Paul Harnik
@paulharnik.bsky.social
Associate Professor @ Colgate University. Paleobiologist, science educator, engaged citizen. He/him.
Finishing off 2 days of remote beamtime with Rebecca Metzler here at Colgate University. Lots of great data on the microstructures of past and present marine animals from the Gulf of Mexico, and even a couple of catnaps over the past 48+ hours. Thankful for support for science and for collaborators!
November 27, 2025 at 3:13 AM
Finishing off 2 days of remote beamtime with Rebecca Metzler here at Colgate University. Lots of great data on the microstructures of past and present marine animals from the Gulf of Mexico, and even a couple of catnaps over the past 48+ hours. Thankful for support for science and for collaborators!
Ocean acidity has increased by ~30% over pre-Industrial levels due to the uptake of anthropogenic CO2. Pteropods, “sea butterflies,” are planktonic snails that are sensitive to these changes. Scientists have found that their shells are getting thinner & are dissolving, especially at high latitudes.
October 31, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Ocean acidity has increased by ~30% over pre-Industrial levels due to the uptake of anthropogenic CO2. Pteropods, “sea butterflies,” are planktonic snails that are sensitive to these changes. Scientists have found that their shells are getting thinner & are dissolving, especially at high latitudes.
Communing with trematode parasites! Trematode pits on the interior of a bivalve shell, glimpsed this week in @realhuntley.bsky.social’s office
September 20, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Communing with trematode parasites! Trematode pits on the interior of a bivalve shell, glimpsed this week in @realhuntley.bsky.social’s office
Looking forward to visiting @realhuntley.bsky.social and the U Missouri geo/paleo crew this week!
September 17, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Looking forward to visiting @realhuntley.bsky.social and the U Missouri geo/paleo crew this week!
Here is another Devonian sea star fossil on display in @colgate.edu’s geology museum
September 11, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Here is another Devonian sea star fossil on display in @colgate.edu’s geology museum
Swimming in ancient seas this afternoon with my paleo class here in Central New York and the students found some jaw-droppingly cool fossils, including a sea star! #Devonian #Wundergrads
September 11, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Swimming in ancient seas this afternoon with my paleo class here in Central New York and the students found some jaw-droppingly cool fossils, including a sea star! #Devonian #Wundergrads
It is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of colleague & friend Marilyn Suiter. Marilyn worked steadfastly to support the development of geo colleagues of all career stages, consistently connecting people & highlighting opportunities. She will be greatly missed.
August 21, 2025 at 1:52 PM
It is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of colleague & friend Marilyn Suiter. Marilyn worked steadfastly to support the development of geo colleagues of all career stages, consistently connecting people & highlighting opportunities. She will be greatly missed.
Spending a few days in the Triassic-Jurassic of south Wales
August 13, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Spending a few days in the Triassic-Jurassic of south Wales
Microstructure of a cupuladriid bryozoan (Discoporella depressa) collected on the continental shelf offshore Dauphin Island Sea Lab in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Imaging using photoemission electron microscopy at Diamond Light Source; field of view is approx 28 microns.
August 9, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Microstructure of a cupuladriid bryozoan (Discoporella depressa) collected on the continental shelf offshore Dauphin Island Sea Lab in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Imaging using photoemission electron microscopy at Diamond Light Source; field of view is approx 28 microns.
A glimpse into our day at the Diamond Light Source in Chilton, England. Several members of the Paleo Lab are here this week gathering data on the shell microstructures of different marine animals in order to better understand the biotic impacts of anthropogenic climate change.
August 6, 2025 at 11:24 PM
A glimpse into our day at the Diamond Light Source in Chilton, England. Several members of the Paleo Lab are here this week gathering data on the shell microstructures of different marine animals in order to better understand the biotic impacts of anthropogenic climate change.
Congrats to Paleo Lab alum, Charlie Filipovich, who defended her masters thesis today! Fun to learn about her work on Lake Tanganyika benthic communities!
July 17, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Congrats to Paleo Lab alum, Charlie Filipovich, who defended her masters thesis today! Fun to learn about her work on Lake Tanganyika benthic communities!
Congratulations to Meredith Shapiro and Allison Wen who presented their summer research in the Paleo Lab this afternoon on campus!
July 17, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Congratulations to Meredith Shapiro and Allison Wen who presented their summer research in the Paleo Lab this afternoon on campus!
Pilot work this week in the Gulf Of Maine with scientists from the Maine Department of Marine Resources
July 9, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Pilot work this week in the Gulf Of Maine with scientists from the Maine Department of Marine Resources
Congratulations to Danielle Moloney, Paleo Lab alum (‘18), who defended her masters thesis today at Southern Connecticut State University! So interesting to learn about her research on the response of temperate corals to temperature stress.
April 30, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Congratulations to Danielle Moloney, Paleo Lab alum (‘18), who defended her masters thesis today at Southern Connecticut State University! So interesting to learn about her research on the response of temperate corals to temperature stress.
I am happy to share that I have received tenure. I am so grateful to my colleagues, current & former students, friends, & my beloved family, who inspire, amuse, support, & challenge, & with whom I have learned so much. Thank you!
April 16, 2025 at 1:33 AM
I am happy to share that I have received tenure. I am so grateful to my colleagues, current & former students, friends, & my beloved family, who inspire, amuse, support, & challenge, & with whom I have learned so much. Thank you!
Marine keystone species art from my daughter Hazel (age 14)
March 22, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Marine keystone species art from my daughter Hazel (age 14)
Rebecca Metzler & I are teaching a new class @colgateuniversity.bsky.social on the evolution of form & function in biomineralizing marine animals w/ Ahmad Khazaee & Hans Benze. Here's are a few glimpses from our first few weeks! It's been such an amazing opportunity to learn alongside our students!
February 20, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Rebecca Metzler & I are teaching a new class @colgateuniversity.bsky.social on the evolution of form & function in biomineralizing marine animals w/ Ahmad Khazaee & Hans Benze. Here's are a few glimpses from our first few weeks! It's been such an amazing opportunity to learn alongside our students!
Wondrous, and slightly horrifying, discoveries today in the teaching collections. Folks, introducing the “Meatloaf Chiton.”
January 16, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Wondrous, and slightly horrifying, discoveries today in the teaching collections. Folks, introducing the “Meatloaf Chiton.”
Due to a major financial shortfall, the Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) in Ithaca, NY is in need of substantial support. If you're in a position to donate, I hope you will consider it (www.priweb.org/donate). 1/9
December 18, 2024 at 2:51 PM
Due to a major financial shortfall, the Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) in Ithaca, NY is in need of substantial support. If you're in a position to donate, I hope you will consider it (www.priweb.org/donate). 1/9
Do you teach 2D geometric morphometrics in your undergrad labs? I would be grateful for any materials you are willing to share. I am co-teaching a new course this spring on the evolution of form & function in calcifying marine animals & hope to have students generate an empirical morphospace.
December 17, 2024 at 7:56 PM
Do you teach 2D geometric morphometrics in your undergrad labs? I would be grateful for any materials you are willing to share. I am co-teaching a new course this spring on the evolution of form & function in calcifying marine animals & hope to have students generate an empirical morphospace.
What is this? Found by a student on a field trip today to the fossil-rich middle Devonian rocks in Hamilton, New York. Is it a phyllocarid mandible? #NameThatFossil
November 13, 2024 at 9:05 PM
What is this? Found by a student on a field trip today to the fossil-rich middle Devonian rocks in Hamilton, New York. Is it a phyllocarid mandible? #NameThatFossil
Swimming in Devonian Seas this Sunday morning in central New York
October 20, 2024 at 4:39 PM
Swimming in Devonian Seas this Sunday morning in central New York
As we prepared our Ms, I asked Lena, my 17 year old kid, to contribute. Lena is a talented artist & helped us by drafting the block diagram that we used in Fig 1 which illustrates the differences btwn taxonomic & functional diversity; it was so much fun working on this with them.
October 12, 2024 at 7:31 PM
As we prepared our Ms, I asked Lena, my 17 year old kid, to contribute. Lena is a talented artist & helped us by drafting the block diagram that we used in Fig 1 which illustrates the differences btwn taxonomic & functional diversity; it was so much fun working on this with them.
Anne (jokingly?) told the group in Okinawa that analyzing data was her hobby & to be in touch if we had projects to discuss. At the mtg. I also talked a lot w/ Marina Rillo, a postdoc working w/ Helmut Hillebrand, about her research on community structure & space-for-time comparisons.
October 12, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Anne (jokingly?) told the group in Okinawa that analyzing data was her hobby & to be in touch if we had projects to discuss. At the mtg. I also talked a lot w/ Marina Rillo, a postdoc working w/ Helmut Hillebrand, about her research on community structure & space-for-time comparisons.