@phoebechapman
π¦πΊ in π³πΏ at Uni of Otago using genomic approaches to explore diversity, microbes and parasites primarily in aquatic/marine ecosystems. Variously an ecologist, wildlife wrangler/photographer, diver/hiker/skier/etc π§ π’ πΈ 𧬠π π³οΈβπ http://phoebeachapman.github.io
What contributes to the occurrence of disease-like blemishes in bull kelp in New Zealand? In this project led by superstar student Sabine de Klein, we surveyed and modelled blemish numbers in Durvillaea poha beds with respect various environmental factors. π§ͺπ¦π
H5 strain of bird flu on Heard Island? Samples are yet to be tested. "The majority of mortalities were detected in elephant seal pups and in a small number of adults." β Dr Julie McInnes, wildlife ecologist with AAD and @imas-utas.bsky.social
βΆοΈ www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...
πΈ Matt Curnock
The last paper from our project looking at the link between skin bacteria and a tadpoleβs ability to regenerate its tail. A good summary in @frogsquisher.bsky.socialβs comments!
#BirdoftheYear π³πΏ
Would love an add as well if possible Pamela!
Parasite extinctions in threatened species may be far more prevalent than previous estimates suggest. Our new study of kΔkΔpΕ dung spanning from ~1,500 years ago to present, finds >80% of parasite species were lost as the host species declined.
a silly #SciArt redraw of the squish that cat meme, but it is a grey stickfigure squishing a mosquito (that looks like a little cat) with the text SQUISH THAT BUG!
You want to collect insects (and maybe other arthropods) for reference genome sequencing, but don't want to spend a fortune on dry ice shipping!
All you gotta do is SQUISH. THAT. BUG!
More details in our recent preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Everyone knows about AMOC but have you heard about SMOC?! Stand by for extreme penguinity! www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Saw this somewhere on the socials today, seems⦠relevant.
Portrait of a plump gentoo penguin from chest up, looking straight into camera. A white chest, black neck and head with white band/crown running behind eyes. Orange and black beak. In the background are large black pebbles.
Better late than never for #worldpenguinday and #superseabirdsunday! Deadpan Gentoo had enough of my photography crap I reckon #marinelife π¦ #birds πͺΆ
My nightmare in #eDNA is to detect a rare or threatened species that turns out to be a false positive, so we set out to evaluate some of the commonly used taxonomic classifiers.
The results are finally out: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
1/3
Plastic pollution along Australiaβs coastline has dropped by more than a third over the last decade. Researchers recorded a 39% decrease in coastal debris density and a 16% increase in areas with βno plastic debris at all.β
www.sbs.com.au/news/podcast...
Two children at school in uniforms and it looks like Japan, both of them look like girls or femmes. One is holding a giant tuba so that it's stuffed over the face of the other one that's pinned up against the wall. The one holding the tuba is labeled every company. The tuba is labeled unwanted AI And the one against the wall is labeled me
Weee yupes!!
A black penguin, turning back to look at the camera. The penguin has a pink beak and light coloured eye, with a yellow band running between its eyes around the back of its head. In the background are green ferns and tall reeds. The foreground is light green lush grass, obscuring the bottom half of the bird.
For this weekβs #superseabirdsunday - hoiho / yellow-eyed penguin, Enderby Island
#seabird #birds πͺΆ #naturephotography #penguin #newzealand
SAVE THE PENGUINS.
STOP TRUMPβS TARIFFS.
If youβre new here, welcome. Our Antarctica Nudist Colony Government was formed after Seal hunters left our land around 1920. We occasionally allow scientists to study our 29 mammals, multiple seabirds, and limited flora, but have no permanent human settlement. Australia partially protects us 1/2
"Trade war with penguins": Trump places 10% tariff on uninhabited Antarctic islands Planned tariffs shared by the White House included a 10% duty on imports from the barren Heard and McDonald Islands
Even when it's just the two of them, in an otherwise empty Oval office, Trump and Musk still aren't the smartest guys in the room.
Thought I'd revisit Star Wars.
Just in case anyone forgot what starts the whole saga: it's a #TradeWar about #tariffs
Hooray! Thank you :)
Oh yes please!
Three large albatross, predominantly white with black mottled wings and light pink bills. The centre bird faces away from the camera, and the birds on either side face inwards towards it; all three have their heads together as if discussing something. They stand on a hill covered in yellow, green and red herbs, mosses and grasses.
Three Southern Royal albatross sharing a juicy piece of gossip on Enderby Island (NZ sub-Antarctic)
#seabirds #superseabirdsunday #marinelife #wildlifephotography #naturephotography #birds
A bit of Saturday science - our new paper out this week is the first published record of a myxozoan parasite in Murray River turtles (Emydura macquarii) in Australia @vgonzaleza.bsky.social
#parasitology πͺ± #herpetology #turtle π’
And based in Dunedin!
I dunno about Harlequin but I can give a plug for my wife @zgrokit.bsky.social who writes lady-loving-lady romance
Two medium sized mottled dark brown birds having a tug of war over a long piece of brown kelp on a sandy beach.
Not much a skua wonβt fight over. Enderby Island, sub-Antarctic New Zealand #birds #marinelife #seabirds #birdphotography
Back from two weeks aboard the HMNZS Canterbury as one of the scientists on the 2025 Blake Expedition to the NZ sub-Antarctic Islands. Will progressively drop photos and commentary here as I go through them #marinelife #naturephotography #sealion #pinniped
2025 Blake Expedition on Operation Endurance with the NZ Navy. Off to the sub-Antarctic Campbell and Auckland Islands to do some sciencing and inspire the next generation!
