Jonathan Tonkin
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jdtonkin.bsky.social
Jonathan Tonkin
@jdtonkin.bsky.social
Dad | Associate Professor & Rutherford Discovery Fellow @UCNZ | #ecology, #biodiversity, #forecasting, #freshwater, #climatechange | surf obsessed | https://tonkinlab.org | 18K weekly newsletter. Subscribe: https://predirections.substack.com
Thanks Justin! Hope to catch up at some stage finally!
November 23, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Thanks Ashley!
November 23, 2025 at 4:26 PM
If you’re interested in some of my thoughts on an academic career, check out this post. But I'll pen some more soon.

This recognition has strengthened my resolve to keep communicating publicly about the importance of biodiversity, functioning ecosystems, and freshwater in a world changing at pace.
What I wish I knew: 33 thoughts for early career researchers
Thirty three reflections I wish someone had shared with me early in my research career.
predirections.substack.com
November 23, 2025 at 8:12 AM
Yes, moss in Antarctica is very much a needle in a haystack situation. They’re small and Antarctica is massive. That was part of the novelty of the paper — advanced modelling approaches that enable modelling tiny, sparsely distributed things across a vast continent.
Proximity to seabird colonies and water availability shape moss distributions in Antarctica
Understanding species distributions across Antarctica is crucial for biodiversity conservation under climate change, but continental-scale analyses of key terrestrial species remain scarce. Here, we ...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 13, 2025 at 6:12 AM
This week: Moss distributions in Antarctica, the human right to a safe climate, the extinction of experience of ecologists, early career reflections, the importance of feedback, and get yourself a notebook.
November 12, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Thanks Miguel! Much appreciated :)
November 10, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Thanks Miguel for pointing that out. I've realised I didn't think the title through enough at all -- it's always the last thing I do. Hopefully the content doesn't reflect that message. I very much am not arguing for one over the other. We need data to build models!!! 100% agree with your point!
November 10, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Oh and massive congrats on the Marsden too, Sam! Pretty funny you've been successful amidst all this chaos!
November 5, 2025 at 9:20 AM
I was pretty repelled by that sales pitch saying how important curiosity-driven research is and how it enables breakthroughs. This goes against everything that has happened with the funding cuts.
November 5, 2025 at 9:19 AM
That should have read 'how great things are'
November 5, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Meanwhile, MBIE are saying how things are and "Curiosity-driven research is an essential part of New Zealand’s science system. This investment enables breakthrough discoveries and cultivates the next generation of research leaders."

I had a wee rant here:
Yes, great, we're investing in NZ's future, but not as much as we were previously. Marsden funding is being eroded over the next few years and already hasn't kept up with inflation, so we&...
Yes, great, we're investing in NZ's future, but not as much as we were previously. Marsden funding is being eroded over the next few years and already hasn't kept up with inflation, so we're doing the...
www.linkedin.com
November 5, 2025 at 9:14 AM