Kristen Behrens, PhD
@behrenskristen.bsky.social
330 followers 440 following 260 posts
she/her | postdoctoral fellow of fisheries bioinformatics @ UMich | coregonine genomics and cichlid sex chromosomes | bioinformatician My views are my own. https://kristenbehrens.weebly.com/
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Reposted by Kristen Behrens, PhD
greyauk.bsky.social
#SundayFishSketch ... some small icefish studies.
small sketch of two icefish hovering over their eggs and nest of stones skerchbook page showing an icefish hovering over its circular nest of stones and its clutch of eggs
Reposted by Kristen Behrens, PhD
lizlagomorph.bsky.social
A little nurse shark to celebrate Ava's first #SundayFishSketch.
A sketch of a young nurse shark in shades of green.
Reposted by Kristen Behrens, PhD
nilosinnatamby.bsky.social
Apparently an inactive taxon, here's a Tetra nurse (Brycinus nurse), to celebrate @lampichthys.bsky.social 's new addition. Congrats!

Happy first #SundayFishSketch!
Reposted by Kristen Behrens, PhD
ecoinvasions.bsky.social
Attempted eradication of smallmouth bass promotes rapid evolution. Here's the study that is the focus of the Scientific American article: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Kristen Behrens, PhD
msbtterswrth.altgov.info
Hot off the presses! If you need a bigger size to print your stickers let me know!
The Portland frog as a founding father, surround by the words "give me ribberty or give me death"
Reposted by Kristen Behrens, PhD
bighippoart.bsky.social
Halloween is coming to the spooky forest 🦊
A fox walking into a magical foggy forest.
Reposted by Kristen Behrens, PhD
maijakarala.bsky.social
October moths

Even now it’s not too late to cling to the last remnants of summer and go looking for moths. These are some of the species that can still be seen in Finland & elsewhere in Northern Europe, drawn after my own photos.
Top view illustrations of six species of geometer moths. They all have intricate patterns and different colours: moss green, grey and pale pink, rufous and tan, cold grey, warm orange-brown.
Reposted by Kristen Behrens, PhD
betterknowafish.bsky.social
Worth a read for #SciComm #SciArt #TeamFish #SundayFishSketch users here. Bluesky has been a great haven for all of us science users, but it too is self-inflicting bad decisions on moderation, user safety, and general human decency... #WeJustCantHaveNiceThingsApparently 🦑🐡🧪
kerim.one
This post, by @nicomaramckay.com, gives a fuller history of just how terribly Bluesky has handled moderation since the beginning and how users have reacted:

"Bluesky’s moderation is not neutral; it is selective."
behrenskristen.bsky.social
They take turns! In this species reports are that females mouthbrood the eggs first and then males take over. Both parents hang around and supervise the free swimming fry
behrenskristen.bsky.social
For #SundayFishSketch this week I also picked a cichlid (shocker). This time it’s Chromidotilapia guntheri, which is unusual even amongst cichlids because it has biparental mouth brooding. They’re also quite phylogenetically distant from the haplochromines, which are our more typical mouthbrooders
Colored pencil drawing of a pair of Chromidotilapia guntheri. The pair is facing opposite directions and one is slightly smaller and less brightly colored. In the foreground are some of their fry, which still have their yolks
Reposted by Kristen Behrens, PhD
betterknowafish.bsky.social
We are celebrating baby Ava this week for #SundayFishSketch! For #nursing theme here is Neolamprologus brichardi. In Taiwan hobby circles, cichlids are called 慈鯛—literally a tenderhearted/motherly fish. And this cichlid even forms cooperative nurseries where many parents and young care for fry! 🐡🦑🧪
Square photo of a crayon sketch of a lyre tail cichlid.
Reposted by Kristen Behrens, PhD
marynmck.bsky.social
Some of last night’s CDC bloodbath being reversed? What an absolute cluster. But great breaking reporting by @jeremyfaust.bsky.social

open.substack.com/pub/insideme...
“Some of the reversals came after the Trump administration realized that they had accidentally terminated critically important staffers working on current measles and Ebola outbreaks.
A former CDC official was told that HHS communications officials were not happy with the media coverage of the RIFs, and may have felt that the move reflected badly on the administration, as outrage and accusations that the administration was using the government shutdown as a pretense to accomplish other political goals seemed to be sticking.”
Reposted by Kristen Behrens, PhD
bradmossesq.bsky.social
That sound you hear is plaintiff lawyers popping champagne corks and DOJ lawyers groaning.
atrupar.com
Q: How many layoffs have you authorized?

TRUMP: It'll be a lot. And it'll be Democrat-oriented.
Reposted by Kristen Behrens, PhD
whistberry.bsky.social
Happy #Caturday!

🩵🩷🤍🩷🩵
Digital drawing of a white cat sitting in a garden. There are layers of flowers echoing the blue, pink, and white colors of the trans flag. Blue hydrangea at top, pink roses, white snowdrops, pink daisies, and finally, small blue flowers among the grass at bottom.
Reposted by Kristen Behrens, PhD
peiferlabunc.bsky.social
Folks whose jobs, postdocs or grad school fellowships or applications were cut short--drop them a line
stephenturner.us
Lost Science is a new NYT series of accounts from scientists who have lost their jobs or funding. You can send your story to the Times here www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/c...
Reposted by Kristen Behrens, PhD
kylegriffin1.bsky.social
The Trump administration has been spreading anti-vaccine propaganda for months. Tonight, Trump's physician announced he just received a flu shot and a COVID booster.
Reposted by Kristen Behrens, PhD
dangaristo.bsky.social
Confirmation & details about RIFs at DOE, per agency source:

Federal employees working in renewable energy offices (solar, wind, and hydrogen fuel cell) received a 'general' notice of possible RIF at a meeting this afternoon. If identified individually, DOE employees will be sent specific RIFs.
Reposted by Kristen Behrens, PhD
ellohcee.bsky.social
Artober 5 - stars
#art #space
Digital art of an arapaima fish drifting through space, a background of simplified nebula clouds of teal and purple. There are both flecks of gold and stylized stars. The arapaima is teal near the front and fades to darker blue with areas of magenta/pink. Along the body are pops of brighter color on the ends of some scales, which start turning into stars further down the tail, which drift off into space behind the fish.
Reposted by Kristen Behrens, PhD
hidet0shi.bsky.social
I got some unexpected events that prevented me from drawing much this week, so I might be late with the sketches like a day or two!
Reposted by Kristen Behrens, PhD
sparkletiger.bsky.social
Been feeling like I have (at least) one foot in art block and/or burnout so I tried to paint a fish with Poscas to turn my brain off a bit :")
Also gonna try using hashtags, please don't judge-
#posca #SciArt (maybe?) #art
A colorful drawing of a fish on a white background.
Reposted by Kristen Behrens, PhD
lenasun.bsky.social
NEW: @CDCgov hit hard by massive firings that several staff describe to me as a “bloodbath.”
Among those RIFd:
—leadership of the center for immunization and respiratory diseases;
—leadership of global health center
—leadership of the measles outbreak response; 1/4
Reposted by Kristen Behrens, PhD
fritschner.bsky.social
A few minutes ago in the House:

- Speaker Mike Johnson officially cancels votes next week, extending the House recess through a fourth week

- House Republicans block Democrats from passing a bill to pay the troops during the shutdown, ensuring they will miss paychecks next week
House Press Gallery: During today's pro forma session, the Clerk read a message from the Speaker designating Tuesday, October 14 through Sunday, October 19 as a district work period. Punchbowl's Briana Reilly: House gaveled in and out of its pro forma just now w/o recognizing Rep Elfreth, who was seeking to UC a mil pay bill from Rep Sykes. 

Elfreth told reporters after that House Dems stand “ready and willing to take” up standalone legislation to pay troops.
Reposted by Kristen Behrens, PhD
standupforscience.bsky.social
Russell Vought, OMB Director, is using this shutdown to further the aims of Project 2025. He is slashing the federal workforce, and dismantling our agencies.

This is not just a shutdown standoff — it's finishing the job of DOGE. Take action for federal workers here! zurl.co/up9de
Graphic with two red and white images of Trump and Vought facing each other in profile. Torn off newspaper text reads: Trump administration begins laying off federal workers amid shutdown. Text at the top reads: Trump and OMB director Vought are firing patriotic public servants in their attempt to advance project 2025. Red text on a dark blue background reads: What’s Going on? Two white bubbles of text float behind a red and white image of Vought in profile. 
Bubble 1: Russell vought, director of the omb and author of project 2025, announced mass REDUCTIONS-IN-FORCE (RIFS) in federal agencies.
Bubble 2: the exact scope is still unclear, but reports say LAYOFFS HAVE HIT at least the Interior, Homeland Security, Treasury, EPA, Commerce, Education, Energy, HHS and HUD. Poster graphic reading: This isn’t just a shutdown standoff. Project 2025 aims to critically slash our federal workforce and dismantle our agencies. Doge already laid off 300k. Project 2025’s real goal? At least 1 Million federal employees laid off. In bold red highlighted text: Vought wants to finish the job. Highlighted text at top of graphic reads: Solidarity with federal workers! In red text below: Take Action!
Two blue bubbles read: Call Congress and let them know: Stop Vought! and Stand with Federal Workers! Links in our Bio to sign:
A list of petitions: Solidarity with NASA, EPA, FEMA, NIH
Reposted by Kristen Behrens, PhD
themckenziest.gay
Seeing Ms. Rachel say exactly what needs to be said to Obama is so damn refreshing
Dear President Obama,
I saw in your statement you said "Israeli families" & "the people of Gaza."
Palestinians have families, too.
This kind of language contributes to dehumanization. Dehumanization is part of what caused so many to stay silent as 20,000 children were killed in this genocide.
I've sat with wonderful Palestinian families from Gaza. They look at their children just like we look at ours - with all the love & hope in the world.
Love,
Ms Rachel