Graeme S. Cumming | Lightnews

Graeme Cumming

@gscumming.bsky.social

5.5K followers 1.4K following 310 posts

Ecologist of the frontiers... Prof at University of Western Australia & posting on ecology, conservation, academic life.

Videos

Environmental science 60%

Geography 15%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Graeme S. Cumming

Jack Cousteau ⚓️ @angrywaterman.bsky.social · 2d

oceanographicmagazine.com/news/marine-... marine protection as a means of supporting ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change

Marine protection boosts heatwave recovery for kelp forests - Oceanographic

Scientists find that Californian kelp forests receive a recovery-boost through marine protection following a marine heatwave.

oceanographicmagazine.com

Reposted by Rob Marchant, Graeme S. Cumming

Seth Finnegan @sethf.bsky.social · 2d

Still working my way through pics and videos from sabbatical in Panama: this is Arawacus lincoides, a stripestreak butterfly displaying a predator-distracting "false head", complete with false antennae that wave when it rubs its wings together.

Reposted by Graeme S. Cumming

Mindy Weisberger @laminda.bsky.social · 2d

Here's a moment of wonder for you: spiders that craft spider decoys! Two species of orb-weavers in Peru and the Philippines cobble together web structures out of plant bits and prey corpses that look like bigger spiders, possibly to distract spider-eating predators 🧪

Cyclosa Menge, 1866 (Araneidae) Orb‐Weavers Build Stabilimenta That Resemble Larger Spiders

The orb-weaving spider Cyclosa longicauda from Peru constructs unique stabilimenta from detritus and silk that visually resemble a larger spider. This previously undescribed behavior likely functions...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Reposted by Graeme S. Cumming

Erik Hoffner @erikhoffner.bsky.social · 4d

Jellyfish & sea anemones lack brains & yet seem to sleep in ways similar to humans

New findings bolster a theory that sleep evolved before centralized nervous systems to repair DNA damage that builds up in individual nerve cells while animals are awake.

“Neurons are very precious”

Jellyfish sleep like humans — even though they don’t have brains

Studying ancient sea creatures’ snoozing habits could shed light on the origins of sleep.

www.nature.com

Reposted by Graeme S. Cumming, Glenn H. Shepard

Linsey Marr @linseymarr.bsky.social · 5d

Here's a story about detection of cetacean morbillivirus, in the same genus as measles virus, in whales' blowhole breath. I'm contemplating what we can learn by exploring transmission between animals. HT Julian Tang

bbc.com/news/article...

Drones detect deadly virus in Arctic whales' breath

Whale breath collected by drones is giving clues to the health of wild humpbacks and other whales.

bbc.com

Reposted by Marco Festa‐Bianchet, Graeme S. Cumming

Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 6d

So everyone knows that northern cod collapsed completely in the 1980s and never recovered. Well... it's actually kind of recovering now. Spawning biomass is at pretty good levels, while catches remain at a tiny fraction of the heyday levels.
publications.gc.ca/collections/...

Reposted by Graeme S. Cumming, Garry Peterson

Helmut Hillebrand @hillebr1.bsky.social · 7d

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

@ckunze.bsky.social tested whether the concept of response diversity holds for pulse disturbances & realized response diversity. Turns out interaction strength is key. Great collaboration w @owpet.bsky.social & Shyamolina Gosh @icbm-uol.bsky.social @hifmb.de

Species Interactions Determine the Importance of Response Diversity for Community Stability to Pulse Disturbances

Caculations of response diversity can be based on species fundamental responses in isolation or their realised responses in the community using metrics of response dissimilarity and response divergen...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Reposted by Graeme S. Cumming

IPBES @ipbes.net · 8d

90% of all marine life lives in the photic zone of the ocean, but research reveals that between 2003 & 2022, ocean darkening reduced the photic zone depth by over 50m in 9% of the ocean, with likely severe consequences.

🆕 study by Thomas W. Davies & Tim Smyth: https://ow.ly/gza550XAw6p

Reposted by Rob Marchant, Graeme S. Cumming, Julie L. Lockwood

Trends in Ecology & Evolution @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social · 8d

Online now: Advancing species-based predictions of Nature’s contributions to people

Advancing species-based predictions of Nature’s contributions to people

Nature’s contributions to people (NCP) are essential for human wellbeing, yet most assessments still rely on land-cover indicators that overlook how biodiversity supports these contributions. We propose that species-level data, widely used in biodiversity mapping, can better inform direct NCP prediction through the development of species’ contributions to people (SCP). Linking species to NCP through relational SCP databases and combining these with species distribution models and global change scenarios can yield spatial NCP predictions that can be better rooted in species’ ecological characteristics. This approach fosters integrated biodiversity–NCP planning and supports conservation goals. We outline key methodological steps, identify research needs, and encourage collective progress to advance SCP knowledge for a transformative shift in how we assess and manage NCP.

dlvr.it

Graeme Cumming @gscumming.bsky.social · 13d

Very sad news, and a big loss to our community.

Bianca Nogrady @biancanogrady.bsky.social · 13d

Devastating news that marine biologist, science communicator, and UniMelb VC Professor Emma Johnston has died after a short illness.
She really was an extraordinary and visionary leader, and I have no doubt she would have made a fine Chief Scientist one day.
theconversation.com/emma-johnsto...

Emma Johnston was a visionary scientist, environmentalist and leader, with an abiding hope for humanity

The University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor, who has died aged 52, was driven by a deep love of science and a desire to safeguard the planet’s future.

theconversation.com

Reposted by Graeme S. Cumming, Rachael H. Nolan

Bianca Nogrady @biancanogrady.bsky.social · 13d

Emma Johnston was a visionary scientist, environmentalist and leader, with an abiding hope for humanity

The University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor, who has died aged 52, was driven by a deep love of science and a desire to safeguard the planet’s future.

theconversation.com

Reposted by Graeme S. Cumming, Arthur Geßler, Juan Rocha

Robert Finger @robertfinger.bsky.social · 14d

Percentage of self-sufficiency for specific food groups*

From Stehl et al. Nature Food 2025 www.nature.com/articles/s43...

*National food availability from domestic production as proportion from recommended intake by the Livewell diet. 100% means that all recommendations of a food group are met.

Reposted by Lisa W. Fazio, Graeme S. Cumming, John R. Hutchinson

c0nc0rdance @c0nc0rdance.bsky.social · 21d

So reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) can't fly, but they are VERY MAGICAL.

For example, their EYES CHANGE COLOR during the year & they're one of the few large mammals that can see UV. Golden brown in summer, deep blue in winter.

Let's talk about the unique visual adaptations of Rudolph and company.

Paddy Kalish OD shared this photo of reindeer eyes, showing a dramatic difference in eye color, probably dramatized, because the real effect is a eye-shine color, which is hard to represent.

Reposted by Tobias Kuemmerle, Stephen D. Murphy

Graeme Cumming @gscumming.bsky.social · 22d

Our new review lays out a framework for understanding the social-ecological benefits of protected areas to their surroundings - just published in One Earth:
www.cell.com/one-earth/ab...
doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101462

Figure 2. Picture showing a geographic visualization of the seven categories of spillover from protected areas
They include (1) physical spillovers, (2) ecological spillovers, (3) societal and sociocultural spillovers, (4) economic spillovers, (5) political and/or legislative spillovers, (6) management spillovers, and (7) spillovers to physical infrastructure. These categories are explained in more detail in the text.

Reposted by Graeme S. Cumming

DAPPER DON DHARSHI @dapperdondharshi.bsky.social · 23d

Tiger Shark * Boop *

Reposted by Graeme S. Cumming, Julie L. Lockwood

◉●○•° @ontopunk.bsky.social · 24d

“Solar-powered slug.” Photo by Giancarlo Mazarese

The sheep nudibranch Costasiella kuroshimae can feed on algae and sequester the chloroplasts into its own cells, where they capture sunlight and produce energy through photosynthesis.

Reposted by Trevor A. Branch

Graeme Cumming @gscumming.bsky.social · 24d

Seems like unlucky timing for Rudolph…

Science Magazine @science.org · 24d

It's the first video evidence of polar bears hunting and eating reindeer—something that had long been assumed, but never clearly seen.

Learn more: https://scim.ag/4s0hU6P #ScienceMagArchives

Reposted by Graeme S. Cumming, Trevor A. Branch

Science Magazine @science.org · 24d

It's the first video evidence of polar bears hunting and eating reindeer—something that had long been assumed, but never clearly seen.

Learn more: https://scim.ag/4s0hU6P #ScienceMagArchives

Reposted by Graeme S. Cumming, Martin J. Attrill, Jessica A. Gephart

Tim Lamont @timlamont.bsky.social · 26d

🚨 Two funded PhDs (one int'l, one UK) - study coral restoration & corporate sustainability with us in Lancaster! Enquiries welcome, January 30, please share widely! 🚨

🪸🐠 Coral restoration (int'l): www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

🌴📊 Corporate sustainability (UK): www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Reposted by Graeme S. Cumming, Halley E. Froehlich, Tommaso Jucker , and 1 more Graeme S. Cumming, Halley E. Froehlich, Tommaso Jucker, Martin Ehbrecht

Journal of Applied Ecology @jappliedecology.bsky.social · 26d

Published!📖

This study shows that choosing the most effective restoration strategy for tropical forests at scale depends equally if not more on economic and logistical than ecological constraints.

Read more:https://buff.ly/MTipuln

Graeme Cumming @gscumming.bsky.social · 27d

Dogfish, I think! A kind of small shark - that's not a baby.

Reposted by Rob Marchant, Graeme S. Cumming, Keith C. Hamer

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) @ukceh.bsky.social · 27d

Warming oceans are having widespread and often negative effects on migratory seabirds, new research involving UKCEH shows.

The study compared seasonal sea surface temperatures with seabird numbers to quantify effects on reproduction, survival & population trends. doi.org/10.1073/pnas...

🧪1/

Demographic responses of North Atlantic seabirds to seasonal ocean warming | PNAS

Climate-driven ocean warming is profoundly reshaping marine ecosystems, with cascading effects on biodiversity and trophic interactions. For migrat...

doi.org

Reposted by Graeme S. Cumming

Michelle says: Be kind. Always. ❤️ @snarkysillysad.bsky.social · 27d

Octopus scuffles: #AGoodPlace

Source: www.reddit.com/r/NatureIsFu...

Reposted by Graeme S. Cumming, David N. Thomas

Ambio - A Journal of Environment and Society @ambio-journal.bsky.social · 27d

New publication

Activities undertaken by Indigenous Australians as “caring for Country”: A systematic review

Link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Activities undertaken by Indigenous Australians as “caring for Country”: A systematic review - Ambio

Senior Aboriginal leaders have stated that all decent Australians should be encouraged to take on the responsibility of caring for Country. There is much to be learned from caring for Country, particu...

link.springer.com

Reposted by Graeme S. Cumming, Stephen D. Murphy

Garry Peterson @resiliencesci.bsky.social · 27d

A history of Stommel diagrams (from 2011)
rs.resalliance.org/2010/02/24/a...

showing how nature is dynamic across space & time

Reposted by Graeme S. Cumming

Molten.Art @moltenart.bsky.social · Dec 12

Who said flying is limited to the sky?

This footage shows the largest known migration of mobula rays, captured in the waters of Baja California Sur.

Filmed by freediver and photographer Aidan Bedford.
A quiet reminder that art often begins with attention.

#NatureAsArt #VisualWonder #Observation

Reposted by Graeme S. Cumming

Spencer Wells @spwells.bsky.social · Dec 11

“The scientists do not know exactly what has caused this pandemic, but Cano said humans were ‘probably involved’ in the distribution of the disease. Current theories about its transmission include shipping, changes to currents and abnormal wave activity.” 🦠🪸 www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Sea urchin species on brink of extinction after marine pandemic

Ecologically important Diadema africanum almost eliminated by unknown disease in Canary Islands

www.theguardian.com

Graeme Cumming @gscumming.bsky.social · Dec 11

Also I am very grateful to UWA and my bosses for giving me the space and support to develop and run this massive analysis. I started my current fellowship very drained from the admin battles of trying to land an ARC Centre of Excellence gently, and getting back to science has been fantastic.

Reposted by Garry Peterson, Tom Le Breton

Graeme Cumming @gscumming.bsky.social · Dec 11

Happy to share my new publication in #Nature
doi.org/10.1038/s415.... Vegetation spillovers from Aus protected areas are common & widespread; also, management inside the area can affect vegetation outside the area. Spillovers don't factor much into conservation policy, but perhaps they should! 🧪🌍🌐

Protected area management has significant spillover effects on vegetation - Nature

Analysis of effect sizes of vegetation spillovers from protected areas in Australia shows that 71% of over 3,063 analysed protected areas had a positive spillover effect, and that these effects c...

doi.org

Reposted by Graeme S. Cumming, Juan Rocha, Benjamin Wildermuth

Journal of Applied Ecology @jappliedecology.bsky.social · Dec 10

🏔️ Landscape composition shapes biological control by promoting off-season predator diversity

Our work demonstrates how off-season crop management and landscape structure jointly support overwintering predator populations and sustain their biological control potential🌍

Read more: buff.ly/CpAT3sQ

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