Dr Simon Goodman
@phoca-sapiens.bsky.social
Evolutionary & conservation genomics, eDNA, parasites, disease ecology, marine mammal conservation. Seal nerd, co-chair IUCN Pinniped specialist group. University of Leeds, UK. 🦭🐳🧬🧪🌍 https://www.goodmanlab.org
Pinned
The evolutionary genomics of life-history adaptations in pinnipeds - Yorkshire Environmental Sciences • Doctoral Training Network
Project summary Pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, fur seals and walrus) are keystone marine predators, and sentinels for marine ecosystem health. Advances in genomic technology open up the possibility to u...
yes-dtn.ac.uk
New PhD studentship opportunity in my lab & with collaborators from the Pinniped Genomes Consortium. Come help us unravel the genomics of seal physiological super powers! Closing date 7th January 2026 🧪🦭🧬🌍🦑🐳 #marine #mammals
#consgen #popgen #phylo #molevol #evolution
yes-dtn.ac.uk/research/the...
#consgen #popgen #phylo #molevol #evolution
yes-dtn.ac.uk/research/the...
Reposted by Dr Simon Goodman
High-quality #genomes for northern bluefin tunas provide genomic tools for improving phylogenomic & evolutionary physiology analyses of this lineage & are important for potential functional assays for population biology of these commercially important species www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Whole Genome Assembly of the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Thunnus thynnus, with Phased Haplotypes
Atlantic bluefin tuna ( Thunnus thynnus ) are highly migratory fish, the largest tuna in the genus Thunnus . These fish possess a unique suite of traits, including regional endothermy, in their swimmi...
www.biorxiv.org
November 22, 2025 at 1:19 PM
High-quality #genomes for northern bluefin tunas provide genomic tools for improving phylogenomic & evolutionary physiology analyses of this lineage & are important for potential functional assays for population biology of these commercially important species www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Dr Simon Goodman
Illegal wildlife trade is a major threat to over 1 million species already facing extinction.
Next week in Uzbekistan, delegates meet to make decisions on global wildlife policy that protect over 40,900 species of wild animals & plants.
Follow #CITESCoP20: https://cites.org/eng/cop20
Next week in Uzbekistan, delegates meet to make decisions on global wildlife policy that protect over 40,900 species of wild animals & plants.
Follow #CITESCoP20: https://cites.org/eng/cop20
November 22, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Illegal wildlife trade is a major threat to over 1 million species already facing extinction.
Next week in Uzbekistan, delegates meet to make decisions on global wildlife policy that protect over 40,900 species of wild animals & plants.
Follow #CITESCoP20: https://cites.org/eng/cop20
Next week in Uzbekistan, delegates meet to make decisions on global wildlife policy that protect over 40,900 species of wild animals & plants.
Follow #CITESCoP20: https://cites.org/eng/cop20
A series of before/after satellite images comparing areas of high ecological importance in the Caspian Sea tell the story of 20 years of falling water levels. The Caspian is rapidly heading towards severe consequences for biodiversity and people living in the region.
goodmanlab.org/2025/11/22/t...
goodmanlab.org/2025/11/22/t...
Tracking Caspian Sea level decline in satellite imagery
Pictures from NASA’s MODIS earth observation satellites tell the story of falling water levels in the Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the largest landlocked waterbody on the planet. Located at…
goodmanlab.org
November 22, 2025 at 1:01 PM
A series of before/after satellite images comparing areas of high ecological importance in the Caspian Sea tell the story of 20 years of falling water levels. The Caspian is rapidly heading towards severe consequences for biodiversity and people living in the region.
goodmanlab.org/2025/11/22/t...
goodmanlab.org/2025/11/22/t...
Reposted by Dr Simon Goodman
Happy to finally share this important article on barriers in ecology led by @canobarbacil.bsky.social in the journal Frontiers in Ecology & the Environment. The idea for this paper originated at the nice #ANdiNA workshop in Spain a couple of years ago.
Why do so many ecologists share common feelings of disconnection between their research goals and real-world impact? 🌍
Our new article in #FE&E explores the constraints that limit ecological research and how we can mitigate them. 👇
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Our new article in #FE&E explores the constraints that limit ecological research and how we can mitigate them. 👇
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Overcoming barriers that limit the impact of ecological research
Ecology and conservation researchers have diverse goals that often include both personal career aspirations and desires to enhance the well-being of the natural world and its inhabitants. Perception ....
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Happy to finally share this important article on barriers in ecology led by @canobarbacil.bsky.social in the journal Frontiers in Ecology & the Environment. The idea for this paper originated at the nice #ANdiNA workshop in Spain a couple of years ago.
Reposted by Dr Simon Goodman
We churned through over 100 million radar samples to quantify the structure of migration through the airspaces across the United States: Just out in Ecology esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
November 20, 2025 at 6:20 PM
We churned through over 100 million radar samples to quantify the structure of migration through the airspaces across the United States: Just out in Ecology esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
Reposted by Dr Simon Goodman
In 2022, archaeologists at @uni-kiel.de's @neolithicbodies.bsky.social found 34 decapitated skeletons piled in a space the size of a parking spot. In the 3 years since, they’ve found 50 more. The mass grave is evidence for the collapse of the 1st pan-European culture 7,000 years ago. @science.org 🏺💀
Headless bodies hint at why Europe’s first farmers vanished
Wave of mass brutality accompanied the collapse of the first pan-European culture
www.science.org
November 20, 2025 at 7:17 PM
In 2022, archaeologists at @uni-kiel.de's @neolithicbodies.bsky.social found 34 decapitated skeletons piled in a space the size of a parking spot. In the 3 years since, they’ve found 50 more. The mass grave is evidence for the collapse of the 1st pan-European culture 7,000 years ago. @science.org 🏺💀
Reposted by Dr Simon Goodman
🦇White-nose syndrome moves fast &hits hard.
We don’t have the luxury of ignoring it.
Protecting bat habitat, supporting our probiotic project with community involvement, and supporting bat conservation actually matters.
If you care about ecosystems, bats aren’t optional players - they’re core staff.
We don’t have the luxury of ignoring it.
Protecting bat habitat, supporting our probiotic project with community involvement, and supporting bat conservation actually matters.
If you care about ecosystems, bats aren’t optional players - they’re core staff.
November 20, 2025 at 6:39 PM
🦇White-nose syndrome moves fast &hits hard.
We don’t have the luxury of ignoring it.
Protecting bat habitat, supporting our probiotic project with community involvement, and supporting bat conservation actually matters.
If you care about ecosystems, bats aren’t optional players - they’re core staff.
We don’t have the luxury of ignoring it.
Protecting bat habitat, supporting our probiotic project with community involvement, and supporting bat conservation actually matters.
If you care about ecosystems, bats aren’t optional players - they’re core staff.
Reposted by Dr Simon Goodman
📣Job vacancy!📣
Research Fellow in Global Conservation at Leeds, working with Dave Williams (and me, a bit) to assess the impact of conservation initiatives on biodiversity, carbon, and people: jobs.leeds.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx...
#ConservationScience 🌍
Research Fellow in Global Conservation at Leeds, working with Dave Williams (and me, a bit) to assess the impact of conservation initiatives on biodiversity, carbon, and people: jobs.leeds.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx...
#ConservationScience 🌍
Job Opportunity at University of Leeds: Research Fellow in Global Conservation
Salary: Grade 7 (£41,064 – £48,822 p.a. depending on experience) This role will be based on the university campus, with scope for it to be undertaken in a hybrid manner. We are also open to discussing...
jobs.leeds.ac.uk
November 20, 2025 at 3:34 PM
📣Job vacancy!📣
Research Fellow in Global Conservation at Leeds, working with Dave Williams (and me, a bit) to assess the impact of conservation initiatives on biodiversity, carbon, and people: jobs.leeds.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx...
#ConservationScience 🌍
Research Fellow in Global Conservation at Leeds, working with Dave Williams (and me, a bit) to assess the impact of conservation initiatives on biodiversity, carbon, and people: jobs.leeds.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx...
#ConservationScience 🌍
Reposted by Dr Simon Goodman
Global Cold‐Water Coral Biodiversity Redistribution Under Projected Climate Change
🔗 buff.ly/FyhJb97
🔗 buff.ly/FyhJb97
November 19, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Global Cold‐Water Coral Biodiversity Redistribution Under Projected Climate Change
🔗 buff.ly/FyhJb97
🔗 buff.ly/FyhJb97
Reposted by Dr Simon Goodman
🌍✨ Why genome sequence mega-diverse countries?
A handful of countries hold >70% of Earth’s terrestrial biodiversity — packed with species found nowhere else. These places are evolution’s playground… and extinction’s front line.
#Biodiversity 🌿 #GenomeSequencing 🧬
#Genomics 🔬 #ConservationGenomics 🌍
A handful of countries hold >70% of Earth’s terrestrial biodiversity — packed with species found nowhere else. These places are evolution’s playground… and extinction’s front line.
#Biodiversity 🌿 #GenomeSequencing 🧬
#Genomics 🔬 #ConservationGenomics 🌍
November 18, 2025 at 5:32 PM
🌍✨ Why genome sequence mega-diverse countries?
A handful of countries hold >70% of Earth’s terrestrial biodiversity — packed with species found nowhere else. These places are evolution’s playground… and extinction’s front line.
#Biodiversity 🌿 #GenomeSequencing 🧬
#Genomics 🔬 #ConservationGenomics 🌍
A handful of countries hold >70% of Earth’s terrestrial biodiversity — packed with species found nowhere else. These places are evolution’s playground… and extinction’s front line.
#Biodiversity 🌿 #GenomeSequencing 🧬
#Genomics 🔬 #ConservationGenomics 🌍
Reposted by Dr Simon Goodman
Thrilled to see this finally announced - and glad to see good things still happening to good people!
Congratulations to Pardis, Christian, and the rest of the Sentinel team! 👏🥳
www.macfound.org/press/press-...
Congratulations to Pardis, Christian, and the rest of the Sentinel team! 👏🥳
www.macfound.org/press/press-...
Sentinel Awarded $100 Million to Prevent Pandemics
www.macfound.org
November 18, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Thrilled to see this finally announced - and glad to see good things still happening to good people!
Congratulations to Pardis, Christian, and the rest of the Sentinel team! 👏🥳
www.macfound.org/press/press-...
Congratulations to Pardis, Christian, and the rest of the Sentinel team! 👏🥳
www.macfound.org/press/press-...
Reposted by Dr Simon Goodman
Meet Alison Peel
A dedicated wildlife vet and bat ecologist, and recipient of the 2025 Barry L. Munday Award! Ali has been a long-time, valued member of our community💚🦇
Read her full spotlight on: www.wda-a.org/post/member-...
A dedicated wildlife vet and bat ecologist, and recipient of the 2025 Barry L. Munday Award! Ali has been a long-time, valued member of our community💚🦇
Read her full spotlight on: www.wda-a.org/post/member-...
Member spotlight! Alison Peel!
This month we spotlight the work of our member Alison Peel.Ali recently commenced a new appointment as a Horizon Fellow at The University of Sydney, and she was also our 2025 recipient of the WDA-A Ba...
www.wda-a.org
November 16, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Meet Alison Peel
A dedicated wildlife vet and bat ecologist, and recipient of the 2025 Barry L. Munday Award! Ali has been a long-time, valued member of our community💚🦇
Read her full spotlight on: www.wda-a.org/post/member-...
A dedicated wildlife vet and bat ecologist, and recipient of the 2025 Barry L. Munday Award! Ali has been a long-time, valued member of our community💚🦇
Read her full spotlight on: www.wda-a.org/post/member-...
Reposted by Dr Simon Goodman
Nature research paper: An ancient recombination desert is a speciation supergene in placental mammals
go.nature.com/47UiBWa
go.nature.com/47UiBWa
An ancient recombination desert is a speciation supergene in placental mammals - Nature
Deep learning methods identified a large and evolutionarily conserved X-linked low recombination region in placental mammals that serves as both a barrier to gene flow in hybridizing lineages and an accurate phylogenomic marker.
go.nature.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Nature research paper: An ancient recombination desert is a speciation supergene in placental mammals
go.nature.com/47UiBWa
go.nature.com/47UiBWa
Reposted by Dr Simon Goodman
It's week 3 of fatherhood, and today I was granted special dispensation from shopping, housework, nappies & feeding, to do some macrophotography!
The highlight was this Oribatid mite (N. spinulosa) sporting long defensive spines, which I've nicknamed the Hellraiser mite!
#SoilBiodiversity 🧪
The highlight was this Oribatid mite (N. spinulosa) sporting long defensive spines, which I've nicknamed the Hellraiser mite!
#SoilBiodiversity 🧪
November 6, 2025 at 4:08 AM
It's week 3 of fatherhood, and today I was granted special dispensation from shopping, housework, nappies & feeding, to do some macrophotography!
The highlight was this Oribatid mite (N. spinulosa) sporting long defensive spines, which I've nicknamed the Hellraiser mite!
#SoilBiodiversity 🧪
The highlight was this Oribatid mite (N. spinulosa) sporting long defensive spines, which I've nicknamed the Hellraiser mite!
#SoilBiodiversity 🧪
Reposted by Dr Simon Goodman
🦣🧬🦣🤯💥We are pleased to share our new paper about ancient RNA expression profiles from the Woolly Mammoth, now published in Cell @cellpress.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
If you want to know more, read the 🧵 below:
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
If you want to know more, read the 🧵 below:
November 14, 2025 at 4:08 PM
🦣🧬🦣🤯💥We are pleased to share our new paper about ancient RNA expression profiles from the Woolly Mammoth, now published in Cell @cellpress.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
If you want to know more, read the 🧵 below:
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
If you want to know more, read the 🧵 below:
Reposted by Dr Simon Goodman
HPAI surveillance on Fildes Pen, S. Shetlands during China’s 41st Antarctic research expedition. Gull and skua carcasses positive, as well as some mammalian samples. Genomes had an interesting deletion in the NA.
👉 www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17...
👉 www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17...
November 11, 2025 at 6:09 AM
HPAI surveillance on Fildes Pen, S. Shetlands during China’s 41st Antarctic research expedition. Gull and skua carcasses positive, as well as some mammalian samples. Genomes had an interesting deletion in the NA.
👉 www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17...
👉 www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17...
Reposted by Dr Simon Goodman
EPA To Monarch Butterflies: ‘Count Your Fucking Days’ https://theonion.com/epa-to-monarch-butterflies-count-your-fucking-days/
November 10, 2025 at 7:00 PM
EPA To Monarch Butterflies: ‘Count Your Fucking Days’ https://theonion.com/epa-to-monarch-butterflies-count-your-fucking-days/
New PhD studentship opportunity in my lab & with collaborators from the Pinniped Genomes Consortium. Come help us unravel the genomics of seal physiological super powers! Closing date 7th January 2026 🧪🦭🧬🌍🦑🐳 #marine #mammals
#consgen #popgen #phylo #molevol #evolution
yes-dtn.ac.uk/research/the...
#consgen #popgen #phylo #molevol #evolution
yes-dtn.ac.uk/research/the...
The evolutionary genomics of life-history adaptations in pinnipeds - Yorkshire Environmental Sciences • Doctoral Training Network
Project summary Pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, fur seals and walrus) are keystone marine predators, and sentinels for marine ecosystem health. Advances in genomic technology open up the possibility to u...
yes-dtn.ac.uk
November 10, 2025 at 8:23 AM
New PhD studentship opportunity in my lab & with collaborators from the Pinniped Genomes Consortium. Come help us unravel the genomics of seal physiological super powers! Closing date 7th January 2026 🧪🦭🧬🌍🦑🐳 #marine #mammals
#consgen #popgen #phylo #molevol #evolution
yes-dtn.ac.uk/research/the...
#consgen #popgen #phylo #molevol #evolution
yes-dtn.ac.uk/research/the...
Reposted by Dr Simon Goodman
Reposted by Dr Simon Goodman
Weekend goals: be as chilled out as this seal mum while handling breakfast time with the kids ☕
Marine scientists Katie Wells and Rhi Nichol took a moment to capture this serene scene while monitoring elephant seals in South Georgia, near Antarctica.
#WeekendMood
Marine scientists Katie Wells and Rhi Nichol took a moment to capture this serene scene while monitoring elephant seals in South Georgia, near Antarctica.
#WeekendMood
November 8, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Weekend goals: be as chilled out as this seal mum while handling breakfast time with the kids ☕
Marine scientists Katie Wells and Rhi Nichol took a moment to capture this serene scene while monitoring elephant seals in South Georgia, near Antarctica.
#WeekendMood
Marine scientists Katie Wells and Rhi Nichol took a moment to capture this serene scene while monitoring elephant seals in South Georgia, near Antarctica.
#WeekendMood
Reposted by Dr Simon Goodman
Granger et al. Multispecies sensory networks and social foraging strategies: Implications for population decline in procellariiform seabirds www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... #ornithology #seabirds
Multispecies sensory networks and social foraging strategies: Implications for population decline in procellariiform seabirds | PNAS
Multispecies sensory networks, where different species prioritize different sensory
modalities and then use heterospecific information in a likely ...
www.pnas.org
November 7, 2025 at 7:46 AM
Granger et al. Multispecies sensory networks and social foraging strategies: Implications for population decline in procellariiform seabirds www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... #ornithology #seabirds
Reposted by Dr Simon Goodman
🎙️ New episode of the #GenomicConnections Podcast! This month we talk about #bioinformatics and how it is used to turn vast amounts of data into biological insights. 💻🧬💡
🔗 www.erga-biodiversity.eu/post/genomic...
#podcast #scipodcast #scicomm #genomics #bioinfo @biogeneurope.bsky.social
🔗 www.erga-biodiversity.eu/post/genomic...
#podcast #scipodcast #scicomm #genomics #bioinfo @biogeneurope.bsky.social
November 4, 2025 at 9:12 AM
🎙️ New episode of the #GenomicConnections Podcast! This month we talk about #bioinformatics and how it is used to turn vast amounts of data into biological insights. 💻🧬💡
🔗 www.erga-biodiversity.eu/post/genomic...
#podcast #scipodcast #scicomm #genomics #bioinfo @biogeneurope.bsky.social
🔗 www.erga-biodiversity.eu/post/genomic...
#podcast #scipodcast #scicomm #genomics #bioinfo @biogeneurope.bsky.social
Reposted by Dr Simon Goodman
#eDNA is transforming biodiversity monitoring & accuracy matters.
New research shows that reducing false positives & negatives requires not just better lab practices, but smarter data models.
👉 tinyurl.com/zf4sdedt
What is your experience? Leave a comment!
#Genetics #Biodiversity #Data #Science
New research shows that reducing false positives & negatives requires not just better lab practices, but smarter data models.
👉 tinyurl.com/zf4sdedt
What is your experience? Leave a comment!
#Genetics #Biodiversity #Data #Science
Improving the reliability of eDNA data interpretation
Global declines in biodiversity highlight the need to effectively monitor the density and distribution of threatened species. In recent years, molecular survey methods detecting DNA released by targe...
tinyurl.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:38 AM
#eDNA is transforming biodiversity monitoring & accuracy matters.
New research shows that reducing false positives & negatives requires not just better lab practices, but smarter data models.
👉 tinyurl.com/zf4sdedt
What is your experience? Leave a comment!
#Genetics #Biodiversity #Data #Science
New research shows that reducing false positives & negatives requires not just better lab practices, but smarter data models.
👉 tinyurl.com/zf4sdedt
What is your experience? Leave a comment!
#Genetics #Biodiversity #Data #Science
Reposted by Dr Simon Goodman
Started to work on FAIRe2ENA, a set of scripts that take your FAIRe-formatted #eDNA data and gives you XML files so you can 'easily' submit your reads to ENA;
the joys of having everything in one standard! You can just assume the columns will exist!!!
github.com/Minderoo-Oce...
the joys of having everything in one standard! You can just assume the columns will exist!!!
github.com/Minderoo-Oce...
GitHub - Minderoo-OceanOmics-Centre-UWA/FAIRe2ENA: Takes a FAIRe-Excel sheet and writes an XML file for submission
Takes a FAIRe-Excel sheet and writes an XML file for submission - Minderoo-OceanOmics-Centre-UWA/FAIRe2ENA
github.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Started to work on FAIRe2ENA, a set of scripts that take your FAIRe-formatted #eDNA data and gives you XML files so you can 'easily' submit your reads to ENA;
the joys of having everything in one standard! You can just assume the columns will exist!!!
github.com/Minderoo-Oce...
the joys of having everything in one standard! You can just assume the columns will exist!!!
github.com/Minderoo-Oce...