It isn't easy following science as a career path. Our series of personal essays, published on the last page of Science, aim to shed light on the challenges scientists face and, hopefully, help others feel less alone.

Here are @science.org's top essays of the year.

www.science.org/content/arti...

Somphouthone Phimmachak studies amphibians and reptiles as one Laos's few conservation researchers

go.nature.com/3KVtSOt

[New article is out!]📣
The newt roadkill exhibition, held in 2024, is Hong Kong's first crowdfunded exhibition focusing on a single species.

With >$40,000 raised, this project even initiated the first roadkill survey conducted by citizen scientists!🔍

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

The 1st International Conference on Integrated Conservation of Asian Turtles will be held in Hong Kong 27-30 March 2026! 🐢🔬

Abstract submission deadline:
12 Jan 2026

More details:

www.ln.edu.hk/scienceunit/...

Our Editorial for our upcoming special issue in Molecular Ecology: Conservation Genomics—Making a Difference onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

[Share] "...good research questions are not just precise questions that nobody has asked before. They also drive and capture your enthusiasm. They are itchy and persistent, and reflect innovative thinking and novel approaches"

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

[Share] Modern toads, which originated from South America, appeared to cross the Atlantic Ocean to enter Africa. The evolution of parotoid glands and inguinal fat bodies, which function as predator defence and energy reserves, helps the radiation process.

royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...

[Share]Conservation Evolutionary Biology - a new subdiscipline which emphasizes understanding species’ evolutionary histories, adaptive mechanisms, and future resilience to guide effective conservation strategies.
academic.oup.com/mbe/article/...

Use of digital twins in ecology for simulating and predicting wildlife behavior and changes in ecosystems
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Biodiversity conservation requires integration of species-centric and process-based strategies | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Hundreds of newt roadkill carcasses are often witnessed in early spring in Hong Kong. 🚗💥Thanks to the crowdfunding project “Life (cycle) of the Hong Kong Newt”, the first roadkill survey focusing on this species was conducted last year. The survey results are out now!

www.ln.edu.hk/news/press-r...

An incredible short film about our Hong Kong newt (Paramesotriton hongkongensis) youtu.be/2Vhwv4Mxv7A?...