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Karen R. Lips

Karen R. Lips

@karenrlips.bsky.social

1.5K followers 1.8K following 250 posts

Ecology, global change, wildlife disease, tropical biology, science policy & diplomacy.

Karen R. Lips is a professor of biology at University of Maryland, College Park. Lips' work in the 1990s eventually contributed to the identification of the chytrid fungus as the primary cause of frog decline worldwide. .. more

Environmental science 54%

Geography 14%

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Karen R. Lips @karenrlips.bsky.social · Dec 10

🧪🌎. Our short film "The Waiting" 🐸🎥🐸🎬 is been awarded as a Vimeo Staff Pick, so since yesterday it's publicly accessable on Vimeo! vimeo.com/1036802517?s...

Karen Lips is researcher and lives for several years in a tiny little shack in Costa Rica to observe frogs. When she leaves the cloud forest for a short time and…

Reposted by Karen R. Lips, Nathalie A. Steins, Maria Faticov , and 2 more Karen R. Lips, Nathalie A. Steins, Maria Faticov, Tuomas Kankaanpää, Samuele Ramellini

Jonathan Lenoir 🌳🌲🌴 @jonlen.bsky.social · 2d

Climate change has already reshaped the bioclimatic space of extreme events in the Arctic 🌐❄️ Arctic biodiversity has entered a new era of bioclimatic extremes w/ more droughts, greater winter-warming 📈 & more rain-on-snow events 💧❄️

shorturl.at/pQsVP

Just published in Science Advances ⬇️

A new era of bioclimatic extremes in the terrestrial Arctic

Long-term climate data suggest that the Arctic is entering a new era of bioclimatic extremes threatening cold ecosystems.

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

Ecological Society of America @ecologicalsociety.bsky.social · 3d

Bring your science to Salt Lake City! We are now accepting contributed talk and poster abstracts covering all areas of ecological research and practice for #ESA2026 in July. Ample funding support will be available!

https://ow.ly/lYQZ50XTHZS

Karen R. Lips @karenrlips.bsky.social · 3d

All the other ASIH awards are open for nominations also! Please consider nominating deserving colleague. They are listed at that link

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

Ian James @ianjames.bsky.social · 3d

One of the largest farming businesses in Arizona has agreed to use less water and pay $11 million in a deal state officials say will help preserve dwindling groundwater and provide financial help for residents whose wells have run dry. www.latimes.com/environment/...

As Arizona groundwater disappears, an agricultural giant agrees to use less

Agriculture has been free to use Arizona's groundwater, but as water levels drop, the state may have hit a turning point.

www.latimes.com

Reposted by Monica G. Turner, Karen R. Lips

Ecological Society of America @ecologicalsociety.bsky.social · 3d

Leadership in a scientific society helps you grow professionally, sharpens skills & builds your network while you advance our work.

Now is your chance -- Governing Board, Board of Prof Cert & standing committee nominations due 2/2!

https://ow.ly/3ROV50XTEu4

(photo: Past Presidents at #ESA2025)

a group of past ESA presidents poses together at a reception

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

The Science Diplomat @sciencediplomat.bsky.social · 3d

The Science Diplomat looks at:

• Science as a tool of governance

• How evidence shapes international rules and standards

• Where scientific cooperation holds — and where it breaks

• What happens when public knowledge systems erode

Join us as we explore how science functions in global affairs!

The Science Diplomat | Substack

Reporting and analysis on science diplomacy and global affairs. Click to read The Science Diplomat, a Substack publication. Launched 7 days ago.

thesciencediplomat.substack.com

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

The Science Diplomat @sciencediplomat.bsky.social · 3d

Science increasingly underpins diplomacy, security, trade, climate policy, and global governance — yet the institutions that translate science into decision-making are under strain.

This publication focuses on that interface: where scientific knowledge becomes power, risk, and governance.

Why The Science Diplomat, Why Now

Diplomacy is no longer confined to embassies.

thesciencediplomat.substack.com

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

Manlio De Domenico @manlius.bsky.social · 4d

strong evidence of convergent genome evolution across the animal kingdom suggesting that, in large part, adaptation to life on land is predictable, linking genes to ecosystems

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

🧪🌐🧬🌍

Convergent genome evolution shaped the emergence of terrestrial animals - Nature

Comparisons of 154 genomes from 21 animal phyla and outgroups have been used to reconstruct ancestral adaptation to life on land across 11 distinct terrestrialization events, revealing strong evidence...

Karen R. Lips @karenrlips.bsky.social · 4d

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Representation in science and trust in scientists in the USA - Nature Human Behaviour

Druckman et al. document gaps in trust in scientists in the USA. People from groups less represented among scientists (for example, women and those with lower economic status) are less trusting. Incre...

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

Ecological Society of America @ecologicalsociety.bsky.social · 4d

Join us next week for our first career exploration webinar of 2026! Featuring Sarah Gao at Sofar Ocean and John Brooks from GES!

Jan. 13, 2:00 PM ET

https://esa.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Yn0wC4qMS16yq5OTO6e_RQ

Karen R. Lips @karenrlips.bsky.social · 4d

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

‘I rarely get outside’: scientists ditch fieldwork in the age of AI

In the race to embrace new technologies, some ecologists fear their field is losing touch with nature.

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

Ecological Society of America @ecologicalsociety.bsky.social · 4d

New jobs this week on the ESA Career Center:
* Extension Assistant Professor, Biodiversity Conservation UMass Amherst
* Marine Scientist, Smithsonian Tropic Research Institute
* Assistant Professor, Forest Ecology & Management, Northern Arizona

Find your next career move: https://ow.ly/STrM50XT04F

www.esacareercenter.org

21 jobs to view and apply for now with ESACareers Career Center

Karen R. Lips @karenrlips.bsky.social · 4d

ASIH is soliciting nominations for the 2026 Margaret Stewart Achievement Award for Excellence - to be awarded to a mid-career scientist in Herpetology. Deadline 20 April 2026. Info here: www.asih.org/awards/stewa... 🐸🦎🐊🐍🐢 Please share and repost!

Margaret M. Stewart Achievement Award for Excellence in Ichthyology or Herpetology — American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 5d

Lizards have evolved their own version of rock-paper-scissors. Here's my story on the genetics behind nature's games. Gift link: nyti.ms/493KGMI

Three male side-blotched lizard with three neck colors: orange, blue, and yellow

Reposted by Karen R. Lips, Andrea Santangeli

Science Magazine @science.org · 5d

Evolution doesn’t always take thousands or millions of years. Sometimes it happens right before our eyes.

Such is the case with the Anna’s hummingbird, a species that has undergone a dramatic transformation in a few generations, thanks to the advent of hummingbird feeders: https://scim.ag/3YMuQQu

Bird feeders have caused a dramatic evolution of California hummingbirds

Karen R. Lips @karenrlips.bsky.social · 5d

Is ‘open science’ delivering benefits? Major study finds proof is sparse | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

Is ‘open science’ delivering benefits? Major study finds proof is sparse

It’s hard to measure social and economic impacts of making papers and data free, researchers say

www.science.org

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

IPBES en español @ipbeses.bsky.social · 5d

Explora las complejas relaciones entre los diversos desafíos para lograr un cambio transformador en este gráfico del Resumen para Formuladores de Políticas de la Evaluación del #CambioTransformador de la IPBES.

🌍 Descubre más: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17343987

Infografía circular que ilustra los factores que afectan los sistemas de conocimiento indígenas y locales, dividida en cuatro secciones temáticas con íconos y descripciones.

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

Jeffrey Mervis @policyhound.bsky.social · 6d

Prending"minibus" would fund NSF, DOE and NASA science programs at roughly 2025 levels www.science.org/content/arti...

Congress set to reject Trump’s major budget cuts to NSF, NASA, and energy science

Appropriators agree instead to keep this year’s spending nearly level

www.science.org

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

Science Magazine @science.org · 6d

North American bird populations are shrinking most rapidly in the very areas where they are still most abundant, according to a 2025 study in Science.

The findings reveal both urgent threats and potential opportunities for targeted conservation and recovery. https://scim.ag/4qwOLyM #NationalBirdDay

North American bird declines are greatest where species are most abundant

Efforts to address declines of North American birds have been constrained by limited availability of fine-scale information about population change. By using participatory science data from eBird, we ...

Reposted by Karen R. Lips, Trevor A. Branch

Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 6d

This is one of the wildest deep-sea mining stories to me.

Paleodictyon is a 500-million-year-old trace fossil from an unknown organism. In the last 50 years, we've found their honeycomb traces on the seafloor. There is a living organism that has been doing its thing for half a billion years.

Recovery of Paleodictyon patterns after simulated mining activity on Pacific nodule fields - Marine Biodiversity

Since the late 1980s, various experiments have been conducted in polymetallic nodule fields of the Pacific Ocean to assess the potential environmental impacts of future mining, specifically in two are...

link.springer.com

Reposted by Karen R. Lips, W Grant

ian bremmer @ianbremmer.com · 6d

top risks 2026 is officially out

after 28 years of analyzing geopolitical risks
this year is the tipping point:

Eurasia Group | The Top Risks of 2026

www.eurasiagroup.net

Karen R. Lips @karenrlips.bsky.social · 6d

osi-luebeck.shinyapps.io/GrantInq/

osi-luebeck.shinyapps.io

Karen R. Lips @karenrlips.bsky.social · 6d

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Point of no returns: researchers are crossing a threshold in the fight for funding

With so little money to go round, the costs of competing for grants can exceed what the grants are worth. When that happens, nobody wins.

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

David Roberts @drdavidlroberts.bsky.social · 7d

At the moment it is unlikely to get a license from Nature England due to numerous risks that could jeopardise other extant native species.

BBC News - Three frogs to be reintroduced to West Acre 'pingos' - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Three frogs to be reintroduced to West Acre 'pingos'

The money will be spent on breeding thousands of frogs and managing their release in 2026.

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

Liz Neeley @lizneeley.bsky.social · 8d

Over the holidays, every single national wildlife refuge, plus some fish hatcheries and marine monuments were directed to conduct a system-wide review. Outrageous deadline of Jan 5 functionally eliminates public input & tribal consultation.

news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-...

Interior to Spend Holidays Studying Refuges for Possible Closure

Congress will have to approve any Interior Department plans to abolish national wildlife refuges as staff members spend the next few weeks completing a review the US Fish and Wildlife Service has orde...

news.bloomberglaw.com

Karen R. Lips @karenrlips.bsky.social · 9d

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Localized transmission of an aquatic pathogen drives hidden epidemics and population collapse in a terrestrial host - Nature Ecology & Evolution

Fine-scale field analysis and modelling of the spatial dynamics of infection of Darwin’s frogs with Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis fungus identifies highly localized transmission dynamics that generat...

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

The Economist @economist.com · 12d

Humans should expand into the cosmos in the same way that, were the situation reversed, we would wish alien life to expand towards us: carefully, respectfully and in happy anticipation

The future of space exploration depends on better biology

Rockets are great, but sewage treatment is what you need for the long haul

Reposted by Karen R. Lips, Stephanie E. Hampton

Science Magazine @science.org · 12d

The National Science Foundation just had a big reorganization.

Here are five things to know. ⬇️ https://scim.ag/4baWBcS

The National Science Foundation just had a big reorganization. Here are five things to know

Divisions and rotators disappear as more career staff become supervisors

www.science.org

Reposted by Karen R. Lips

High Seas Alliance @highseasalliance.bsky.social · 12d

Applications are OPEN for the 2026 High Seas Youth Ambassadors Program!

Ambassadors will work with Earth Echo & High Seas Alliance to design and lead campaigns advancing global ocean protection & ratification of the #HighSeasTreaty.

Apply now! www.bit.ly/HighSeas-Apply #60toGlobal #GenSea

Promotional poster for EarthEcho's "High Seas Youth" ambassador program. Includes a QR code for application, a link, and images of diverse individuals engaged in activities related to advocacy and environmental conservation. Key details mention program offerings such as campaign management training and mentorship, with application deadline on January 9, 2026.

Reposted by Elena Litchman, Karen R. Lips, Joshua S. Weitz , and 1 more Elena Litchman, Karen R. Lips, Joshua S. Weitz, John R. Hutchinson

Jeffrey Mervis @policyhound.bsky.social · 13d

The National Science Foundation starts 2026 with a new management structure that affects every scientist with--or applying for--NSF funding. Here's what you need to know. www.science.org/content/arti...

The National Science Foundation just had a big reorganization. Here are five things to know

Divisions and rotators disappear as more career staff become supervisors

www.science.org