisa @tuexplorer1.bsky.social · Jul 30

Pandea rubra (paper lantern jelly) @schmidtocean.bsky.social dive 817 #MarDelPlataCanyon #MarineLife

4 14

Erin Spencer, PhD @etspencer.bsky.social · Jul 30

Spotted on the @schmidtocean.bsky.social livestream! Check it out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg9N... 🦑🌊🧪

2

Erin Spencer, PhD @etspencer.bsky.social · Jul 30

This is the horoscope content we NEED🐟🌊🧪🌍

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-stor...

What Your Birth Month Says About Your Next Seafood Recipe

Celebrate National Culinary Arts Month by finding a new sustainable seafood recipe based on your birth month.

www.fisheries.noaa.gov

1