LEC Reefs

This international women’s day we celebrate the inspiring women that are part of, and work alongside our group.

The UN’s theme for #IWD is “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls”- learn more here: www.unwomen.org/en/get-invol...

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Thousands of dead puffins are washing up on Europe’s beaches – why it’s been such a dangerous winter for seabirds Seabirds are washing up on Europe’s beaches in large numbers after weeks of bad weather.

Thousands of dead puffins are washing up on Europe’s beaches - Dr Ruth Dunn explains why in the Conversation @lec-reefs.bsky.social @ruthedunn.bsky.social theconversation.com/thousands-of...

Marine biology scientist recognised by Fellow status in world’s oldest ecological society - Lancaster University A Lancaster University marine biologist has been recognised with prestigious Fellow of the British Ecological Society (BES) status.

Very excited to be one of the new Fellows of the BES! It has always been the society where I feel I belong the most 🥰 www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/marine-... @britishecologicalsociety.org @lec-reefs.bsky.social @dsilu.bsky.social @macrobehaviour.bsky.social @lancasteruninews.bsky.social

Today our Applied Data Science for Biodiversity MSc students took a trip to our underwater Coral Crisis Centre to coordinate a rapid response to an upcoming heatwave. Ready to dive? 👌 @lec-reefs.bsky.social @dsilu.bsky.social @lancasteruninews.bsky.social

Excited to head to Oxford for this on Friday! 🐦

🎙️ The fabulous @mollylouisefowkes.bsky.social was recently invited to talk on the Impact Storytelling Podcast about her research exploring the hidden social lives of the endangered European eel! 📊 👩‍💻🛥️

Listen now on YouTube & Spotify:
tinyurl.com/Eelpodcast 🎧

A marine scientist explains why she eats seafood—even octopus Conservationist Christina Hicks explains the tension between protecting marine life and depending on it for food, and how our seafood choices ripple across the world.

Is it possible to save our seas and enjoy seafood at the same time? 🐟🍴

Check out this #NationalGeographic interview with marine scientist and conservationist Prof Christina Hicks of @lec-reefs.bsky.social on sustainable seafood and protecting marine life 👇

Marine biology scientist recognised by Fellow status in world’s oldest ecological society - Lancaster University A Lancaster University marine biologist has been recognised with prestigious Fellow of the British Ecological Society (BES) status.

Congratulations to @salkeith.bsky.social of @lec-reefs.bsky.social, who has has been recognised as a Fellow of @britishecologicalsociety.org! 👏

Dr Keith pioneered the concept of ‘macrobehaviour’, exploring behavioural patterns across large geographical regions, varying species, and long timescales.

Super excited to announce I've started as a postdoc at LEC REEFS @lec-reefs.bsky.social with James Robinson @james-robinson.bsky.social and Renato Morais @renatoamorais.bsky.social. Not only can I stick with my reef fish, but we're scaling up work on fish productivity and nutrient fluxes 🦠🐠

New paper on coral reef restoration and recovery by @timlamont.bsky.social et al:

doi.org/10.1111/gcb.... 🪸

New PhD project available here at @lancasteruni.bsky.social!

Come and research coral reefs, MPAs, and climate impacts 🪸

www.exageo.org/phd-student-...

We're #hiring a new #PhD student - come join @lec-reefs.bsky.social to investigate coral reefs, MPAs, and climate impacts. 🌊 🧪🦑

Details + apply here - www.exageo.org/phd-student-...

Deadline Jan 9th! International applicants encouraged 👍

You can keep up with the whole LEC REEFS gang via our starter pack! 🐟🪸🎣🏝️

go.bsky.app/3m4FFzH

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Two new post-doc positions in our team here at Lancaster! 👇

We're hiring! 🥳 Come and join our team in Lancaster - we're looking for two senior postdocs to work on corporate sustainability and restoration ecology. 🌳 🪸 ♻️ (1 of 2)
@lec-reefs.bsky.social @pentlandcentre.bsky.social @sci-tech-lancaster.bsky.social @lancasteruni.bsky.social

Schematic diagram of the influence of seabirds on temperate and tropical near-shore marine systems. Temperatre systems: - Nutrient enrichment and predation on herbivorous invertebrates can lead to increased algal production - Phytoplankton communities change, featuring more large-celled species - Intertidal organisms incorporate seabird-enriched material by grazing on detritus and biofilm in tidepools - Macroalgae biodiversity and primary production are boosted Tropical systems: - Mangrove leaf nutritional quality increases - Corals recover faster after bleaching events - Fish biomass increases across different trophic groups - Pelagic and benthic consumers' foraging behaviour shifts - Parrotfish grazing and bioerosion rates increase - Fish grow larger

New in @natrevbiodiv.nature.com: our review of the influence of #seabirds, via their nutrient transfer, on islands & adjacent marine ecosystems 🐦🏝️🪸

We highlight knowledge gaps & future directions ✨

"The circular seabird economy is critical for oceans, islands and people": doi.org/10.1038/s443...

A new study reveals that although they are often overlooked, dried fish are critical to helping feed millions of people across Africa.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4nItEIj

@lancasteruni.bsky.social

Lancaster’s world-class researchers will turn bold ideas into innovations to improve lives - Lancaster University Three Lancaster University researchers have been awarded Future Leaders Fellowships, through a flagship scheme by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Starting a new job felt like a good time to join the BlueSky party! 🙌🦋

Excited to be starting a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship - look out for job ads soon on ecosystem restoration 🪸🌴🐠, business sustainability ♻️ and corporate accounting 🧮📊. Exciting plans ahead!

www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/lancast...

Indian women used to be afraid of the ocean. Now, they’re turning into its strongest defenders Along India’s coastline, a rising wave of women is healing our oceans, moving beyond the margins of shore-bound roles traditionally ascribed to them

@ruchakarkarey.bsky.social is in Vogue India! Great article about India's women marine defenders www.vogue.in/content/once...

Sun-dried and smoked fish are the overlooked yet vital nutrient-packed superfood providing much needed nutrition across tropical Africa, according to a new study 🐠

📰: https://tinyurl.com/yveejt7u

📸: Christina Hicks, Tane Sinclair-Taylor, James Robinson

@lec-reefs.bsky.social

Will Coral Reef Collapse Make Fish Less Intelligent? Marine biologist Annabell reveals how coral reef collapse could affect fish intelligence, with insights on what reef degradation means for underwater life.

Cool article on our PhD student Annabell Klinke's research, asking are fish less smart on less structurally complex reefs? womenlovetech.com/world-first-... @lec-reefs.bsky.social

Density dependent habitat selection in response to habitat loss in a coral reef fish Habitat loss triggers a social chain reaction: adult reef fish crowd onto remaining coral, then spill over onto dead coral—and juveniles follow. This study reveals a novel, socially driven ‘bandwagon...

PAPER hints at ecological traps for damselfish settlement - dead corals chosen for settlement if an adult is present, could cascade to bad ends! besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... Led by @lisabe.bsky.social @lec-reefs.bsky.social @animalecology.bsky.social

Site-level variation in field of view is associated with altered anti-predator responses in farming damselfish The structure of a habitat affects how animals respond to predators. By recording the anti-predator behaviour of reef fish at sites with different levels o

Field of view affects damselfish anti-predator responses BUT other metrics of structural complexity do not. Implications for how we measure structure & predict its effects academic.oup.com/beheco/advan...
@jamesboon.bsky.social is on fire today! @lec-reefs.bsky.social @envisiondtp.bsky.social

Deeper Caribbean reef fish communities show greater taxonomic and functional change in dominance structure over a nine-year period - Coral Reefs Fish communities at greater depths on a reef are thought to be less affected by disturbances that more strongly impact shallower areas. As a result, these deeper communities might be expected to show ...

New PAPER shows greater depths NOT correlated with more stable communities on Caribbean reefs, contrary to expectations. Led by @jamesboon.bsky.social link.springer.com/article/10.1... @lec-reefs.bsky.social @envisiondtp.bsky.social @opwallscience.bsky.social

Familiarity mediated by body size predicts intraspecific aggression in farming damselfishes - Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Abstract Aggressive territoriality can have significant benefits for resource acquisition yet is a costly behaviour. Selection should therefore favour mechanisms that allow individuals to modify their...

Third paper from my PhD at @lancasteruni.bsky.social out now. Territorial farming damselfish are more aggressive to smaller neighbours than strangers @envisiondtp.bsky.social #fishinbottles #angrydamsels #nastyneighbours

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Familiarity mediated by body size predicts intraspecific aggression in farming damselfishes - Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Abstract Aggressive territoriality can have significant benefits for resource acquisition yet is a costly behaviour. Selection should therefore favour mechanisms that allow individuals to modify their...

PAPER: Territorial damselfish are more aggressive to neighbours if their neighbour is larger, but this weakens If they don't know each other link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Led by my awesome former PhD student @sheppardcat.bsky.social @lec-reefs.bsky.social @envisiondtp.bsky.social #FishInBottles

This essay reflects on my experience traveling for research across West Africa. “As a West African seeking to move freely within my own region, I was subjected to extortion, while non-Africans enjoyed the very freedom that should inherently be ours”. @ecowas.bsky.social
rpublc.com/august-septe...

Composite image of the Proceedings B journal title, the manuscript title and the author list, alongside an image of a red-footed booby flying amongst palm trees. Some text reads: "Winds shape the behavioural decisions of red-footed boobies, impacting their foraging commutes and feeding behaviour".

"Commuting in crosswinds and foraging in fast winds: the foraging ecology of a flying fish specialist" 💨🐦🐟

New @iomarinescience.bsky.social research out now in @royalsocietypublishing.org: doi.org/10.1098/rspb...

📸 @robinfreeman.bsky.social

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Using lightweight bird-borne cameras, scientists have captured unique footage of Indian Ocean seabirds speeding just above the waves to catch flying fish.

Dr Ruth Dunn (@ruthedunn.bsky.social) of @lec-reefs.bsky.social is lead author of the study.

📰: https://tinyurl.com/yezeyxu2

Great Barrier Grief: scientists face mental health battle Tim Lamont was surveying the coral reefs off Lizard Island in Far North Queensland as part of his PhD in coral reef ecology when he first felt his mood start

Important article on dealing with grief & anxiety in environmental science, with lots of input from Tim Lamont @lec-reefs.bsky.social cosmosmagazine.com/people/socia... includes tips on coping with climate distress